Adding users manually

This article covers adding users manually with invite codes, email invitations, CSV import, or manual account creation.

If your organization manages user access through a central system, use the relevant setup article instead:

• Use single sign-on if users should sign in with Microsoft, Google, or another identity provider, such as Okta or Shibboleth
• Use LTI if teachers and learners should access ThingLink through an LMS

For all methods except invite codes, you can choose the user account type when adding users. For example, school accounts can add users as students or teachers, while enterprise accounts can add users as learners or creators.

Which method should I use?

Using invite codes

Invite codes let users join your organization themselves. Users can enter an invite code during registration or select Use invite code if they already have a ThingLink account.

Use invite codes when users should join on their own instead of being invited or created by an admin.

There are two types of invite codes:

Organization invite code: adds users to your organization. Admins can find this under Organization > Users tab > Add new users > Invite code:

Group invite code: adds users to both your organization and a specific group. This is usually the best option when users should be placed into a group immediately but still need to join on their own.

Sending email invitations

Email invitations are useful when you have a small number of users to add and want them to receive sign-in instructions by email.

When you send an email invitation, ThingLink checks whether the email address already has an account:

• If the user does not have a ThingLink account yet, the account is created immediately and the user receives an email with login instructions.
• If the user already has a ThingLink account but is not part of your license, they receive an email with a link that lets them join your license.

To send an email invitation:

1. Go to Organization > Users.
2. Select Add new users.
3. Select the Invite by email tab
4. Choose the user account type.
5. Enter the email address or addresses.
6. Send the invitation.

You can also invite users directly to a group by opening the group page and selecting Add users.

Importing accounts from a CSV file

CSV import lets you create multiple accounts in advance by uploading a file with user details. Use this method when you need to add users in bulk and already have the list of users you want to create.

CSV import creates the accounts before users sign in. After the accounts are created, you are responsible for delivering the login credentials to your users.

To import users from a CSV file:

1. Download the CSV template.
2. Enter an email address, password, and username for each user.
3. Make sure each password has at least 10 characters and includes both letters and numbers.
4. Go to Organization > Users.
5. Select Add new users.
6. Open the Import from CSV tab.
   
7. Choose the user account type.
8. Upload the CSV file and wait for it to process.

After the import is complete, your browser will download a file called userlist.csv. This file contains the login information and any errors that occurred during import.

Share the login information with the users and ask them to sign in at thinglink.com/login.

Each email address in the CSV file must be available for a new ThingLink account. If a user already has a ThingLink account, ask them to join with an invite code or email invitation instead.

Creating accounts manually

Manual account creation lets you create accounts in advance without using users' real email addresses. ThingLink generates login details for each account.

Use this method when you need to add users in bulk but do not have real email addresses for them, or when you want ThingLink to generate login email addresses for the accounts.

Like CSV import, manual account creation creates the accounts before users sign in. After the accounts are created, you are responsible for delivering the login credentials to your users.

To create accounts manually:

1. Go to Organization > Users.
2. Select Add new users.
3. Open the Manual creation tab.
4. Choose the user account type.
5. Enter the usernames, one user per line.
   
6. Select Create accounts.

After the accounts are created, your browser will download a CSV file with the generated login details. The file includes the generated login email addresses, passwords, and usernames.

Share the login information with the users and ask them to sign in at thinglink.com/login.

Because these accounts do not use users' real email addresses, make sure the generated login details are stored safely. Users may need help from an admin if they lose access.

After adding users

After users have joined or their accounts have been created, you can add them to groups if needed. Groups can help organize users and control access to specific content or assignments.

If users cannot sign in, check that they are using the correct login method and the correct login details. For CSV imports, review the downloaded userlist.csv file for any errors.