User Merge

When the ActivTrak Agent sees activity data for a new username on a workstation, a new reporting user record is created and consumes a license (learn more about how ActivTrak licensing works here). Merging users is useful not only for freeing up licenses, but also allows you to leverage Cross-Device Active Window Tracking, which ensures that time is not double-counted for users switching between multiple devices or working on several devices simultaneously, such as a laptop and a virtual machine.

Automatic merge:
On domain-joined networks, a user’s activity is associated with a single reporting user who consumes a single license. That is, a user can work at multiple workstations and appear as a single ActivTrak user, so long as they log in with the same username on the same logon domain on each device – a configuration controlled by their IT administrators. In this scenario, the "merge" is automatic and no action is needed.

Manual merge:
In other scenarios, multiple reporting users may be created. Administrators of paid accounts can retain and transfer historical user activity data and also funnel point-forward activity records from multiple users into a single reporting user, freeing up licenses. Common use cases include:

• Employee's login username changes
• Employee switches to a new non-domain-connected computer
• Employee logs in with multiple usernames or on multiple logon domains
• One-off IT admin logins

Learn more:

• Before you merge
• How to manually merge users
• How to cancel a merge

Before you merge:

There are some very important things to know before merging users:

• Once a user merge has been processed, it cannot be undone. The activity data of both users is preserved, but it is permanently associated with the merged user. The logon domain and username of source users are updated to match the destination user's logon domain and username. Source users are then purged from the reporting users list and their license(s) are freed up for reuse. Requesting to unmerge two merged users later via a support ticket will only split them back apart from that point going forward.
• User Aliases can consolidate one or more users into a single user in reports, while keeping their user records separate. However, aliasing does not free up licenses like merging.
• Only users can be merged, not computers.
  • When merging an inactive user into an active user, the destination user is associated with the historical data from both Agents, as well as any new activity detected from the newer Agent.
  • When merging more than one active user, new activity from active source users will be logged as if it was performed by the destination user, and time overlaps will be eliminated. Learn more about Cross-Device Active Window Tracking here.
• Computer Agents should not be deleted if you wish to retain data originally captured by them. Records are still associated with the source computer from which they originated/originate, even after their users are merged. Computer Agents do not consume licenses like User Agents do, so there is no benefit to deleting them.

How to manually merge users:

1. Navigate to Settings > Users & Groups > User Agents.

2. Select two or more users you wish to merge together by clicking the checkbox next to their names.

3. Click the "Merge Users" button:

4. The "destination user" is automatically identified as the user with the most recent activity log entry, and the other user(s) are "source users". Confirm the Destination and Source(s) are as expected, check the acknowledgment agreement and click the "Merge" button:

How to cancel a merge:

Merges do not happen immediately and begin processing overnight at 12am US Central time. While waiting for processing, affected users will appear grayed out in the User Agents list and are in a read-only state. In case of an accidental merge, scheduled merges can be canceled prior to processing by clicking the "Scheduled Merges" button:

A list of unprocessed merges will appear. Click the "Cancel Merge" button next to any merges you wish to cancel:

If the "Scheduled Merges" button does not appear, that means your merge has already been processed and is final.

Learn More:

• How ActivTrak Licensing Works
• How to Reclaim Licenses
• Cross-Device Active Window Tracking
• Create and Change Aliases
• Contact Support