Create and Change Aliases or Display Names
To make filtering and interpreting the data in ActivTrak's reports and dashboards easier, we recommend creating aliases (display names) for computers and/or users.
Learn more:
- When and how to add or change computer aliases
- When to use user aliases or display names
- How to add or change user aliases
- How to add or change display names (Next Gen User Management EA)
When and how to add or change computer aliases
Computer aliasing is especially helpful when a computer’s naming convention is not indicative of who uses it. When you create an alias, it is retroactive and appears in place of the underlying computer name in all ActivTrak reports and filters, resulting in easier readability and quick identification.
In the example below from the Activity Log, DESKTOP-M7DNT0Q doesn’t provide insight into whose computer generated these records:
To assign this computer an alias:
1. Navigate to Settings > Users & Groups > Computer Aliases and locate the computer, using the search bar if necessary.
2. In the Computer Alias column, add or change the desired alias (max 50 characters). In this example, we’ll call it “Jennifer’s PC”.
3. Once done adding or modifying aliases, click the ‘Apply’ button to save changes, as shown below.
Returning back to the Activity Log, the records are updated and clearly identify “Jennifer’s PC” in place of the actual computer name:
Before | After |
Note: Computer aliases must be unique (no two computers can have the same alias).
When to use user aliases or display names
Similar to computer aliases, user aliases or display names are helpful when a user’s naming convention is not indicative of who it is. When you create an alias, it is retroactive and appears in place of the underlying user name in all ActivTrak reports and filters, resulting in easier readability and quick identification. Alternatively, random aliases could be assigned to conceal the user's true identities and anonymize reports.
Unlike computer aliases, user aliases do not need to be unique. Assigning the same alias to two users that belong to the same person will effectively combine the data from both users into one for reporting and filtering purposes, while still allowing them to retain separate records and licenses.
NOTE: Aliasing does not affect license count numbers and is not an effective way to reclaim licenses. To learn more about managing your ActivTrak licenses, click here.
How to add or change user aliases
Note: Next-Gen User Management Early Access (EA) users should follow these instructions. Unsure whether you are part of EA? Admins will see a Users page in their left navigation under Settings > Users & Groups, right above User Agents.
Everyone else with our standard user management experience can set aliases from the User Aliases page.
In the example below, the organization has multiple employees named Andrew and it's not immediately obvious which one these records belong to:
To assign this user an alias:
1. Navigate to Settings > Users & Groups > User Aliases and locate the user, using the search bar if necessary.
2. In the User Alias column, add or change the desired alias (max 50 characters). In this example, we’ll add Andrew's last name and employee ID.
3. Once done adding or modifying aliases, click the ‘Apply’ button to save changes.
Returning back to the Activity Log, the records are updated and clearly identify “Andrew Lopez (ID 4562)” in place of the actual user name:
Before | After |
How to add or change display names (Next-Gen User Management EA)
Next-Gen User Management Early Access (EA) users will notice that the User Aliases page is set to read-only and has a banner along the top redirecting to the Users page, as show below:
To assign a user a display name:
1. Navigate to Settings > Users & Groups > Users and locate the user, using the search bar if necessary.
2. Click anywhere in the row to bring up their User Details, and click 'Edit Info'.
3. Add or change the Display Name and click 'Save Changes'.
Note: User Display Names must be unique (no two users can have the same Display Name).
Learn More:
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