User attributes

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From Mattermost v10.8, ensure your teams always have the critical information they need to collaborate effectively by defining and managing organization-specific user profile attributes as system attributes that you can synchronize with your AD/LDAP or SAML identity provider.

System attributes enable you to customize user profile attributes to match your organization’s unique needs and streamline collaboration while keeping user data centralized and consistent. The attributes you define, such as position, rank, or location, are attributes users can manage as part of their user profile. These custom profile attributes supplement existing user details visible from the user’s profile picture.

Mobile examples of a user profile with custom user attributes added as system attributes.

Before you begin

From Mattermost Enterprise v10.9, the ability to create and manage system properties as a Mattermost system admin requires no manual setup.

You’ll need Mattermost Enterprise v10.8 or later deployment, and be a Mattermost system admin to enable the system properties feature flag, MM_FEATUREFLAGS_CUSTOMPROFILEATTRIBUTES to create and manage system properties. See the Mattermost developer documentation for details on enabling feature flags in a self-hosted deployment. Mattermost Cloud customers can request this feature flag be enabled by contacting their Mattermost Account Manager or by creating a support ticket request.

If you plan to synchronize system properties with your AD/LDAP or SAML identity provider, ensure AD/LDAP or SAML synchronization is already enabled and configured. See the AD/LDAP groups product documentation or SAML 2.0 configuration settings documentation for details.

Add attributes

You can define and manage up to 20 system attributes using the System Console. Each attribute becomes a user profile option users can populate. Once you reach the maximum of 20 attributes, you can’t create new attributes until you delete attributes you no longer need.

  1. In the System Console, go to Site Configuration > System Attributes > User Attributes and select Add Attribute.

  2. Enter the following details:

    • Attribute name: Enter a unique name for the attribute. Attribute names can be up to 40 characters long.

    • Type: Specify the type of attribute as one of the following:

      • Text for text-based profile attributes.

      • Phone for phone number-based profile attributes.

      • URL for web site address-based profile attributes.

      • Select for a list of profile attribute values users can choose from. Specify each value followed by pressing TAB or ENTER. Values can be up to 64 characters long, and users can choose a single value.

      • Multi-select for a list of profile attribute values users can select from. Specify each value followed by pressing TAB or ENTER. Values can be up to 64 characters long, and users can choose multiple values.

  3. Specify the attribute’s visibility as one of the following:

  • Always show: The attribute is always visible in user profiles.

  • Hide when empty: The attribute is only visible in user profiles when it has a value.

  • Always hide: The attribute is never visible in user profiles.

  1. Save your changes.

Tip

Duplicate existing attributes by selecting More Use the More icon to access additional message options. and selecting Duplicate attribute. This creates a new attribute with the same name and type as the original attribute. You can then edit the new attribute to change its name, type, and visibility as needed.

Manage attributes

  • Modify: Select the attribute fields to make inline changes to the attribute’s name, type, or values. Select More Use the More icon to access additional message options. to change a attribute’s visibility.

  • Order: Control the order you want attributes to appear in user profiles by dragging and dropping them in the list.

  • Delete: Delete attributes you no longer need or want by selecting More Use the More icon to access additional message options. and selecting Delete property.

In cases where multiple system admins manage system attributes, refresh your web browser instance to see real-time updates to system attributes made by other admins.

Sync attributes with your identity provider

  1. Synchronize a attribute with AD/LDAP or SAML by selecting More Use the More icon to access additional message options. and selecting Link attribute to AD/LDAP or Link attribute to SAML. Mattermost takes you directly to the AD/LDAP or SAML 2.0 configuration settings page in the System Console where you can map the attributes you want to synchronize.

  2. Scroll to the Custom profile attributes sync section to specify the attribute used to populate the attribute in user profiles.

  3. Specify the attribute mapping for the attribute by entering the attribute name in the system attribute’s Attribute field. The attribute name must match the attribute name in your identity provider.

  4. Save your changes.