Syncing with Microsoft 365
Connect once and stop maintaining people by hand. What comes across, what does not, and how the daily sync behaves.
- Last updated
- 7 minute read
- People
- Microsoft 365
The Microsoft 365 sync reads your directory and keeps Signed's people in step with it. Connect once, decide whether it runs daily, and then forget about keeping names and job titles up to date.
Connecting
Connecting needs an owner of the organisation, because it grants Signed read access to your directory.
Microsoft 365
Keep your people in Signed up to date with your Microsoft 365 directory.
What comes across
- Display name
- Job title
- Department
- Phone and mobile
- Company name
- Office address
Last sync
142
people, 9 departments
3 job titles updated
1 leaver
Permissions
Read-only access to user profiles. Signed never writes to your directory.
Step 1 of 5
Connect
Signs in to Microsoft with your admin account and asks for read-only access to user profiles. Signed never writes to your directory.
Reduced motion is on, so the tour waits for you. Use the arrows or the list to move through the steps.
What syncs, and what does not
| Comes across | Does not come across |
|---|---|
| Display name, first name, last name | Photos |
| Email address | LinkedIn and X handles |
| Job title and department | Website |
| Mobile and business phone | Anything you have edited only in Signed |
| Company name and office address |
Note: Signed reads only accounts that are enabled, and skips guests and external accounts with an #EXT# address. Those people can still be added by hand or with a CSV import.
- Updated people are shown in the list so you can see what changed. A changed job title is worth a glance, because it is the field most likely to be out of date.
- Departments are created from the departments in your directory, and people are linked to them.
- New starters are added and count towards your bill from then on, so the charge follows your directory.
- Leavers are marked inactive. Their records stay, their signature stops, and the audit log records the run.
Running a sync
Sync now runs it immediately, which is what you want after changing a batch of job titles. The daily option runs it for you at most once every 24 hours, so there is no point in a manual run immediately after an automatic one.
- Change things in Microsoft 365 first, not in Signed.
- Give it a moment. Directory changes are not always instant on Microsoft's side.
- Choose Sync now and read the result summary.
- Spot-check one person whose details changed.
Where people came from
Every change to your people, newest first.
- Microsoft 365 sync3 job titles updatedToday, 09:14
- CSV import142 people, 2 rows skipped22 Sep, 16:02
- Added by handDaniel Okafor22 Sep, 15:48
- Microsoft 365 syncNo changes1 Sep, 08:00
Tip: If someone's job title in Signed keeps reverting, you are editing it in the wrong place. The directory wins on every sync for the fields it covers.
Disconnecting
Disconnecting stops the sync and removes the stored access. The people Signed has already imported stay, along with their departments and any rules pointing at them.
Watch out: After disconnecting, nothing keeps people up to date. Job title changes in Microsoft 365 will no longer reach signatures, and leavers will keep getting one until someone removes them.
Common questions
Which Microsoft 365 permissions does Signed ask for?
Read-only access to user profiles through Microsoft Graph. Signed never creates, changes or deletes anything in your directory.
Can I sync more than one directory?
One organisation connects to one directory. Agencies running several organisations can connect each one to its own directory.
Why is someone missing after a sync?
They are most likely a guest, an external account, or disabled in Microsoft 365. Add them by hand or with a CSV import if they still need a signature.
Related articles
- Adding and editing peopleThe fields on a person's record, which ones matter for signatures, and what happens when you delete someone.
- Import people from a CSV fileWhat the importer expects, what it does with duplicates, and how it creates departments on the way through.
- Departments and targetsDepartments do two jobs: they group people, and they are what rules and campaign audiences match on.
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