Overview of Importing Users into ScreenSteps

Importing users into ScreenSteps allows organizations to add multiple users at once, rather than creating each user individually. This is typically done using a CSV file that contains user details and group assignments. The approach to importing users depends on how user authentication and group management are handled within your organization.

Key Terms

Understanding the following terms is essential for grasping the user import process in ScreenSteps:

• CSV Upload: A method for importing multiple users at once using a spreadsheet file containing user data.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): A system that allows users to log in using credentials from an external identity provider (e.g., Microsoft Entra, Google, Salesforce).
• Identity Provider: The service that authenticates user identities (can be ScreenSteps itself or an external provider).
• Groups: Collections of users with shared permissions or access levels within ScreenSteps.
• Roles: User designations such as account admin or site user, which determine access and capabilities.

Background

Organizations may choose between managing users directly in ScreenSteps or integrating with external identity providers. The choice impacts whether bulk import is necessary or beneficial:

• If using ScreenSteps as the identity provider, bulk import is useful for quickly adding users who will log in directly to ScreenSteps.
• If using SSO with an external provider, bulk import can still assign users to groups within ScreenSteps, but is not required for login access.
• If user and group management is handled entirely outside of ScreenSteps (e.g., via Okta or SCIM API), bulk import is generally unnecessary.
• Bulk import is most relevant when managing users or groups within ScreenSteps.
• External management systems may eliminate the need for CSV uploads.

Why It Matters

Choosing the right user import and management strategy ensures that users have appropriate access and permissions from the start. Bulk importing users can streamline onboarding, especially for large teams or departments, and helps maintain consistency in group assignments and roles.

Example Scenarios

Consider these real-world examples to clarify when bulk importing users is appropriate:

• A company using ScreenSteps as its identity provider uploads a CSV to add new hires, assigning them to the "Support" group with site user roles.
• An organization using SSO with Microsoft Entra uploads a CSV to pre-assign users to specific groups, so permissions are set when they first log in using SSO.
• A business managing users and groups entirely through Okta relies on external synchronization and does not use the bulk import feature in ScreenSteps.
• Bulk import is flexible and adapts to different authentication setups.
• Group and role assignments can be managed during the import process.