Summary: This glossary is a reference for the terminology, features, and technical logic used within Speakap User Sync. Use it to better understand the configuration options and data management principles.
A
- Abort on too many changes (%): a safety mechanism that automatically stops a sync if the percentage of modified users exceeds a defined threshold (for example 10%), to prevent accidental bulk deletions or invitations.
- Active rule: a logical expression within Column mapping used to determine whether a user record should be "Active" or "Inactive" in Speakap (for example, based on HR employment status).
- Apply changes: the final action taken after a Dry run to commit data updates to the live Speakap network. This requires numerical confirmation of the change count.
B
- Business unit (BU): a primary organizational level in Speakap, often representing a specific country, region, or brand. Users can be assigned to BUs automatically via Group mapping.
C
- Change history: a log within each mapping section (Column, Group, Role) that tracks every revision made by administrators, including timestamps and comments.
- Column mapping: the process of linking specific fields from your HR system (for example work.title) to Speakap user profile fields (for example Job Title).
- Connector: the technical bridge that allows User Sync to fetch data from your source of truth, such as an HRIS API (HiBob, AFAS) or a secure file server (SFTP).
- Custom expression: logical statements (using ==, !=, includes, and so on) that allow for complex data filtering and assignment rules.
D
- Default role: a baseline permission level assigned to all users processed by a specific sync configuration unless overwritten by Role mapping rules.
- Dry run: a mandatory simulation tool that shows the predicted results of a sync before any actual changes are made to the live network.
E
- Expression editor: a tool within User Sync that lets administrators build logical rules and see a real-time preview of which users match those criteria.
- External ID (XID): the unique, permanent identifier (anchor) for a user account. It is usually mapped to an employee number or unique email address. Once assigned, it should never change.
G
- Group mapping: rules that automate user membership in Business Units, Local Departments, and Topic Groups based on attributes in the HR source file.
I
- Identity provider: a third-party service (for example Okta or Azure AD) used for Single Sign-On (SSO). This is configured in the sync options to route users to the correct login method.
- Includes: a functional expression used to check whether a specific string of text exists within a data field (for example, searching for a keyword within a job title).
- Inactive user: a user who is deactivated (suspended) in the Speakap system and can no longer log in.
- Invitation message: the automated email or notification sent to new users. These can be customized to send different messages to different audiences (for example, by language).
L
- Local department: a secondary organizational level nested under a Business Unit, typically representing a specific team, store location, or branch.
- Locked group (Mandatory): a group assignment that a user cannot leave manually because it is enforced by the User Sync rules.
M
- Mapping: the general term for the logic that translates HR data into Speakap structural or profile data.
- Mutation: any change to a user account triggered by the sync, including creation, profile updates, group changes, or suspensions.
N
- Normalization: the process of reformatting HR data to meet Speakap's requirements, most commonly used for date formats (for example, converting DD/MM/YY to YYYY-MM-DD).
O
- Organizational overview: a real-time auditing page at the bottom of the User Sync configuration that breaks down the entire network by Business Units, Departments, and Groups, showing member counts and specific user lists. For how to use it to audit your sync results, see Configuring options, invitations, and schedules in User Sync.
P
- Payload: the raw JSON data displayed in a Dry run that shows the exact values the system intends to apply to the Speakap network for a specific user or group.
- Primary email: the main contact address mapped for a user, used for system invitations and notifications.
R
- Role mapping: the automated assignment of administrative permissions (Network Admin, BU Admin, and so on) based on HR attributes like job title or department.
S
- Scheduling: the configuration that defines when the sync runs automatically (for example, every day at 06:00 AM).
- StartsWith: a functional expression that filters users based on the beginning characters of a field, often used for identifying specific blocks of employee IDs.
- Sync logs: a record of previous sync executions, showing success rates, timestamps, and any technical errors encountered during the process.
T
- Ternary operator: a logic shortcut used in expressions to provide a fallback value (for example, Field A ? Value 1 : Value 2).
U
- Unmapped users: users found in the HR source file who do not meet any criteria in the current Group mapping and therefore are not placed in the organizational structure.
Still stuck?
Email us at technicalimplementations@speakap.nl with your network name and the term or setting you have a question about, and we'll help you out.