---
title: Also Recognize Users by Their E-Mail Address
description: >-
  So that users continue to be synchronized with Bpanda after a change to the
  User Principal Name in Microsoft Entra ID, for example after a name change or
  a domain switch: set up the e-mail address in provisioning as a second
  matching attribute (matching precedence).
search:
  tags:
    - entraid
    - provisioning
    - upn
    - domain
---
Microsoft Entra ID recognizes a user in Bpanda by their user name, the **User Principal Name** from your tenant. Bpanda cannot change this user name afterwards. If the User Principal Name changes, Entra ID no longer finds the user during the next full synchronization. With the e-mail address as a second matching attribute, it finds them anyway.

## When You Need This [#when-you-need-this]

You need this setting if the User Principal Name of users can change in your tenant, for example:

- A user gets a new last name after getting married, and with it both the User Principal Name and the e-mail address change.
- Your company switches its domain, and as a result the User Principal Name and the e-mail address of all users change.

Bpanda adopts the new e-mail address during ongoing operation, but not the new User Principal Name. During the next full synchronization, Entra ID looks for the user under the new User Principal Name, does not find them and tries to create them anew. This fails because their e-mail address is already taken in Bpanda, and the user is no longer synchronized. With the e-mail address as a second matching attribute, Entra ID continues its search there and finds the existing user.

> **Important:** Every e-mail address must be unique in your tenant.

## Prerequisites [#prerequisites]

You are allowed to edit the provisioning of the Bpanda Enterprise App in Entra ID, as a **Global Administrator** or **Application Administrator**.

## How to Proceed [#how-to-proceed]

1. In Entra ID, open your **Bpanda Enterprise App** and go to **Provisioning** under **Manage**.
2. Click **Edit provisioning**.
3. Expand **Mappings** and open **Provision Microsoft Entra ID Users**.
4. In the table of attributes, click **Edit** in the row `emails[type eq "work"].value` (Entra attribute `mail`).
5. In the **Edit Attribute** dialog, change these two values and confirm with **Ok**:

   | Field | Value |
   | --- | --- |
   | Match objects using this attribute | `Yes` |
   | Matching precedence | `2` |

6. Click **Save**. The confirmation prompt informs you that all assigned users and groups will then be synchronized anew. Confirm with **Yes**.

Afterwards, the **Matching precedence** column shows a 1 for `userName` and a 2 for `emails[type eq "work"].value`.

> **Important:** Saving starts a full synchronization, not the usual cycle. Depending on the size of your directory, it takes correspondingly long.

Microsoft describes more about matching attributes in [Customizing attribute mappings](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/app-provisioning/customize-application-attributes). If you need support, get in touch with us.

See also: [Setting Up Microsoft Entra ID](/en/technical-documentation/microsoft-entra-id), [Checking User Synchronization with Entra ID](/en/technical-documentation/microsoft-entra-id/check-entra-id-synchronization)