# Adding & inviting users
Existing users can be added to a group. They get access to that group's content as soon as they are added. New users need to be invited to the platform.
Go to the group you want to add or invite users to. On empty groups, use **Add existing students** to search for existing users, or **Invite new students** to enter a list of email addresses. You can also use the sub-menu options to **Add users**.
### ⤵️ Select users
Use the search bar to find existing users by name or email. Click a user to add them to the **Add users** list. You can add multiple users at once. Click **Add users** to add everyone in that list to the group.
### ⤴️ Invite or add by email
You can invite multiple users from this tab using only their email addresses. Enter the email addresses separated by commas or line breaks.
These can be new or existing users.
You can include a custom message in the body of the invite email.
Once you click `Start import`, you get a confirmation message that summarises the users invited to the group.
New users will be invited and existing users not in the group will be added to the group.
After confirming, you will see the **Pending invites** table, where you can access, revoke, and resend invites.
New users are sent an email with a unique invite link that is valid for 7 days. After that, you need to resend the invite.
{% hint style="info" %}
You can use an alternative email address of your own to test the invite process. Copy the link instead of clicking `Accept Invitation`, then open it in a private or incognito browser window. This avoids using your existing admin session in your standard browser window.
{% endhint %}
New users need to accept the invitation and go to the portal registration page. There, they can fill in the rest of their details and create their account.
{% hint style="info" %}
🧠 **Note**: You can export all invite links to a CSV and send them through a different system.
{% endhint %}
When inviting new users through the platform, you cannot include names or custom attributes. These must be added after they create their accounts.
### 📊 Inviting and adding via CSV
If you're inviting new users in bulk, we recommend using the importer. It lets you include attributes such as name and any custom attributes you have created.
{% content-ref url="/pages/vJsglaSbW0ujvIgs8DX4" %}
[Attributes](/doc/portal-settings/data-management/attributes.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
Go to **Settings > User attributes** to view all existing attributes and their defined options.
| Attribute type | Expected value on CSV |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Checkbox | `TRUE` or `FALSE` |
| Long answer | `string` |
| Short answer | `string` |
| Multiple choice | One of defined `options` |
| Checkboxes | defined `options` separated by commas |
| Number | Any numerical value |
| Date | `DD/MM/YYYY` |
When your CSV is ready, upload it to the platform, check that all attributes have been picked up, and start the import.
On the **Invite or add by CSV** tab, you can download a CSV template to complete. This includes a column for **name** and **email**, as well as any custom attributes you have.
If these attributes have **Collect on registration** enabled, users can fill them in during the registration process. They can also be set to **Required** so users cannot register without entering those details.
As with inviting by email, you get a breakdown of new versus existing users after importing your file.
{% hint style="danger" %}
🚨 When importing existing users, be careful to include the correct attributes. If you import **blank attributes for existing users, this will override their current attributes**. Make sure you export the correct information from a group first.
{% endhint %}
Once users accept invites and set up their accounts, they move to the users table.
Click a user to view their administration page. From here, you can check their attributes and make changes.
See our **User information** guide for more about the data stored about users.
{% content-ref url="/pages/9y2EjzNCUlF8ZfGDPJZg" %}
[User information](/doc/users-and-groups/user-information.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
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