---
title: "Introduction"
slug: "introduction-to-user-directories"
updated: 2024-10-11T10:08:05Z
published: 2024-10-11T10:08:05Z
canonical: "help.mail-and-deploy.com/introduction-to-user-directories"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.mail-and-deploy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction to User Directories

### General

User directories can be used to synchronize [User](/release35/docs/users) and [User Groups](/release35/docs/user-groups). The synchronization can either be performed manually or on a regular basis using a [Synchronize User Directory Action](/release35/docs/synchronize-user-directory) in a [Task](/release35/docs/tasks). The following types of user directories are supported:

- [Active Directory](/release35/docs/active-directory-user-directories)
- [Azure AD](/release35/docs/azure-ad-user-directories)
- [CSV File](/release35/docs/csv-file-user-directories)
- [XML File](/release35/docs/xml-file-user-directories)

### Managing User Directories

To manage user directories you have to connect to the [Management Service](/release35/docs/services) of Mail & Deploy, click the *Settings* item in the main menu, and then click the User Directories tile. This will provide you with a list of all configured user directories; you can edit or delete existing user directories or configure new ones.

          NOTE

          

Only [Users](/release35/docs/users) of type *Administrator* can manage user directories.

### Manually Synchronizing User Directories

To manually synchronize a user directory you have to connect to the [Management Service](/release35/docs/services) of Mail & Deploy, click the *Settings* item in the main menu, and then click the *User Directories* tile. This will provide you with a list of all configured user directories; you can press the button to manually synchronize a user directory.

### Synchronization Process

When synchronization a user directory, the following logic applies:

- All users that do not yet exist in Mail & Deploy will be added.
- Users that do already exist in Mail & Deploy will have their information (such as e-mail address, user type etc.) updated.
- Users that do exist in Mail & Deploy (because they have previously been synchronized with that user directory), but no longer exist in the user directory will be deleted. In that case all content associated with that user (such as [Subscriptions](/release35/docs/subscriptions), [Alerts](/version340/docs/alerts), report documents in the [Hub Library](/release35/docs/library)) will automatically be deleted.
- All user groups that do not yet exist in Mail & Deploy will be added.
- User groups that do already exist in Mail & Deploy will have their members updated.
- Users groups that do exist in Mail & Deploy (because they have previously been synchronized with that user directory), but no longer exist in the user directory will be deleted.