How do I remove external IDs from a user?

Question

I have trouble merging or authenticating my users because of their external IDs. How do I remove a user's external ID?

Answer

The external ID is an optional user field that you can't set, update, or remove in a user's profile from the agent interface. To modify this field, bulk import your account's user data with the data importer.

Single sign-on (SSO) usually generates external IDs, but you can also set or remove them with the Users API or through bulk import. You can't merge users who have external ID, and issues with authentication may occur if a user's external ID and email don't match. In both situations, you need to remove or edit the user's external ID with the bulk user import tool to proceed.

To remove the external ID from user profiles:

Create a spreadsheet with the columns titled name, email, and external_id, which are the required headers names for bulk imports

Enter the user's exact name and email address as listed in their user profile

If you want to remove that user's external ID, leave the third column blank. If you want to edit their external ID, enter the correct external ID in the third column

Download or save the file as comma-separated values (CSV)

In the agent interface, open the Customers page. Click Bulk import.

Check the below options:

Update existing users

Include external IDs in import results file

Under Select CSV file, click Choose File and select the file from your device

Click Import

For more information on bulk updating users, see How can I bulk update users?