Change Login ID for existing users

[vrichter]

We currently use username (jdoe) as login ID but for the purposes of changing our authentication method might need to change to email address (jdoe@xxxxxx.edu).  What are the implications of doing so?  Would we be creating entirely new users (they would have the same SIS ID) or updating?  Would teachers/students lose the history of their Canvas work?  Can I even do so if the users already have the SIS ID?  Our integration sends files that create the users.  does that mean the user (by SIS ID) would just have the name change and nothing more?  Any thoughts?  Thanks, Vi

[vrichter · Accepted solution]

Thanks, there is actually a checkbox on the configuration page that strips out the @.xxxx.edu from the username and sends just the username to Canvas.  Problem solved.  

[robotcars]

If you are using the CSV SIS Import then the user_id must always be unique and never change, but the login_id can change.

In my experience, the user_id is the user's sis_id. For us, these ID's correspond to their existing person_id from either the HR (employee) or SIS (student) system, employees are prefixed with an 'E', ensuring we don't have collisions. This means that as long as the user is unique in their system of origin, they are unique in Canvas. The login_id simply provides a link between Canvas and your authentication system, whether that's Canvas, or some other platform. We have had to change authentication systems, and are set to change student logins next year, but nothing changes accept...making your users aware of when the change happens.

Always good practice to first test SIS migrations and changes in beta and test before production.

[jsavage2]

As long as you only need to change the login ID for users who have SIS IDs, there is no problem doing that via the regular SIS CSV import. Login IDs can be changed without any side effects. Via the API, you can also add a second login for users if you want to keep both active for a period of time.

The short answer, though, is that changing logins isn't. big deal. We do it all the time.

[xuan7 · Accepted solution]

May i ask how to change login id for multiple user at once using the SIS import?

[dgrobani]

The users.csv section of the SIS Import Format Documentation has helpful info and an example for updating user info via SIS import.

[xuan7]

Thanks for sharing. Was thinking if changing the column "email" is sufficient to prevent user from logging in. Or it is required to change both column "email" and column "login_id"

[vrichter · Accepted solution]

Thanks, there is actually a checkbox on the configuration page that strips out the @.xxxx.edu from the username and sends just the username to Canvas.  Problem solved.  

[mbmacdonald]

Hi, checking in from 2024. @vrichter's suggestion worked for us (so far!) when we had a similar situation (switching to Azure AD). We were working from this documentation: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Integration-Documents/Configuring-Azure-SAML-and-Canvas-Au... 

The checkbox, which by the way is labelled "Strip Domain from Login Attribute Value," is visible in the screenshots, but not explained. If this checkbox had been explained in the documentation, it would have saved me months (literally) of work.

I understand the documentation is intended to be as simple as possible, but authentication does not seem to one-size-fits-all, so I really wish the documentation was more robust (addressing alternatives) so that the users could better attempt to solve our own problems independently. 

Glad I could find an answer in the Community, if not in the documentation (although it took me a while to find it).