Learn - Prevent manually added Users being unenabled by the People-data feed

In this article, we'll explain how to prevent a manually added User from being unenabled by the automated People-data feed when it next runs.

Background

It is sometimes necessary to create a User account directly in Learn LMS. This is typically the case where a User needs access to Learn but they do not appear in the automated people-data feed from your data source.

However, when the automated People-data feed next runs, it will see that a User exists in Learn for which there is no matching profile contained in the People Data feed. Where this is the case, it will be assumed that the User is a leaver (and has therefore been excluded from the People Data Feed), with the result that the User will be unenabled. 

How to prevent a manually added User from being unenabled

To prevent this from happening, manually added Users must be added to a Group with the Category of ‘Manually Maintained Users’. Members of a Group with this category will be ignored by the People Data Feed and can, therefore, continue to access Learn even if they are not part of the People Data Feed from the HR system.

A user need only be in one group with the category of Manually Maintained Users’ group, in order that their profile will remain active. A user may be a member of any other group – regardless of the category of that group.

Things to note:

• The wording of the group category must be precisely as shown above
• This will not prevent users being updated by the user load. Users will still be enabled or updated
• The only purpose of this category is to prevent disabling of user accounts

To see if you already have any Manually Maintained Groups in your Learn, browse to the Group area of Learn and select the category 'Manually Maintained Users' (select 'Edit' to add/edit categories):

Get deeper learning in The Academy

A Learn LMS administrator can manually add users to Groups with just a few clicks, but when you're working at scale it's way more efficient to automate the process, and your data is key to that. View 'Automate learning assignment' for more detail. 

View the 'Create a learning pathway' Course to see how your site set-up and Group rules can be used to deliver a tailored and focused learning experience for your people.