Edit a user
Update a user's name, email, role, contact details, custom data, and scoped access from the Users table or their profile in User Management.
Editing a user keeps their institution record accurate as details change — a corrected email address, a promoted role, updated custom data, new contact details, or new scoped access on a course or cohort. You can make quick changes directly in the Users table or open the full profile for comprehensive editing across tabs.
Why it matters
People’s circumstances change throughout the academic year: names are corrected, email addresses change, staff take on new responsibilities, and students move between programs. Keeping user records current ensures invitations reach the right inbox, permissions reflect actual duties, and downstream systems — cohort study plans, course enrollments, statistics exports — reference correct data. Stale records are a common source of “I can’t sign in” and “I don’t see my courses” support tickets.
How it fits
User editing sits between creation and lifecycle management. It connects tightly to access control and academic placement:
- The Overview tab holds identity fields — name, login email, general role, group memberships, contact details, and custom data fields.
- The Access tab holds scoped role assignments on courses, cohorts, and study programs.
- User groups can be managed from the Overview tab or via bulk actions.
- Cohort enrollment itself is managed in Study programs and cohorts, though scoped roles on cohorts appear on the Access tab.
Key concepts
| Concept | Where to edit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General role | Users table row or profile Overview | Organization-wide (primary) permissions; see Roles and permissions |
| Scoped roles | Profile Access tab | Course, cohort, or study-program-specific access |
| Custom data | Users table cells or profile Overview | Fields defined in Custom data fields; displayed via Custom columns |
| Contact details | Profile Overview | Multiple emails, phones, and addresses — see Contact details |
| Group membership | Profile Overview or bulk Add to group | See User groups |
How to edit from the Users table
Some fields are editable directly in the table:
- Role — use the role selector in the user’s row to change their general (organization-wide) role. Confirm the change in the dialog if prompted.
- Custom data columns — click a cell in any custom column and enter or select a value. Unsaved changes to system codes and other batch-editable fields can be saved with the table’s unsaved-changes indicator.
The table is efficient for quick, single-field updates across many users — especially role changes during term rollover or bulk custom-field corrections via bulk actions.
How to edit from the user profile
For full profile editing, open the user’s detail page:
Go to OrgHub → Management → Users.
Select the user’s name or row to open their profile.
Open the Overview tab (the default landing tab when you have access).
Update fields in the Basic information section — including First name, Last name, and Email.
Change the General role or review role assignments in related sections on the same tab.
Review and update emails, phone numbers, addresses, and custom fields configured for your institution.
Save your changes when the unsaved-changes indicator appears.
The Overview tab also shows group memberships and invite history summaries. For a guide to every profile tab, see View a user.
Contact details and custom data
- Emails, phones, and addresses — a person can have multiple contact entries, each with a type (and, for emails and phones, a primary flag). Manage them as described in Contact details. The login Email in basic information remains the sign-in identifier.
- Custom data fields — edit values on the profile or in table cells. When information is missing and the person should supply it themselves, you can request missing data rather than chasing spreadsheets.
How to edit access and scoped roles
To assign course, cohort, or study-program-specific roles, open the Access tab on the user’s profile. Viewing this tab requires permission to view user access; changing assignments requires permission to edit user access.
Scoped roles let you grant permissions on a specific entity without changing the user’s organization-wide role. For example, a teacher might have a general Staff role but receive Course Organizer scoped access on individual courses.
You can also set or replace the user’s primary organization role from access-related controls — this is the same general role shown on the Overview tab and in the Users table.
See Roles and permissions for how organization-wide and scoped roles interact.
Access required
| What you edit | What you need |
|---|---|
| Name, email, profile fields | Permission to update that user, or to update users institution-wide |
| Role in the Users table | Permission to update that user, or to update users institution-wide |
| Scoped access on the Access tab | Permission to edit user access |
| Custom field values | Permission to update the user, plus column-level edit rights where your institution uses them |
| Contact details | Permission to update the user (same as other profile fields) |
Best practices
- Use the table for speed, the profile for depth. Change a role in the table; update addresses, multiple custom fields, or scoped access on the profile.
- Confirm email changes carefully. The login email is the sign-in identifier. After changing it, the user signs in with the new address; pending invitations may need to be resent via Resend an invite. Additional contact emails do not change the login.
- Prefer role changes over ad-hoc permission tweaks. Adjust the role definition in Roles and permissions when many users need the same change.
- Keep contact types accurate. Label institutional vs private emails and home vs semester addresses so registry and student services reach the right channel — see Contact details.
- Document significant changes. Use the profile Notes tab (when enabled) for internal context — for example, why a role changed mid-semester.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Resolution |
|---|---|
| Role change does not grant expected access | Check both the general role and scoped assignments on the Access tab; verify access rights in Roles and permissions |
| Custom field cell will not save | Confirm you have permission to update users and any column-level edit right; save via the table’s unsaved-changes indicator |
| Field is read-only | May be synced from an external statistics source or managed by another module |
| Contact email confused with login | Login is the Email in basic information; extra addresses live under contact details |
FAQ
Can I change a user's email after they have activated?
Yes, if you have permission to update that user (or users institution-wide). The user will sign in with the new email going forward. Communicate the change to them directly.
Where do I enroll a user in a cohort?
Cohort enrollment is managed in Study programs and cohorts, not on the profile Overview tab. After enrollment, cohort-related data appears on the Study Program tab when enabled.
How do I get the user to fill in missing profile fields?
Use a data collection request for missing custom, personal, or statistics fields — optionally with a notification — instead of editing every blank yourself.
Related pages
View a user
Navigate profile tabs and understand what each shows.
Contact details
Manage emails, phones, and postal addresses.
Custom data fields
Edit and request institution-defined profile attributes.
Custom columns
Display and edit data fields as columns in the Users table.
Roles and permissions
Configure what each role can access.
User groups
Manage group membership from the profile or in bulk.