Cannot Add User which doesn't exist (can't find in API, custom DB call, etc.)

We have a user which was attempted to be created via Management API, but the password was weak (assuming this from the API response received: “Wrong email or password”.

After this point the user attempted to add the user again, but the API returned “the user already exists”.

I cannot find the user in question in the dashboard, API calls (by email or by user search) I cannot create the user from the Auth0 dashboard (same error, User already exists).

We do have a custom database in migration, so I enabled the debug logging, and the getUser script is not even running, meaning to me that the user is found within Auth0’s store and there is no need to query the external DB.

The user does not exist at all in our database.

It seems like the user record is “stuck” somewhere on Auth0’s end which I can’t see / manage / remove / etc.

Here is the log (redacted sensitive info) from the initial failed user create call:

{
  "date": "2018-09-12T01:12:32.043Z",
  "type": "fs",
  "description": "Wrong email or password.",
  "connection": "[REDACTED]",
  "connection_id": "[REDACTED]",
  "client_id": "[REDACTED]",
  "client_name": "Auth0 Management",
  "ip": "127.0.0.1",
  "user_agent": "unknown",
  "details": {
    "body": {
      "client_id": "[REDACTED]",
      "tenant": "[REDACTED]",
      "connection": "[REDACTED]",
      "email": "[REDACTED]",
      "password": "*****",
      "given_name": "[REDACTED]",
      "family_name": "[REDACTED]",
      "metadata": {
        "uid": "pQExFJt8vHHQpxdM4"
      }
    },
    "query": {
      "method": "POST",
      "host": "login.auth0.com",
      "port": 443,
      "resource": "/lo/users/direct",
      "id": "[REDACTED]"
    }
  },
  "user_id": "",
  "user_name": "[REDACTED]",
  "strategy": "auth0",
  "strategy_type": "database",
  "log_id": "90020180912011232043120248148334168934410620248780701794"
}

And any subsequent call to create the user:

{
  "date": "2018-09-12T14:56:58.922Z",
  "type": "fs",
  "description": "The user already exists.",
  "connection": "[REDACTED]",
  "connection_id": "[REDACTED]",
  "client_id": "[REDACTED]",
  "client_name": "API Explorer Application",
  "ip": "127.0.0.1",
  "user_agent": "unknown",
  "details": {
    "body": {
      "client_id": "[REDACTED]",
      "tenant": "[REDACTED]",
      "user_id": "[REDACTED]",
      "connection": "[REDACTED]",
      "email": "[REDACTED]",
      "password": "*****",
      "given_name": "[REDACTED]",
      "family_name": "[REDACTED]",
      "user_metadata": {
        "uid": "zfR9MDebCDQm9aixb"
      }
    },
    "query": {
      "method": "POST",
      "host": "login.auth0.com",
      "port": 443,
      "resource": "/lo/users/direct",
      "id": "[REDACTED]"
    }
  },
  "user_id": "zfR9MDebCDQm9aixb",
  "user_name": "[REDACTED]",
  "strategy": "auth0",
  "strategy_type": "database",
  "log_id": "90020180912145658922998399220669195261963578828304416866"
}

But when I look for the user via API with the exact email used, none are found:

https://[REDACTED].auth0.com/api/v2/users-by-email?fields=email&email=[REDACTED]

returns status code 200, empty array

I will gladly give an Auth0 employee any non-redacted log info and details needed to resolve this issue, please DM me and I will provide.

Well about 14 hours after the fact, the user magically was able to be created. Seems like Auth0 was holding on to that user’s email as an existing email incorrectly, or caching.