Summary: The XID is the most important piece of data for automated user management in Speakap. This guide is for admins and IT teams. It explains what an XID is, how User Sync uses it as the permanent anchor for each account, and how to look up or edit an XID manually.
What is an XID?
An XID is a unique identifier assigned to an individual user in Speakap. Think of it as a digital fingerprint: it cannot be duplicated, and it must stay unique to one person across the entire network. Note: ideally it should also never change for the same person over time.
- Format and 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 changes, the system can no longer uniquely identify that user.
- Purpose: Speakap uses the XID as the primary anchor to apply updates, changes, and sync actions to the correct user account.
How the XID works with User Sync
User Sync relies entirely on the XID for automated user management. When your HR system sends data to Speakap, the sync looks at the XID to decide what to do:
- 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 account, such as a new job title or a move to a different location, department, and/or group.
- If an XID is missing from the HR file: the system concludes the employee has left and removes them from the network. Note: the account is suspended for 30 days, and in that time it can be recovered. Recovery works both ways: the sync reconnects a returning employee through their XID (the "Allow XID change on reactivation" option covers cases where the identifier changed), and re-inviting the user with the same email address also restores the account. After 30 days, a new account has to be created. See What happens to an account when a user is deleted.
How to look up an XID
Network administrators can check a user's XID directly in the platform:
- Go 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 (for example, XID:12345).
- Click the user's name to open their profile details.
- Look at the bottom left of the profile window to see the assigned XID.
How to link or edit an XID manually
If a user was created manually and now needs to be linked to User Sync, or if a wrong identifier was entered, you can edit the XID:
- Go to Network settings > Users.
- Search for the user by 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.
Warning: changing the XID of a user who is already part of an active User Sync can cause a duplicate account to be created during the next sync run. Always coordinate XID changes with your IT or HR data team. If the XID you enter is not unique, you will see an error message.
Common automated updates (mutations)
Because the XID provides a stable anchor, User Sync can safely automate these tasks daily:
- Inviting new employees.
- Removing former employees.
- Adding and removing users from Business Units and Departments.
- Adding and removing users from Groups.
- Assigning or updating Network Roles and Local permissions (admin/member).
Still stuck?
Email us at technicalimplementations@speakap.nl with your network name, the user's XID, and what you are trying to change, and we'll help you out.