:_mod-docs-content-type: CONCEPT

// Module included in the following assemblies:
//
// assembly-securing-kafka-clients.adoc

[id='con-securing-client-labels-{context}']
= Associating users with Kafka clusters

[role="_abstract"]
A `KafkaUser` resource includes a label that defines the appropriate name of the Kafka cluster (derived from the name of the `Kafka` resource) to which it belongs.

[source,yaml,subs="attributes+"]
----
apiVersion: {KafkaUserApiVersion}
kind: KafkaUser
metadata:
  name: my-user
  labels:
    strimzi.io/cluster: my-cluster
----

The label enables the User Operator to identify the `KafkaUser` resource and create and manager the user.

If the label does not match the Kafka cluster, the User Operator cannot identify the `KafkaUser`, and the user is not created.

If the status of the `KafkaUser` resource remains empty, check your label configuration.

