Article summary: The XID is the most critical piece of data for user management in Speakap. This guide explains what an XID is, how it functions as a "permanent anchor" for automation, and how administrators can manage them manually.
1. What is an XID?
An XID is a unique identifier assigned to an individual user within the Speakap platform. Think of it as a digital fingerprint: it cannot be duplicated, and it must remain unique to one person across the entire network. Note: it should ideally also not change for the same person over time.
- Format & Values: An XID can be a numeric value (like an employee ID or phone number from your HR or payroll system) or an email address.
- Permanence: Once assigned, an XID should never change. If a user's XID is changed, the system will no longer be able to uniquely identify the user.
- Purpose: Speakap uses the XID as the primary "anchor" to apply updates, changes, or synchronization tasks to the correct user account.
2. How the XID works with User Sync
The User Sync application relies entirely on the XID to perform automated user management. When your HR system sends data to Speakap, the User Sync looks at the XID to decide what action to take:
- If the XID is new: The system creates a new account and sends an invitation or creates an SSO account.
- If the XID exists: The system applies "mutations" (updates) to that specific account, such as changing their job title or moving them to a new location, department and/or group.
- If an XID is missing from the HR file: The system recognizes the employee has left and removes them from the network. Note: the account will be suspended for 30 days and in this time it can be recovered if needed. Beyond this time, a new account will need to be created.
3. How to look up an XID
Network administrators can verify a user's XID directly within the platform:
- Navigate to Network settings and select the Users tab.
- In the search bar, you can search specifically by XID by typing XID: followed by the identifier (e.g., XID:12345).
- Click on the user's name to open their profile details.
- Look at the bottom left of the profile window to see the assigned XID.
4. How to link or edit an XID manually
If a user was created manually and now needs to be linked to an automated User Sync, or if an incorrect identifier was entered, you can edit it:
- Go to Network settings > Users.
- Search for the user by their name or email address and click to open their profile.
- Click the pencil icon next to their current details to enter edit mode.
- Enter the correct value in the XID field and press Enter on your keyboard.
- Click OK to confirm and save the changes.
Warning: Changing an XID for a user who is already part of an active User Sync can cause a duplicate account to be created during the next sync cycle. Always coordinate XID changes with your IT or HR data team. If the XID is not unique when entering, you will see an error message.
5. Common automated updates (Mutations)
Because the XID provides a stable anchor, the User Sync can safely automate these tasks daily:
- Inviting new employees.
- Removing former employees.
- Adding/removing users from Business Units and Departments.
- Adding/removing users from Groups.
- Assigning or updating Network Roles and Local permissions (admin/member).