User Settings

Create New User

Managers, User Administrators and Unit Managers can add users, up to the number allowed for the subscription service level.

New User option on Users tab

Edit User

Make changes like assign different assets, move to a new business unit, change the user's role or permissions.

Edit user option on Quick Actions menu on Users tab

Edit My Account

Update your contact information, opt in/out of email notifications, add password reset information, and more.

User Profile option below user name

You can activate the unique email ID validation feature for your subscription by contacting your technical account manager or Qualys Support. Once activated, you must specify a unique email ID for every user. If an email ID is already associated with another user, an error message is displayed to prompt you to provide a different email ID.

Grant Access Permissions

You can grant a user's account access to various apps like VM, PA, etc. and other apps on our Cloud Security Platform. Learn more about Control User Access Permissions.

User Roles and Permissions

Each user is assigned a pre-defined user role (Manager, Unit Manager, Scanner, etc) which determines the actions the user can take. Additional permissions may also be granted. Learn more about User Roles and Permissions for VM/VMDR, PA, SCA.

Business Units

You can assign a user directly to a business unit in your account by selecting the business unit name. Select Unassigned if you do not want to assign the user to a business unit. Managers and Auditors cannot be assigned to business units. The first user you add to a business unit must be a Unit Manager. The first Unit Manager will be the initial primary contact for the business unit. How to configure business units

Asset Groups

Assigned asset groups identify the assets (IP addresses, domains and scanner appliances) the user has access to for scanning, reporting, etc. If the user is in a business unit then only the asset groups in the business unit are available. How to configure asset groups

Want to assign assets to the user by asset tag? See Tag-based User Scoping

Time Zone

By default we'll use your browser's time zone (Auto) but you can make another selection. Your selection will become the default for new schedules and reports though some reports always appear in GMT regardless of this setting. Learn more about Dates/Times in Reports.

Email Notifications

Opt in/out of email notifications. The notifications available depend on several factors like subscription settings and user role. Learn more about notifications.

Session Timeout

In the Security section, you can specify a session timeout for individual users. This user-specific timeout takes precedence over the role-based, tellout. For information about role-based session timeout, see Set Security Options.

User Identity and Contact Details

You can create a user by providing basic information, such as user identity, contact details, address/location, and Organization information. This section also includes the following optional, case sensitive fields

External ID: This field represents the unique identifier assigned to the user by the users Identity Provider (IDP). This identifier can be an alphanumeric value, an email address, or any unique ID generated by the IDP. This External ID is stored in the Qualys user management system and is required to map the JWT token to the appropriate user and permissions. You can also use the External ID to set a custom JWT claim.

The External ID must be unique within the subscription and can contain up to 256 characters. Values can be entered using uppercase, lowercase, or mixed-case characters. Note that searches for External IDs are case-sensitive.
API External ID: You can specify an API External ID when you create a new user by navigating to Users > New > Users > General Information. This field allows you to assign a unique identifier to map users from external systems to user accounts in the platform.
This is a case-sensitive field that ensures accurate user identification during authentication. By providing a unique value (such as an alphanumeric value, an email address, or any unique ID), you can establish a reliable mapping between external identities and platform users.

You can provide the external ID by navigating to Users > New user or select an existing user and click Edit. Go to General Information tab > External ID/API External ID.

Users with Manager and Unit Manager roles can add or modify the External ID and API External ID. The Point of Contact (POC) user for a subscription can always edit External ID and API External ID.

Express Lite User?

Express Lite subscriptions may have a total of 3 user accounts and each user is assigned a Manager role.

Looking for something else?

Manage Your Users | Change Your Password | Change the Primary Contact | VIP Two-Factor Authentication | SAML SSO

Last updated: September, 2026