Prerequisites

To set up directory sync, you must:

Be a Global Admin in Kadence
Have admin access to your directory provider (or work with your IT admin)

Important Pre-Setup Actions

To ensure a smooth rollout and prevent users from accessing Kadence before you're ready, we strongly recommend the following:

Block Welcome Emails

Prevent the Welcome to Kadence email from going out automatically that asks users to set up their password:

Block or filter emails from: [email protected]
Filter by subject line: Welcome to Kadence

Do not block all emails from this address. Other critical notifications (like check-in reminders) are sent from the same domain.

Using Single Sign-On (SSO)?

If your company uses Single Sign-On, we also recommend to block the password reset email to avoid users bypassing SSO authentication:

Block or filter from: [email protected]
Filter by subject line: Reset your password

Do not block all emails from this address. Other critical notifications (like check-in reminders) are sent from the same domain.

Connect Your Directory to Kadence

Once you're ready, follow the steps below to complete your directory sync setup:

Log in to Kadence
Navigate to Settings → Integrations
Scroll to Directory Sync
Click Add Directory Sync
Click Continue
Select your directory provider from the list (e.g. Okta, Entra, Google)
Follow the provider-specific instructions

Each provider has unique steps—follow the on-screen wizard carefully.

User sync timing: It may take up to 24 hours for users to appear in Kadence depending on:

The provider you're syncing from
The number of users/groups being imported

After Syncing: What to Do Next

Once your users have been successfully synced into Kadence:

Review Synced Teams

Groups from your directory will automatically become teams in Kadence
Edit these teams to assign:
- Team Managers (Team Managers must be members of the team they need to manage)
- Team Days
- Neighborhoods

Create Additional Teams (Optional)

You can create non-synced teams directly in Kadence following this guide
This gives local admins flexibility to manage access to specific neighborhoods outside the directory structure

Check our guide here on Teams.

Communicate with Users

Once you’re ready to go live:

Let employees know they can now access Kadence
Consider linking them to training materials or onboarding guides found in our implementation checklist

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take to sync my directory to Kadence?

We recommend allowing at least 24 hours for your users and groups to make it to Kadence.

How often does Kadence sync changes made in my directory?

Kadence automatically syncs with your directory provider every 24 hours from the first time your sync was enabled.

It's been over 24 hours and my users/groups haven't synced yet. What do I do?

Double check that your users and groups are assigned to the SCIM application, and no steps were missed in the setup wizard.

The directory sync may take up to 24 hours to finish syncing all users to Kadence, however in worst-case scenarios this process can take up to three days to complete.

If you have been waiting longer than three days for your directory sync to add, update, or remove an employee, please contact [email protected].

Is it possible to only sync specific groups/users to Kadence with directory sync?

Some providers (including Entra and Okta) allow you to be specific about which groups and users you want to sync across the Kadence.

To find out what your provider can do, we recommend checking your specific provider's directory sync instructions following these steps.

How do I manage which groups are synced to Kadence from my directory?

Once you've synced your directory to Kadence, you can filter and choose which groups (teams) you want to sync and be visible within the Kadence platform.

To do this, follow the steps below:

Go to Settings → Integrations
Under Directory Sync click on the three vertical dots, then Select teams to sync
On this page, you can control which groups are visible (ticked) and which aren't (unticked)
You can also choose to disable the syncing of newly added groups by toggling off Automatically sync new teams at the top of this page.
Once you're happy, simply click Update Kadence directory

What happens to manually invited users once a directory sync is created?

If an email match is detected between an existing manual user and a user assigned in the directory, the user will be transitioned automatically to being managed by the directory sync within 24 hours.

Manual users who do not have an active assigned account in your company directory will remain unmanaged by the directory, and can continue to be manually managed within Kadence.