Summary and recommendation
8x8 user management can be run manually, but complexity usually increases with role models, licensing gates, and offboarding dependencies. This guide gives the exact mechanics and where automation has the biggest impact.
8x8 Admin Console supports full lifecycle user management - create, deactivate, and delete - across its X Series unified communications platform. Every app a user can access (8x8 Work desktop, mobile, web, Agent Workspace) is gated by license assignment, which must be completed manually after account creation.
Users without a license are created as Contacts: visible in the directory but unable to call, message, or log in. Site assignment is required before a license can be attached, and it cannot be changed once set.
Quick facts
| Admin console path | Home > Users (accessed via 8x8 Application Panel after login) |
| Admin console URL | Official docs |
| SCIM available | Yes |
| SCIM tier required | X Series (quote-based) |
| SSO prerequisite | Yes |
User types and roles
| Role | Permissions | Cannot do | Plan required | Seat cost | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact | Listed in company directory; no calling, messaging, or 8x8 app access. | Cannot make or receive calls, send messages, or log in to 8x8 apps. No license assigned. | Any (no license consumed) | No seat cost; no license assigned | Contacts are visible in the corporate directory to licensed users even without a license assigned. |
| User (8x8 Work) | Full access to 8x8 Work apps (desktop, mobile, web), VoIP calling, SMS, team chat, video meetings, voicemail, fax (plan-dependent). | Cannot access Admin Console or configure phone system settings unless also assigned an admin role. | X Series license (X1–X8) or legacy Virtual Office Editions license | Quote-based; reported range $24–$44/user/mo for X Series UC tiers | User must be assigned to a Site before a license can be assigned. Site cannot be changed after it is set via SCIM. |
| VCC Agent | Access to 8x8 Agent Workspace to handle contact center interactions (voice, chat, email). Can be assigned a dedicated extension. | Cannot add users or assign licenses unless also assigned an admin role. | X Series VCC bundle (X6/X7/X8) or standalone VCC Agent license; must be on a PBX linked to a contact center tenant for X6/X7/X8. | Custom quote; CX Beyond reported range $110–$140/user/mo | VCC extension number is mandatory for VCC agent service. Agents created in Admin Console appear in Configuration Manager under an 'ungroup' agent group by default. |
| Basic User | Basic access to 8x8 Admin Console only. | Limited Admin Console access; cannot manage users, phone numbers, or devices. | Any X Series license | Predefined role; cannot be edited. Must be cloned to customize. | |
| IT Admin | Access to Users and Workgroups sections in Admin Console. Can create and manage users and workgroup permissions. | Cannot manage phone numbers, devices, billing, or ordering. | Any X Series license | Predefined role; cannot be edited. Must be cloned to customize. | |
| Company Admin | Full access to Admin Console including users, phone numbers, devices, workgroups, and all configuration. | Cannot modify their own role or assign permissions to themselves. | Any X Series license | Primary Company Admin (created at account setup) cannot be deleted from the Company or Users page. | |
| My8x8 Admin | Access to 8x8 Billing, Ordering, Cost Centers, and case management in the My 8x8 Support Portal. | No access to Admin Console phone system configuration. | Any X Series license | Can be cloned and modified for granular access to billing-only or ordering-only functions. | |
| VCC Admin | Access to 8x8 Configuration Manager for contact center configuration (queues, channels, agents, roles). | No access to 8x8 Admin Console. Cannot add users or assign licenses. | Requires 8x8 Contact Center subscription | VCC Admin role is only available to customers whose service package includes 8x8 Contact Center. |
Permission model
- Model type: hybrid
- Description: 8x8 uses Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for Admin Console administration. Predefined system roles (Basic User, IT Admin, Company Admin, My8x8 Admin, VCC Admin) are available out of the box and cannot be edited directly. Custom roles can be created from scratch or by cloning a system role and modifying permissions. Roles can be scoped to the entire company or to specific sites. Each administrator can be assigned only one role in the Contact Center Configuration Manager, but multiple roles and scopes can be included in a single Admin Console assignment. Separately, user-level feature access is controlled via Policy Profiles (e.g., 8x8 Master User Template) which restrict end-user capabilities such as call recording access or app version upgrades.
- Custom roles: Yes
- Custom roles plan: Available to all 8x8 X Series customers
- Granularity: Permissions are defined per configuration object (list, view, create, edit, delete, control). Roles can be scoped to specific sites. Devices, licenses, and phone numbers are not site-aware for scoped roles.
How to add users
- Log in to Admin Console at https://login.8x8.com and select the Admin Console tile.
- From the main menu, go to Users > + Create User.
- Enter Basic Information: first name, last name, email address, username, and site.
- Open Services and Permissions; select and assign an X Series or VCC license from the available license pool.
- Assign a phone number (DID) and extension number (must be unique within the system).
- Optionally assign a device by entering MAC address or activation code.
- Optionally assign an admin role via Home > Roles & Permissions > Assignments > + Create Assignment.
- Save the user. A welcome email with login credentials is sent automatically to the user's email address.
Required fields: First name, Last name, Email address, Username (defaults to CompanyName.FirstName.LastName; must be unique), Site (must exist before user creation; cannot be changed after set via SCIM), Extension number (mandatory for VCC agent service)
Watch out for:
- A user must be assigned to a Site before a license can be assigned.
- A user without a license assigned is a 'Contact' and cannot use any 8x8 services.
- Role assignment will fail if the target user does not already have a license assigned.
- When SCIM provisioning is active, fields synced from the IdP become read-only in Admin Console and can only be changed via the IdP.
- A user's site cannot be modified once set via SCIM. If the site name changes in Admin Console, SCIM sync breaks until the AD Office attribute is updated to match.
- Azure AD provisioning sync cycle runs approximately every 40 minutes; allow up to one hour for a new user to appear in Admin Console after IdP assignment.
| Bulk option | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CSV import | Yes | Admin Console > Users > Bulk Upload (download CSV template from within the Bulk Upload window) |
| Domain whitelisting | No | Automatic domain-based user add |
| IdP provisioning | Yes | Any X Series subscription level; SSO must be configured as a prerequisite for SCIM provisioning |
How to remove or deactivate users
- Can delete users: Yes
- Delete/deactivate behavior: Both deactivation and deletion are supported in Admin Console, but they have different effects. Deactivation disables the user's ability to make or receive calls (except emergency calls if an active device is assigned) and prevents login to 8x8 apps, but preserves the account and data for potential reactivation. Deletion permanently removes the user profile, recycles the license, phone number, device, and extension for reuse, and deletes all user content (voicemails, call recordings, messages, faxes). Deleting extensions directly is not supported; extensions are recycled only when the user is deleted. The official offboarding guidance recommends deactivating first and not deleting immediately to avoid configuration issues.
- Log in to Admin Console.
- Go to Users.
- Click More Options (three dots) next to the user profile.
- Select Deactivate User.
- (Optional) To later reactivate, click More Options next to the deactivated user and select Activate User.
| Data impact | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Owned records | Call history and billing data are retained indefinitely in 8x8 Analytics. User preferences are permanently deleted when the extension is reset. Voicemails and call records remain tied to the extension unless explicitly deleted. Meeting history and contact directory are permanently deleted when the account is deleted. |
| Shared content | User chat messages are retained indefinitely but are accessible only via the Audit Management Tool by a primary admin or a privileged user. In all other products, data is deleted after 12 months. Other users retain visibility of call history involving the deleted user. |
| Integrations | If the user profile is also used for 8x8 Contact Center, all queue assignments in Contact Center Configuration Manager must be removed before the Admin Console profile can be deleted. The user cannot be a Contact Center Admin at time of deletion. |
| License freed | Deleting a user recycles the license, phone number, device, and extension for reassignment. Removing a license from a user (without deleting) frees it for reassignment but does not cancel the billing commitment; a partial cancellation request must be submitted separately to stop billing for the license. |
Watch out for:
- Do not delete or recycle a user account immediately after offboarding; the official guidance warns this may cause configuration issues.
- Voicemails must be forwarded, downloaded, or deleted before account deletion, as they are permanently lost on deletion.
- The license must be removed from the user before deletion; failing to do so may prevent the phone number from being reassigned.
- Deleting extensions directly is not supported; extensions are only recycled via user deletion.
- Only primary or secondary administrators can deactivate users.
- Removing a license from a user does not automatically stop billing; a separate partial cancellation must be requested.
License and seat management
| Seat type | Includes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 8x8 Work X Series (X1–X8) | Tiered UC licenses. Lower tiers (X1/X2) include basic calling and softphone. Higher tiers add unlimited calling, SMS, team chat, video meetings, analytics, integrations, and Switchboard Pro. X6/X7/X8 include Contact Center capabilities. | Quote-based; publicly reported range $24–$44/user/mo for UC tiers. 8x8 stopped publishing prices publicly in late 2023. |
| VCC Agent (Contact Center Edition) | Contact center agent access via 8x8 Agent Workspace. Requires a linked contact center tenant PBX for X6/X7/X8 licenses. | Custom quote |
| 8x8 XF Workspace / 8x8 Engage | Dual-license model: one CC license for Contact Center provisioning and one Work license for 8x8 Work app access. Supports ring groups, UC barge/monitor/whisper, group call pickups. | Custom quote; CX Beyond reported range $110–$140/user/mo |
| 8x8 Operator Connect (Metered / Nationwide) | DID and PSTN calling for Microsoft Teams users via Operator Connect. No user-level 8x8 privileges included. | Custom quote |
| 8x8 Work Lobby | Basic extension-to-extension calling and analytics capabilities only. | Custom quote |
- Where to check usage: Admin Console > Home > Licenses (shows available licenses, description, quantity, and Unassigned/Total column per license type)
- How to identify unused seats: Navigate to Home > Licenses in Admin Console. The Unassigned/Total column shows how many licenses of each type are unassigned. Clicking into a license type shows which users it is assigned to. A user report can also be generated from Home > Users > Generate users report to audit license assignments across all users.
- Billing notes: Removing a license from a user in Admin Console frees it for reassignment within the account but does not cancel the billing commitment for that license seat. A separate partial cancellation request must be submitted to 8x8 to stop being billed. Unassigned licenses retain their service address from the original sales order location, which may result in inaccurate state tax billing; admins can manually update service addresses for unassigned licenses. Licenses are purchased via the 8x8 Support Portal shopping cart (accessible from Home > Licenses > Buy Licenses in Admin Console).
The cost of manual management
Manual provisioning in 8x8 compounds across every app touchpoint in the stack. Creating a user requires navigating to Users > Create User, entering required fields, assigning a site, attaching a license from the pool, and separately configuring a phone number and extension. Admin role assignment is a distinct step under Roles & Permissions.
Offboarding is similarly multi-step: deactivation is recommended before deletion, voicemails must be manually retrieved, and license removal in Admin Console does not cancel billing - a separate partial cancellation request to 8x8 is required.
Unused licenses remain billable until that request is submitted, and unassigned licenses may carry inaccurate service addresses that affect state tax calculations.
What IT admins are saying
Practitioners consistently flag two friction points: SCIM provisioning does not automatically assign X Series licenses (manual Admin Console action required after every provisioned user), and SCIM-provisioned users do not automatically appear in the Company Directory (also requires manual per-user configuration).
The site field is a known trap - once set via SCIM it cannot be modified through the API, and if the site name changes in Admin Console the sync breaks entirely until the IdP Office attribute is updated to match.
Azure AD sync cycles run approximately every 40 minutes, meaning new users can take up to an hour to appear after IdP assignment.
Common complaints:
- SCIM provisioning does not automatically assign X Series licenses; license assignment must be completed manually in Admin Console after each SCIM-provisioned user is created.
- Users provisioned via SCIM do not automatically appear in the Company Directory; directory visibility must be manually configured per user in Admin Console.
- SCIM PATCH operation only supports changes to the 'active' attribute; all other field updates require a full PUT operation, which must include all attributes.
- SCIM API does not support assignment of licenses, cost center, user profile, work phone number, or profile picture.
- A user's site cannot be modified once set via SCIM; if the site name changes in Admin Console, the SCIM sync breaks until the AD Office attribute is updated.
- Azure AD provisioning sync runs on an approximately 40-minute cycle, causing delays of up to one hour before new users appear in Admin Console.
- Deleting extensions directly is not supported; extensions can only be recycled by deleting the associated user.
- Removing a license from a user does not stop billing; a separate partial cancellation request must be submitted to 8x8.
- Manual license assignment required even when using SCIM/IdP provisioning.
- Limited SCIM attribute support (no license, cost center, work phone, or profile picture via SCIM).
- No user deletion via SCIM (SCIM deactivates users; hard deletion must be performed manually in Admin Console).
The decision
8x8's SCIM integration covers identity lifecycle basics but leaves license assignment, directory visibility, and site changes outside its scope - all requiring manual Admin Console intervention. Teams managing a small, stable headcount on a single site will find the manual workflow manageable.
Teams with frequent onboarding, multi-site deployments, or strict offboarding SLAs will encounter recurring manual overhead that scales linearly with headcount. The predefined admin roles (Basic User, IT Admin, Company Admin) cannot be edited directly and must be cloned to customize, adding setup time for organizations with non-standard permission requirements.
Bottom line
8x8 provides a functional but operationally demanding user management experience. The Admin Console covers the full user lifecycle, and SCIM handles identity sync from Azure AD or Okta - but license assignment, Company Directory visibility, and site corrections always require manual follow-up in the console.
Offboarding carries real financial risk: removing a license does not stop billing, and deletion is irreversible for voicemails and call recordings.
Organizations running every app in the 8x8 suite across multiple sites should plan for sustained admin overhead unless they build tooling to close the gaps SCIM leaves open.
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