--- title: How do I sync my users? and override the sanity check? description: This article outlines the steps you need to take and the sanity checks in place when synchronising your Adoptech users with an external source like Microsoft Entra ID or Google --- [Skip to content](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#main-content) [![Adoptech-logo-GreyWithoutStrapline-1.png\]](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Adoptech-logo-GreyWithoutStrapline-1.png?height=39&name=Adoptech-logo-GreyWithoutStrapline-1.png)](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/?hsLang=en) Open main navigation Close main navigation Adoptech Help Centre - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Knowledge base](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/?hsLang=en) 2. [FAQ's on Adoptech](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en) 3. [User Management](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#user-management) # How do I sync my users? and override the sanity check? ## How do I sync users with an external source? - [Connecting to an Identity Provider](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#ID-provider) - [Syncing users](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#syncing-users) - [Inviting users to the Portal](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#users-invite) - [Understanding the Sanity Check](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#sanity-check) - [Protected Users](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#protected-users) - [What happens when a user is removed](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#user-removed) - [Changing your email domain or the group you sync](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#changing-domain) - [Viewing Sync Status](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#sync-status) - [Disabling User Sync](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#disable-sync) - [Important Notes and Troubleshooting](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#notes) #### **Connecting to an Identity Provider** In order to sync your users with an external source, you need to have connected to that source via the **Apps & Integrations** page. ![](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-May-08-2024-02-41-21-6597-PM.png?width=196&height=134&name=image-png-May-08-2024-02-41-21-6597-PM.png) The available sources for user sync can be found by filtering on **Identity Providers.** ![Screenshot 2025-12-23 at 01.05.38](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%2001.05.38.png?width=670&height=231&name=Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%2001.05.38.png) The **Learn More** button on each integration will provide links to help articles that will guide you through the application integration. #### **Syncing users** Once the integration has been completed, navigate to the **People** page in the Portal and select the **User sync** button in the table header. ![iScreen Shoter - 20251223015242430](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/iScreen%20Shoter%20-%2020251223015242430.png?width=670&height=179&name=iScreen%20Shoter%20-%2020251223015242430.png) Follow the steps in the RHS menu: ![](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jul-24-2024-11-31-01-5126-AM.png?width=670&height=696&name=image-png-Jul-24-2024-11-31-01-5126-AM.png) 1. Select the source you would like to sync with. 2. Enable user sync by toggling the switch to the right. 3. Choose the frequency of the sync i.e. one-off or daily. 4. Click on the orange Sync button. #### **Inviting users to the Portal** 1. After the People page has synced with the sync source new users will appear in the main table. 2. For users that you would like to grant access to the Portal, you can invite them by clicking the **+ Invite to Portal** button on the right of each user row. If there are many users you can multi-select them via the checkbox on the left of each user row and then click the **+ Invite to Portal** bulk-action button in the table header.  ![iScreen Shoter - 20251223015500087](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/iScreen%20Shoter%20-%2020251223015500087.png?width=670&height=394&name=iScreen%20Shoter%20-%2020251223015500087.png) 3. On the initial sync with the sync source after setup and any subsequent syncs, newly added users to the People table are not automatically sent Portal invitations. **Note:** an invitation is not required for SSO to work. Once the integration is enabled and users synced, they can login to the portal via Microsoft's or Google's Single-Sign-On. #### **Understanding the Sanity Check** User Sync includes a built-in safety mechanism to prevent accidental bulk deletions. If a sync would remove more than a quarter of the users currently in the Portal, it stops and shows a warning instead of removing anyone. A sync can always remove up to 2 users without a warning. The warning lists every user that would be removed so you can review them before deciding. You have two options when a sanity check fails: - **Do nothing** — investigate why so many users would be removed (e.g. a misconfigured group filter) and correct the issue before retrying. - **Override and sync anyway** — if you are running a *One-off* sync and are confident the removals are correct, tick *"I understand, skip sanity check and sync anyway"* and click **Sync** again. **Before you override, read every name on the list.** Everyone on it will be set to **Inactive** and lose access to the Portal, including people with the Security Manager, Security Editor or Policy Editor role. If anyone on the list should keep their access, do not override. Add them to the group you sync in your identity provider instead, then run the sync again. **Note:** The override option is only available for *One-off* syncs, not Daily recurring syncs, to prevent unintended mass deletions from running automatically. #### **Protected Users** User Sync never removes these users, even if they are missing from your identity provider: - Users with the **Admin**, **Auditor**, **External Consultant** or **Signatory** role - Users with the user type **Guest** **All other users can be removed**, including users with the **Security Manager**, **Security Editor** or **Policy Editor** role. Make sure everyone who manages your compliance programme is a member of the group you sync. #### **What happens when a user is removed** When a sync removes a user: - Their account status changes to **Inactive** and they can no longer log in to the Portal. - Inactive users are hidden from the People table by default. To see them, open the filters and turn on **Inactive accounts**. - Their **policies, documents, assessments and agreements** are reassigned automatically to your longest-standing active Security Manager. If you have no active Security Manager, they go to your longest-standing Admin. - Their **Controls, Checks, Tests, risks, legal register and calendar events stay assigned to them**. Reassign these to someone else, or they will have no active owner. - Their **policy approvals and policy read confirmations are deleted**. Restoring their account does not bring these back. If a removed person is added back to the synced group, the next sync restores their account. Items that were reassigned while they were inactive stay with their new owner.![](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Oct-21-2026-12-33-04-9464-PM.png?width=2262&height=1014&name=image-png-Oct-21-2026-12-33-04-9464-PM.png) #### **Changing your email domain or the group you sync** User Sync matches people by email address. If your organisation moves to a new email domain, or you change which group you sync, the Portal sees your existing users as leavers and your new addresses as new joiners. The old accounts are removed and new accounts are created with the **User** role. Roles, ownership and history do not move to the new accounts. Before you make the change: 1. Note down who holds the **Security Manager**, **Security Editor** and **Policy Editor** roles. 2. Check that the new group contains everyone who should stay in the Portal, including everyone who manages your compliance programme. 3. Run a **One-off** sync first, so you can review the result before switching back to **Daily**. After the sync: 1. Give the new accounts the roles the old accounts had, and invite them to the Portal. 2. Reassign the Controls, Checks, Tests, risks, legal register and calendar events that still belong to the old accounts. 3. Check the owners of any policies, documents, assessments and agreements that were reassigned automatically. 4. Switch the sync back to **Daily**. If you are planning a domain change, contact Adoptech support beforehand and we can help you check the impact. #### **Viewing Sync Status** After a sync has run, reopen the Sync Users drawer. A status line at the bottom shows the date and time the sync last ran: ⓘ Last sync on 31 Mar 2026 at 14:32 If the sync failed, a warning message explains why. Address the underlying issue (e.g. a sanity check failure or an expired integration token) and click **Sync** to retry. #### **Disabling User Sync** To turn off an active sync: 1. Open the **Sync Users** drawer from the People page. 2. Toggle **Enable user sync** off. 3. Click **Save**. Disabling sync does not remove any existing users — it simply stops future automatic updates. #### **Important Notes** 1. Syncing will **automatically add and delete users** from the Portal to match the sync source. 2. Users automatically added will be given the **User** role. 3. Users with the Admin, Auditor, External Consultant or Signatory role, or the user type Guest, are never removed by a sync. See **Protected Users** above. 4. There is a sanity check to stop a sync removing too many users by mistake. If it would, the sync stops and lists the users instead of removing anyone. See [Understanding the Sanity Check](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app?hsLang=en#sanity-check) above. 5. Where the sync has added non-human users, the User type **System User** should be granted. System users cannot login to the Adoptech Portal. 6. A **One-off** sync runs once. New joiners and leavers are only picked up the next time a sync runs, so use **Daily** to keep the Portal up to date. 7. For Microsoft Entra ID, User Sync does not check whether an account is disabled. A disabled account that is still in a synced group is added to the Portal and kept there. To remove it, take it out of the group. Suspended or archived Google Workspace accounts are removed by the sync. 8. The counter at the top of the People table (for example **People 120 of 450**) shows how many users match your filters, out of every user on your account, **including Inactive users**. After a large sync, the second number can be much higher than your current headcount. ![iScreen Shoter - 20251224234453193](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/iScreen%20Shoter%20-%2020251224234453193.png?width=670&height=115&name=iScreen%20Shoter%20-%2020251224234453193.png) #### **Troubleshooting** | Issue | Likely cause | Resolution | | --- | --- | --- | | "This sync source is not yet configured" | The identity provider integration has not been set up. | Go to **Apps & Integrations → Identity Providers** and complete the setup. | | Sanity check failed | The sync would remove more than a quarter of your current users (and more than 2 users). | Review the listed users, correct the group/filter settings, or override if intentional. | | Sync button is disabled | No provider is selected, or Enable user sync is off with no existing sync to save. | Ensure a provider is selected and the toggle is on (or off with a saved sync to remove). | | Expected users not appearing | The user is not a direct member of a group you sync. People in a group inside a synced group (a nested group) are not synced. | Add the user, or their group, directly to a group you sync. For Microsoft Entra ID you can also add the group to **Groups to sync** by disconnecting and reconnecting the integration. Then run the sync again. | | Many users show as Inactive after a sync | The sync removed users who are not in the synced group, for example after a change of email domain or group. | Inactive users can't log in and are hidden by default. If anyone should still have access, add them to the synced group and run the sync again. | | People counter shows far more users than you have | The total includes Inactive users. | No action needed. The first number shows the users matching your filters. | | People appear twice, with old and new email addresses | Your email domain changed. The old addresses were removed and new accounts were created. | Follow **[Changing your email domain or the group you sync](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/how-do-i-sync-users-with-an-external-app#changing-domain)** above to move roles and ownership to the new accounts. | | Disabled accounts appear in the Portal | The account is still a member of the synced group. | Remove it from the group in your identity provider and run the sync again. | **Need help?** Contact Adoptech support at the bottom right corner. - [Getting Started](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/getting-started?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Getting Started](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/getting-started?hsLang=en#getting-started) - [Accounts & Billing](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/getting-started?hsLang=en#accounts-billing) - [FAQ's on Adoptech](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Frameworks](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#frameworks) - [Policies & Documents](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#policies-documents) - [Risk Management](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#risk-management) - [Supplier Management](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#supplier-management) - [Audit Preparation](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#audit-preparation) - [Trust Centre](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#trust-centre) - [User Management](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/faqs-on-adoptech?hsLang=en#user-management) - [Frameworks & Certifications](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#main-content) - [ISO 27001](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#iso-27001) - [ISO 42001](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#iso-42001) - [Cyber Essentials](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#cyber-essentials) - [CAF](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#caf) - [PCI-DSS](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#pci-dss) - [SOC2](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#soc2) - [Data Privacy (GDPR)](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#data-privacy-gdpr) - [DORA](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#dora) - [ISO 9001](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#iso-9001) - [ISO 22301](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#iso-22301) - [ISO 14001](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#iso-14001) - [NIST 800-53](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#nist-800-53) - [NIST-CSF](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#nist-csf) - [NIS2](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#nis2) - [ISO 20000-1](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#iso-20000-1) - [HIPAA](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/frameworks-certifications?hsLang=en#hipaa) - [Integrations](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/integrations?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Cloud Infrastructure](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/integrations?hsLang=en#cloud-infrastructure) - [Identity & Access](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/integrations?hsLang=en#identity-access) - [DevOps & Code](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/integrations?hsLang=en#devops-code) - [Project Management](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/integrations?hsLang=en#project-management) - [HR & People Systems](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/integrations?hsLang=en#hr-people-systems) - [Security & Devices](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/integrations?hsLang=en#security-devices) - [Communication & Collaboration](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/integrations?hsLang=en#communication-collaboration) - [Legal & Regulations](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/legal-regulations?hsLang=en) - [Security Guidance](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/security-guidance?hsLang=en) - [Troubleshooting](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/troubleshooting?hsLang=en) [![Chill listening crop-3](https://knowledge.adoptech.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/adoptech-logo-1.png?width=209&height=54&name=adoptech-logo-1.png "Chill listening crop-3")](https://adoptech.co.uk/) Copyright © 2026, Adoptech Ltd.