Managing Users in EarthRanger Admin

EarthRanger Admin allows administrators to manage system users and control their access through permission sets. This guide walks through adding new users, editing user details, and configuring the permissions that define what each user can do within EarthRanger.

Here you will learn how to add, modify, and manage users, set permissions, and configure user profiles in EarthRanger Admin.
 

Key Concepts:
Users: Individuals who interact with EarthRanger.
Permission Sets: Collections of permissions defining what actions users can perform.
Subjects: Entities, like animals or vehicles, that EarthRanger monitors.
User Profiles: Alternative login method allowing operators to access EarthRanger with limited access, typically without a system password, and designed for use within specific locations like a control room.

1. Adding New Users

When creating a new user, you can assign them to a user profile, which provides enhanced security, particularly for operators in controlled environments. To know more about Profiles please visit Profiles Setup

For users set up follow these steps: 

  1. Log into EarthRanger Admin: Go to EarthRanger Admin at https://<your_organization>.pamdas.org/admin.
  2. Navigate to Add User: Under User Accounts, select Add User.
  3. Enter User Information: 
    1. Required fields: First name, Last name, Username (up to 30 characters).
    2. Optional fields: Email, Role, Phone (deprecated), Additional Data, and Password setup.
  4. Assign Permissions: Select relevant permission sets. To select more
    than one user, press CTRL (the Command key on a Mac). 
    (Optional) Link to a Profile: You can assign users to a specific User Profile (e.g., for shared terminal access). See Setting Up Profiles in EarthRanger for more.
  5. Save the new user.

2. Managing Existing Users

Viewing and Filtering Users

Navigate to User Accounts > Users to view all user accounts in your organization. 

Click on an individual's name to make changes to a user's account or access

Use the SEARCH field and FILTER pane (right side) to quickly locate specific users.

Deactivating Users (Recommended)

When staff members leave your organization or no longer need access, it is recommended to deactivate their accounts rather than deleting them. Deactivation preserves historical data integrity.

Why deactivate instead of delete?

  • Maintains historical event records and "Reported By" associations
  • Prevents data gaps in reports and analytics
  • Stops the user from logging into EarthRanger
  • Reversible if you need to restore access

How to deactivate a user:

  1. Log in to your EarthRanger Admin site 
  2. Navigate to User Accounts > Users
  3. Locate the user you want to deactivate
  4. Scroll right and uncheck the "Active" checkbox
  5. Click Save at the bottom of the page

Note that deactivating a user does not automatically hide that user's Subject from the EarthRanger Web map view. This must be completed as a separate step

Removing “Reported By” event reporters

To remove a user from “Reported By” dropdowns see this page: Understanding ‘Tracked By’ vs ‘Reported By’ in EarthRanger Web 

Deleting Users (Use with Caution)

⚠️ Warning: Deleting a user is permanent and cannot be undone. This action may affect historical data associations.

Only delete users in exceptional circumstances where complete removal is necessary. To delete a user, select them from the user list and choose the delete option from the Action menu.

3. Managing Permission Sets

Permissions in EarthRanger control users' access to features like mapping, tracking, and report generation. These permissions are grouped into Permission Sets, collections that simplify assigning multiple permissions to users based on their roles. For instance, a User Admin permission set might include:

  • accounts | user | Can add user
  • accounts | user | Can change user
  • accounts | user | Can delete user
     

Each user has both Member Permission Sets, directly assigned in the admin panel, and Effective Permission Sets, which display all permissions, including inherited ones.
 

Adding or Editing Permission Sets

To add a permission set:

  • Enter a name in the Name box.
  • Add individual permissions, existing sets, or specific users as needed.
     

To view, modify, or delete permission sets, navigate to Home › User Accounts › Permission Sets. For further details on creating and managing permissions, visit the Permissions and Permission Sets article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up Next: Creating and Managing Service Accounts