Custom User Models in Django: AbstractUser and AbstractBaseUser

Every Django project should implement a custom user model from the start. This approach avoids future issues and allows flexibility in authentication, user fields, and business logic. Two common ways to create a custom user model are: extending "AbstractUser" and using "AbstractBaseUser".

Creating custom user models: Using AbstractUser

AbstractUser allows you to extend Django's default User model while retaining built-in authentication features. Consider a project named "geeksforgeeks" having an app named "geeks" and add geeks to INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py.

Step 1: Define the Model

In geeks/models.py:

from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractUser
from django.db import models

class User(AbstractUser):
    email = models.EmailField(unique=True)
    phone_number = models.CharField(max_length=15, blank=True, null=True)

    USERNAME_FIELD = 'email'
    REQUIRED_FIELDS = ['username', 'first_name', 'last_name']

    def __str__(self):
        return self.email

• User(AbstractUser): Custom user model extending Django’s AbstractUser.
• email (unique) and phone_number fields added, email used for login (USERNAME_FIELD).
• REQUIRED_FIELDS ensures required fields for superuser, and __str__ returns the email.

Step 2: Update Settings.py

In setting.py:

AUTH_USER_MODEL = 'geeks.User'

Step 3: Admin Registration

In geeks/admin.py:

from django.contrib import admin
from django.contrib.auth.admin import UserAdmin
from .models import User

class CustomUserAdmin(UserAdmin):
    model = User
    list_display = ['email', 'first_name', 'last_name', 'is_staff']
    search_fields = ['email']

admin.site.register(User, CustomUserAdmin)

Step 4: Migrations

python manage.py makemigrations geeks
python manage.py migrate

Step 5: Create Superuser and Test

python manage.py createsuperuser
Email: [email protected]
Password: ****

Step 6: Run the Server

python manage.py runserver

Visit: "http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/" to manage users.

Using AbstractBaseUser

AbstractBaseUser gives full control over the user model but requires implementing authentication logic, manager classes, and additional fields.

Step 1: Define the Model

In geeks/models.py:

from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractBaseUser, BaseUserManager, PermissionsMixin
from django.db import models

class UserManager(BaseUserManager):
    def create_user(self, email, password=None, **extra_fields):
        if not email:
            raise ValueError("Email is required")
        email = self.normalize_email(email)
        user = self.model(email=email, **extra_fields)
        user.set_password(password)
        user.save(using=self._db)
        return user

    def create_superuser(self, email, password=None, **extra_fields):
        extra_fields.setdefault('is_staff', True)
        extra_fields.setdefault('is_superuser', True)
        return self.create_user(email, password, **extra_fields)

class User(AbstractBaseUser, PermissionsMixin):
    email = models.EmailField(unique=True)
    first_name = models.CharField(max_length=50)
    last_name = models.CharField(max_length=50)
    is_active = models.BooleanField(default=True)
    is_staff = models.BooleanField(default=False)

    objects = UserManager()

    USERNAME_FIELD = 'email'
    REQUIRED_FIELDS = ['first_name', 'last_name']

    def __str__(self):
        return self.email

• UserManager handles user creation, validating email, setting passwords, and creating superusers with is_staff and is_superuser.
• User extends "AbstractBaseUser" and "PermissionsMixin" for authentication and permissions.
• Core fields: email (unique, login ID), first_name, last_name, is_active, is_staff.
• USERNAME_FIELD is email, REQUIRED_FIELDS for superuser, and __str__ returns the email.

Step 2: Update Settings.py

In settings.py:

AUTH_USER_MODEL = 'geeks.User'

Step 3: Admin Registration

In geeks/admin.py:

from django.contrib import admin
from django.contrib.auth.admin import UserAdmin
from .models import User

class CustomUserAdmin(UserAdmin):
    model = User
    list_display = ['email', 'first_name', 'last_name', 'is_staff']
    search_fields = ['email']

admin.site.register(User, CustomUserAdmin)

Step 4: Migrations

python manage.py makemigrations geeks
python manage.py migrate

Step 5: Create Superuser and Test

$ python manage.py createsuperuser
Email: [email protected]
Password: ****

Step 6: Run the Server

$ python manage.py runserver

Visit: "http://127.0.0.1:8000/admin/" to manage users.

AbstractUser vs AbstractBaseUser