
Spring Boot Password Encoder Match Error
When working with Spring Boot applications, it’s not uncommon to encounter various errors, and one that can be particularly puzzling is the “Password Encoder Match not working” error. This error often manifests when trying to verify a user’s password against a stored, encoded password. In this article, we’ll delve into the root causes of this issue and explore solutions to fix it.

Understanding the Error Message
The error message you’re encountering looks like this:
'matches(java.lang.CharSequence, java.lang.String)' in 'org.springframework.security.crypto.password.PasswordEncoder' cannot be applied to '(java.lang.String)'
This message is telling us that the matches
method of the org.springframework.security.crypto.password.PasswordEncoder
interface is expecting two arguments: a CharSequence
and a String
. However, the code you’re dealing with is passing a String
as the first argument.
Identifying the Problem
To resolve this error, you first need to understand why it’s occurring. The issue stems from a data type mismatch. The matches
method expects the first argument to be a CharSequence
, but in your code, you’re providing a String
.
Fixing the Error
Option 1: Using the CharSequence Interface
To rectify this error, you can convert the String
to a CharSequence
before calling the matches
method. This can be achieved by using the CharSequence
interface. Here’s how to do it:
CharSequence password = loginDTO.getPassword();
String encodedPassword = user.getPassword(); // Assuming this is the encoded password from the database
if (passwordEncoder.matches(password, encodedPassword)) {
// Passwords match
} else {
// Passwords do not match
}
By explicitly declaring password
as a CharSequence
, you ensure that the first argument to the matches
method is of the correct data type.
Option 2: Using a String as a CharSequence
Alternatively, you can fix the error by directly using a String
as a CharSequence
. Here’s an example of how to do that:
String password = loginDTO.getPassword();
String encodedPassword = user.getPassword(); // Assuming this is the encoded password from the database
if (passwordEncoder.matches(password, encodedPassword)) {
// Passwords match
} else {
// Passwords do not match
}
In this approach, we’re still passing a String
as the first argument to the matches
method, but because String
implements the CharSequence
interface, it’s a valid argument.
Conclusion
The “Password Encoder Match not working” error in Spring Boot can be a bit perplexing, but it usually boils down to a simple data type mismatch. By ensuring that the first argument to the matches
method is a CharSequence
, either by using the CharSequence
interface or a String
directly, you can successfully resolve this error and keep your Spring Boot application running smoothly.
Happy coding!