Add User Access to Microsoft Clarity

Overview

Adding users to a Microsoft Clarity project allows team members to view session recordings, analyze heatmaps, and collaborate on UX insights. This guide walks through inviting users, setting permissions, and ensuring they can access the project successfully.

Prerequisites

Before adding users, ensure:

1. You have Admin or Owner permissions on the Clarity project
2. User has a Microsoft account (or can create one for free)
3. You know the user's email address associated with their Microsoft account

Step-by-Step: Add a User

Step 1: Navigate to User Management

1. Log into Clarity dashboard at https://clarity.microsoft.com/
2. Select the project you want to add users to
3. Click Settings (gear icon) in the left sidebar
4. Click Users in the settings menu

You'll see a list of current users and their permission levels.

Step 2: Invite New User

1. Click Add user or Invite user button (top right)
2. In the dialog that appears:
   • Email address: Enter the user's Microsoft account email
   • Role: Select permission level:
     • Admin – Full access (view data, edit settings, manage users)
     • Member – View-only access (view data, cannot edit settings)
3. Click Invite or Add

Step 3: User Receives Invitation

The invited user will receive an email from Microsoft Clarity:

Email subject: "You've been invited to [Project Name] on Microsoft Clarity"

Email contains:

• Project name
• Who invited them
• Link to accept the invitation

User must:

1. Click the invitation link in the email
2. Sign in with their Microsoft account
3. Accept the invitation
4. Access to the project is granted immediately

Step 4: Verify User Was Added

1. Return to Settings > Users
2. Confirm the new user appears in the list
3. Verify their permission level is correct
4. Status should show "Active" after they accept the invitation

Choosing the Right Permission Level

Admin

Grant Admin access when:

• User needs to configure tracking or integrations
• User will manage other team members
• User is responsible for project settings and privacy configuration
• User is a developer implementing Clarity tracking
• User is a project owner or lead

Admin can:

• View all session recordings and data
• Edit project settings (name, URL, privacy)
• Manage users (add, remove, change permissions)
• Configure Google Analytics integration
• Delete the project (irreversible)

Member

Grant Member access when:

• User only needs to view data, not change settings
• User is an analyst, marketer, or stakeholder
• User is an external collaborator (consultant, agency)
• You want to limit risk of accidental configuration changes

Member can:

• View all session recordings and heatmaps
• Access reports and insights
• Filter sessions and analyze data
• Share session URLs

Member cannot:

• Edit project settings
• Add or remove users
• Change integrations
• Delete the project

Recommendation

Start with Member access. You can always promote to Admin later if needed. It's safer to grant minimum permissions and escalate than to grant full access by default.

Adding Multiple Users

To add multiple users at once:

1. Repeat the invite process for each user
2. Use a spreadsheet to track who you're inviting:

3. Document invitations for audit purposes

Note: Clarity doesn't currently support bulk user import via CSV or API. Each user must be invited individually.

Inviting External Users (Consultants, Agencies, Clients)

Consultant or Agency

Scenario: You're hiring a UX consultant to review session recordings.

Recommended approach:

1. Grant Member access (view-only) unless they need to configure tracking
2. Time-limit access: Plan to remove when contract ends
3. Document the engagement:
   • Why they have access
   • Expected duration
   • What they're analyzing

Alternative: Share specific session URLs instead of granting full project access (see User Management Overview).

Client (Agency Use Case)

Scenario: You're an agency managing Clarity for a client.

Recommended approach:

1. Client is the Owner: Client creates the project, invites agency as Admin
2. Or: Agency is Owner, client is Admin: If client prefers hands-off approach
3. Grant client stakeholders Member access if they just want to view data

Ownership best practice:

• Client owns their data
• Agency has Admin permissions to manage tracking
• When engagement ends, agency access is removed, client retains ownership

User Accepts Invitation

What the User Sees

After clicking the invitation link in the email:

1. Sign in prompt: Microsoft account sign-in page
2. Accept invitation: Confirmation screen showing project name and permissions
3. Redirected to Clarity dashboard: Immediately sees the project in their project list

If User Doesn't Have a Microsoft Account

If the invited email isn't associated with a Microsoft account:

1. User clicks invitation link
2. Microsoft prompts to create a free account
3. User creates account using the invited email
4. After account creation, invitation is automatically accepted
5. User can access the project

Free Microsoft account includes:

• Outlook.com email (optional, can use existing email)
• Access to Clarity and other Microsoft services
• No credit card required

Troubleshooting Invitations

User Didn't Receive Invitation Email

Possible causes:

• Email in spam/junk folder
• Wrong email address entered
• Email server blocked the invitation

Solutions:

1. Check spam folder: Ask user to search for "Clarity" or "Microsoft" in spam
2. Verify email address: In Settings > Users, check the email you entered
   • If wrong, remove the user and re-invite with correct email
3. Resend invitation:
   • Find user in Settings > Users
   • Click Resend invitation (if available)
4. Use different email: If user's work email blocks invitations, try personal email

User Can't Accept Invitation

Symptoms: User clicks link but gets an error or can't see the project

Possible causes:

• User signing in with different Microsoft account than invited email
• Browser cache issue

Solutions:

1. Verify Microsoft account email: User must sign in with the exact email address that was invited
2. Try incognito/private mode: Clear browser cache issues
3. Sign out and back in: Force fresh authentication
4. Check Microsoft account: Confirm user's Microsoft account is active (visit https://account.microsoft.com/)

Invitation Shows "Pending" Status

What it means: User was invited but hasn't accepted yet

Action:

• Wait: User has time to accept (invitations don't expire quickly)
• Follow up: Remind user to check email and accept
• Resend: Click Resend invitation to send another email

User Accepted but Still Can't Access Project

Possible causes:

• User signed in with wrong Microsoft account
• Permission propagation delay (rare)

Solutions:

1. Verify sign-in email: User should check which account they're signed into (top right corner of Clarity dashboard)
2. Sign out and back in with invited email
3. Wait 5 minutes: Permissions may take a moment to propagate
4. Remove and re-invite: Last resort if above doesn't work

Best Practices

Document Why Access Was Granted

Maintain a user access log:

This helps with:

• Quarterly access audits
• Security compliance
• Understanding why historical access was granted

Use the Principle of Least Privilege

Do:

• Grant Member access by default
• Promote to Admin only when necessary
• Re-evaluate permissions periodically

Don't:

• Grant everyone Admin "just in case"
• Keep unnecessary access active
• Share login credentials (everyone gets their own account)

Set Expectations with External Users

When inviting consultants or agencies:

1. Explain what they'll see: Session recordings, user behavior, potentially sensitive data
2. Set data privacy expectations: They should not share recordings publicly or use data outside the engagement
3. Define duration: Agree on when access will be removed
4. Request account details: Ensure they have (or create) a Microsoft account before you invite

Plan for Offboarding

When you invite a user, plan for when you'll remove them:

Permanent team members: Review access quarterly Contractors/consultants: Remove when contract ends Trial access: Set calendar reminder to review after 30/60/90 days

Security Considerations

Microsoft Account Security

Encourage users to:

• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on their Microsoft account
• Use strong, unique passwords
• Keep account recovery info up to date

Clarity is only as secure as the Microsoft accounts accessing it.

Data Privacy & Compliance

Before inviting users, consider:

• GDPR/CCPA: Is the user authorized to access user behavior data?
• Contractual obligations: Does your client contract allow third-party access?
• Internal policies: Does your company require approval for analytics access?

Document:

• Who has access
• Why they have access
• Legal/compliance approval (if required)

Avoid Shared Accounts

Don't:

• Create one Microsoft account and share login credentials among team

Why it's bad:

• Can't track who did what
• Security risk if password is compromised
• Violates Microsoft Terms of Service

Do:

• Each team member has their own Microsoft account
• Invite each person individually
• Track access per person

Summary

Adding users to Microsoft Clarity:

1. Navigate to Settings > Users
2. Click Add User
3. Enter email and select role (Admin or Member)
4. Send invitation
5. User accepts via email link
6. Access granted immediately

Best practices:

• Start with Member access (view-only)
• Document why access was granted
• Plan for offboarding
• Encourage Microsoft account 2FA

For updating or removing access:

• Update User Access
• Remove User Access

Additional Resources:

• User Management Overview
• Microsoft Account Creation
• Clarity User Roles Documentation