Directory sync
What the Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace directory sync does today, what it does not do, and how to get it set up for your organization.
Directory sync reads the list of people from your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace directory. It matches them to team members in ProjectBrain by email address, so hours and timesheets line up with the right person. It is for owners and admins who manage people records.
What it does
Section titled “What it does”- Reads people from one or both directories.
- Matches each person to an existing team member in ProjectBrain by email address. If no email matches, it can match a very similar name.
- Can create a new team member for anyone it could not match, if you turn that on.
What it does not do
Section titled “What it does not do”- It does not create ProjectBrain accounts or send invitations. A team member is a people record used for hours, timesheets and resourcing. It is not a login.
- It does not sync groups. Your directory’s groups do not become departments or teams.
- It does not remove anyone. When someone is disabled in Microsoft 365, they stop appearing in the next sync, but nothing in ProjectBrain is deleted or changed.
- It does not change how people sign in. See Signing in and single sign-on.
What it reads
Section titled “What it reads”For each person, directory sync reads their name, work email, job title and department. From Microsoft 365 it also reads office location and phone numbers.
Microsoft 365 sync reads only accounts that are turned on. Google Workspace sync reads all users in your Workspace account.
Directory sync only reads. It never writes anything back to your directory.
Settings
Section titled “Settings”Directory sync is set up with our team’s help: contact support@useprojectbrain.com. Once it is connected, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace each have their own card with these settings:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enable directory sync | Turns syncing on for that provider. |
| Sync Frequency | Every hour, Daily or Weekly. |
| Auto-match users to team members | On by default. Matches synced people to existing team members after each sync. |
| Auto-import unmatched users as team members | Off by default. Creates a new team member for each person who could not be matched. |
Select Save Settings to keep your changes. Select Sync Now to run a sync straight away. The card shows when it last synced.
Review synced people
Section titled “Review synced people”Select View & manage synced directory users to see everyone the sync found. Each person has one of these statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Not matched yet. |
| Matched | Linked to an existing team member. |
| Imported | A new team member was created for them. |
| Ignored | You chose to leave them out. |
For each person you can Match them to a team member by hand, Import them as a new team member, or Ignore them. You can select several people and use Import as Team Members at once.
Things that surprise people
Section titled “Things that surprise people”- A name match can be wrong when two people have similar names. Check Matched people who have no matching email.
- If you turn on Auto-import unmatched users as team members, shared mailboxes and service accounts in your directory can become team members. Ignore them on the review page.
- Ignoring someone in ProjectBrain does not change your directory.