Switching Your User Provisioning Method in Nectar | Nectar Help Center

Switching Your User Provisioning Method in Nectar

If you need to change how you manage users in Nectar — for example, moving from manual uploads to an automated sync — this guide walks you through everything you need to know to make the switch smoothly and safely.

Written by Marisa Crowder
December 12, 2025

⚠️ Read through the below documentation and work directly with your Customer Success Manager before switching your method.

What Is User Provisioning?

User provisioning is how you manage your User List in Nectar — adding, updating, and removing users.

You can manage users in several ways:

Manual management: Uploading CSV files directly into Nectar or making one-by-one changes.
Automated management: Syncing automatically from your HR system using SFTP, Merge, or API.

Why You Might Switch Methods

There are a few reasons you might change how you manage users:

You want to stop managing users manually and move to automation.
Your company switched to a new HR system (HRIS).
A different method better fits your workflow.
A new integration option is available from Nectar.

Tip: If you’re already using SFTP, we recommend staying on it unless there’s a necessary reason to switch.

Before you Begin: Avoid Duplicate Accounts

The biggest risk when switching methods is user duplication — which happens when employees’ emails or Employee IDs (EEIDs) don’t match perfectly between Nectar and your HRIS.

⚠️ To prevent duplicates:

Never change emails and EEIDs at the same time.
Always add or update EEIDs first, and make sure they’re consistent before updating emails.

Step 1: Preparing for the Switch

Before switching to a new provisioning method, review your current user data in Nectar and compare it to what your HR system will send.

Use this table to identify what to check and what to do before enabling the new sync:


Situation	What to Check	What You Should Do	Why It Matters
You don’t currently have EEIDs in Nectar	Will your new sync include EEIDs?	Add EEIDs to all users before turning on the new sync. Keep emails the same.	Adding EEIDs helps match users correctly and prevents duplicates.
EEIDs already exist and will stay the exact same	Will any employee emails change?
Will the format of EEIDs change in any way? (Check for added leading zeros or special characters).	You can safely update emails or connect the new sync as long as EEIDs stay exactly the same.	EEIDs act as the unique identifier; matching IDs prevent duplication.
EEID format will change	How will the format change (e.g., leading zeros, new prefix)?	Update the EEID format manually in Nectar first to match what your HR system will send.	If formats differ, Nectar will not recognize users correctly and duplicates will be made.
Employee emails are changing	Are EEIDs already in use and staying consistent?	Make sure every user has an EEID before changing emails. Otherwise you will have to manually change the emails one at a time.	Changing emails without EEIDs will cause duplicates.
Both emails and EEIDs are changing	Confirm how both fields will be updated.	Do a two-step process: 1) Add new EEIDs first, 2) Change emails later.	Changing both at once guarantees duplicate user records.

Always update EEIDs before changing emails if applicable — updating both at once will create duplicate users.

Step 2: Custom Properties & Field Mapping

When switching provisioning methods, make sure your custom data and field mappings are set up correctly.

These help keep your employee data accurate and organized during syncs.

Merge → SFTP

Custom Properties:

Merge doesn’t sync Custom Properties, so that will be a new addition to your sync.

You can check what existing ones you have in Workspace Settings → Properties. Make sure property names in your file match what exists in Nectar and follow all format requirements found in the SFTP set up instructions.

Field Mapping:

Your SFTP file must use Nectar’s required field headers. You can pull any HRIS field for any Nectar profile field as long as you can format it to our SFTP template requirements.

SFTP → Merge

Custom Properties:

Merge does not currently support syncing Custom Properties. You’ll have to manage these manually in Nectar after switching.

Field Mapping:

Review which data columns your SFTP file included (like Hire Date or Department). If any of these are mapped to a field in your HRIS you don’t believe is the default, inform your Customer Success Manager. They can also walk through those fields with you if you are unsure.

Bulk Upload → SFTP

Custom Properties:

Make sure property names in your file match what exists in Nectar and follow all format requirements found in the SFTP set up instructions.

Unlike Bulk Upload, SFTP can also be used to create new Custom Properties.

Field Mapping:

You can usually reuse the same file you’ve been uploading manually. Just make sure the headers match the SFTP onboarding template found in the SFTP set up instructions.

Bulk Upload → Merge

Custom Properties:

Merge does not currently support syncing Custom Properties. You’ll have to manage these manually in Nectar after switching.

Field Mapping:

Review which data columns your current file included (like Hire Date or Department).

If any of these are mapped to a field in your HRIS you don’t believe is the default, inform your Customer Success Manager. They can also walk through those fields with you if you are unsure.

SFTP or Merge → Open API

Custom Properties:

If you send user data through Open API, make sure all property names match what’s in Nectar.

Field Mapping:

You’ll configure this on your side when setting up your API integration.

Step 3: Testing Your Setup

Testing before you go live helps prevent mistakes or duplicate accounts.


Method	How to Test
Merge	Talk to your CSM about using the API Tester in Merge before syncing with Nectar.
SFTP	Send a test file with just 1–2 users and spot check for any duplicates or incorrect/missing data.
Open API	Run a small batch test first to confirm your data fields sync correctly.

Step 4: Enabling the New Sync

When you’re ready to switch:

Turn off your old sync before enabling the new one.
Make sure there’s only one active sync at any time.
If needed, turn off existing sync and manage user updates manually while testing to prevent data conflicts.

Summary

Switching your user provisioning method can be easy if you:

Align EEIDs and emails before syncing.
Review and adjust Custom Properties and Field Mappings.
Test your setup before going live.
Keep only one sync active at a time.

It is recommended that you walk through this information with your CSM before making any changes regardless of if you have outstanding questions. We are happy to help you and want to avoid any issues that may affect your user’s experience with the platform.

If you’re unsure about your setup or want us to review your data before you switch, contact your Customer Success Manager. If you are unsure who that might be, reach out to support@nectarhr.com or use the Nectar Support chat feature in-app.