Email changes in your identity providerCopied!Link to this section

When you change a user's email address in your Identity Provider (IdP) like Okta, Azure AD, or Google Workspace, how this change propagates to Whimsical depends on your configuration.

Without SCIM: Manual process requiredCopied!Link to this section

If you're using SAML SSO without SCIM provisioning, changing a user's email in your IdP can lead to complications:

1. Account duplication: The user may end up with a duplicate Whimsical account when they next sign in
2. Access loss: They might lose access to their existing content if they can't sign in with their previous credentials

Required manual process (without SCIM):
1. Have the user add their new email address as a secondary email to their Whimsical account
2. Have them make the new email their primary address in Whimsical (optional)
3. Only then update the user's email in your IdP

For bulk email changes without SCIM, please contact our Support team for assistance.

With SCIM: Automated email updatesCopied!Link to this section

SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management) automates user provisioning and deprovisioning between your IdP and Whimsical, including email changes.

How SCIM handles email changesCopied!Link to this section

When you change a user's email address in your IdP with SCIM enabled:

1. Your IdP sends the updated email information to Whimsical via SCIM
2. Whimsical automatically:
- Adds the new email to the user's account as a verified email
- Makes the new email the user's primary email (if the old email was primary)
- Updates the user's workspace email to use the new email
- Sends an email notification to both old and new addresses informing the user of the change

Security restrictions for email changesCopied!Link to this section

Whimsical implements security measures for email changes via SCIM:

1. Same domain changes: Email changes are automatically permitted if the new email has the same domain as the existing email (e.g., changing from jane@example.com to jane.smith@example.com).

2. Verified domain changes: If changing to a different domain, the new domain must first be verified by you as the workspace administrator. SCIM will reject email changes to unverified domains.

Domain verification processCopied!Link to this section

Domain verification involves adding a TXT record to your DNS server - to verify domains for email changes, contact our Support team or your success manager.

Bulk email changesCopied!Link to this section

When managing email changes for many users (e.g., during a domain migration):

1. Create a migration plan:
- Document all users requiring email changes
- Verify all relevant domains in advance
- Schedule the migration during minimal usage periods

2. Phased approach:
- Consider changing emails in phases rather than all at once
- Start with a pilot group before expanding to all users

3. Validation process:
- Verify each user's access after their email change
- Have a process to quickly address any issues

We recommend contacting our Support team before initiating large-scale email changes to ensure a smooth transition.

Name changesCopied!Link to this section

For handling email changes due to name changes (e.g., marriage, divorce):

1. If maintaining the same domain: The change should process automatically through SCIM
2. If changing to a different domain: Ensure the new domain is verified before making the change - see above

Getting supportCopied!Link to this section

For complex migration scenarios or account recovery issues, contact Whimsical Support with:

- Details of the email changes being attempted
- Any error messages received
- Your IdP configuration
- List of verified domains in your workspace

Troubleshooting common issuesCopied!Link to this section

Domain verification errorsCopied!Link to this section

If you haven't verified a domain before updating an email to it, you'll see a message similar to this in your IdP's SCIM logs:

Contact our support team to verify your new domain, then retry the SCIM provisioning.

Duplicate accountsCopied!Link to this section

If users report duplicate accounts after an email change:
1. Do not delete either account
2. Contact Whimsical Support for assistance with merging the accounts
3. Provide both email addresses and the affected user's details

Missing content after email changeCopied!Link to this section

If users report missing content:
1. Verify if they still have access to workspaces via direct URLs
2. Check if their access permissions were maintained during the email change
3. Restore access manually if necessary by re-adding them to workspaces