# User creation: manual, bulk, self-registration and JIT

*Experience Cloud Consultant Study Guide · User Creation and Authentication · Last updated October 24, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/experience-cloud-consultant/user-creation-and-authentication/user-creation-manual-bulk-self-registration-and-jit*

The four ways external site users come into being: enabling a contact by hand, inserting User records with Data Loader, self-registration at sign-up, and SAML Just-in-Time provisioning with its Federation ID, Recipient URL, matching order and profile rules, plus contactless External Identity users.

- Certification: Salesforce Experience Cloud Consultant
- Exam section: User Creation and Authentication
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/experience-cloud-consultant

**Official exam objective:**

> Describe the different ways users can be created, such as manual, Data Loader, Self-Registration, and Just-in-Time (JIT) provisioning.

## What the exam expects

- Compare manual enablement, a Data Loader insert, self-registration and Just-in-Time (JIT) provisioning, and pick one from volume, timing or an existing identity provider.
- Configure standard SAML JIT for a site: User Provisioning Enabled, the Federation ID identity type, the Site Login URL as Recipient, and a profile.
- Predict what JIT does when the assertion matches a user, a contact, an account or nothing.
- Know when a contactless External Identity user fits and what it can't do.

Key terms: **external user** (a user record tied to a contact or person account that logs in to a site); **JIT provisioning** (a user created at first SAML login from assertion attributes); **Federation ID** (the User.FederationIdentifier value JIT matches on); **Site Login URL** (the site's SAML Recipient, `https://domainName/login?so=orgID`); **contactless user** (an External Identity user with no contact).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Record behind every site user | A person account, or a contact on a customer or partner business account | [Create Experience Cloud Site Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_create_external_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Bulk creation | Data Loader Insert on User with ContactID and ProfileID per row | [Import Portal Users with Data Loader](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=000384961&language=en_US&type=1) |
| Configurable Self-Reg Page | Only with Login Discovery, Visualforce or Default login page types | [Configurable Self-Reg Page](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.external_identity_login_discovery_create_config_self.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| JIT identity type | Assertion contains the Federation ID from the User object | [Enable Just-in-Time Provisioning](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.sso_jit_enable_jit.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Site JIT Recipient | Site Login URL, `https://domainName/login?so=orgID` | [JIT Assertion Fields for Experience Cloud](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.sso_jit_community_requirements.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| No self-registration default | User.ProfileId must hold a valid profile name or ID | [JIT Assertion Fields for Experience Cloud](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.sso_jit_community_requirements.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Contactless users | External Identity only; Apex, SOAP or Bulk API 2.0; no Login As | [Create Lightweight Contactless Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.external_identity_manage_create_contactless_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Which two creation methods need no admin to create the user beforehand?
- Why does a JIT login that matches a contact by Contact.Email not create a new account?
- When must the assertion carry User.ProfileId?
- Why can't the Configurable Self-Reg Page be selected on a site whose login page is an Experience Builder page?

## Sources

- [Create Experience Cloud Site Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.networks_create_external_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Just-in-Time SAML Assertion Fields for Experience Cloud](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.sso_jit_community_requirements.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Just-in-Time Provisioning for SAML](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.sso_jit_about.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Enable Just-in-Time Provisioning](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.sso_jit_enable_jit.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Import Salesforce Customer Portal and Partner Portal Users with Data Loader](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=000384961&language=en_US&type=1)
- [Choosing a Method for Importing Data](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.import_which_data_import_tool.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Configure Your Self-Registration Page](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.networks_customize_selfreg_page.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Use the Configurable Self-Reg Page for Easy Sign-Up](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.external_identity_login_discovery_create_config_self.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Login Page Types](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.external_identity_login_discovery_login_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Create Lightweight Contactless Users](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.external_identity_manage_create_contactless_users.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Experience Cloud User Licenses](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.users_license_types_communities.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Create a Self-Registration Page (Trailhead)](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/identity_external/identity_external_registration)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 10 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Experience Cloud Consultant pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams