This article explains how a Super Admin, Org Admin, or Help Desk Admin can update a user's recovery question using the API. This operation updates the recovery question used for password resets via the Update User endpoint.

NOTE: This operation can only be performed on users with valid credentials in Staged, Active, or Recovery status.

• Recovery Question
• Okta Application Programming Interface (API0
• Okta Classic Engine
• Okta Identity Engine (OIE)

Prepare a PUT request to the following endpoint:

/api/v1/users/<user_id>/credentials/change_recovery_question

NOTE: This endpoint changes the Recovery Question used to reset a forgotten password. If the intent is to change the Security Question used for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) prompts during login, use the /api/v1/users/<user_id>/factors endpoint instead.

1. Construct the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) body by wrapping the question and answer inside a credentials object:

   {
       "password": {
         "value": "tlpWENT2m"
       },
       "recovery_question": {
         "question": "How many roads must a man walk down?",
         "answer": "forty two"
       }
    }

2. Execute the request:

   curl -i -X POST \
     'https://{youroktadomain}/api/v1/users/00ub0oNGTSWTBKOLGLNR/credentials/change_recovery_question' \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{
       "password": {
         "value": "tlpWENT2m"
       },
       "recovery_question": {
         "question": "How many roads must a man walk down?",
         "answer": "forty two"
       }
     }'

    

Related References

• Update recovery question