When you upload a new user sync file, you may occasionally receive an email alert telling you that action is needed because the upload would block more than the allowed percentage of your user base. This safeguard helps prevent accidental, large-scale removal of users due to data issues in the inbound file.
In this article, we’ll break down why this happens, how user blocking is calculated, and what to do if you’re seeing a higher-than-expected block rate.
How We Determine Which Users Are Blocked
Your program relies on a unique identifier to track each user over time.
Most customers use a universal identifier—commonly an Employee ID—but some programs use email addresses instead.
When the system processes your new file, it compares the unique identifiers in the new upload against the previous file. That comparison determines who remains active, who gets created as a new user, and who becomes blocked.
What triggers a block?
A user is blocked when:
Their record is missing from the new file, or
Their unique ID has changed since the last upload.
If a user’s ID changes, the system treats that as a completely new person:
The old ID’s owner gets blocked.
A new profile is created for the new ID.
This is expected behavior but can result in higher block counts if identifiers change in bulk.
Why You Might See a High or Even 100% Block Rate
Even if the total number of users in your community hasn’t changed, you can still see a high block percentage—sometimes even 100%.
This typically occurs when:
Expected staff turnover. Certain sectors such as retail and hospitality may regularly see high staff turnover.
All user identifiers in the file change (e.g., renumbering Employee IDs).
Formatting changes are introduced (e.g., adding or removing leading zeros).
Email address domains or structures change.
In these cases, the system sees no overlap between the previous file and the new one, resulting in every user in the old list being blocked and every user in the new list being created as new.
Block Thresholds: What’s Allowed by Default?
To protect your user population, the platform limits how many users can be blocked in a single upload.
Default maximum block percentage: 10%
Your organization may have a custom limit, depending on your configuration.
If an upload exceeds that limit, it will not automatically process. Instead, you’ll receive an alert with instructions to review or escalate.
If You Expect a Large Percentage Change
Sometimes high turnover in identifiers is valid. Dor example, during a corporate re-ID project or when seasonal staff leave your organisation.
If you know in advance that your next file will exceed your block threshold:
Submit a support ticket by clicking Submit a Request.
Let us know the expected block percentage.
Support can temporarily adjust your block limit so the file can process successfully.
This helps prevent unnecessary delays while still safeguarding your user base.
If the Percentage Change Is Unexpected
If the block percentage surprises you, it’s important to investigate before proceeding.
Common causes include:
Accidental formatting transformations (often caused by Excel) such as removing leading zeroes.
Bulk reassignment of identifiers without updating the existing system.
Missing records in the file, such as uploading only a subset of your users.
How to fix it
Correct the file and re-upload.
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If your organization recently changed employee identifiers:
Use the User Management API (if available) to perform bulk updates of Employee IDs.
If you do not have API access, your Customer Success Manager can submit a request for API access, or to perform bulk ID adjustments as a service.
Key Takeaways
Block percentage errors protect your user base from accidental mass deactivations.
They are triggered by changes in your file’s unique identifiers, not just changes in user count.
Expected bulk changes should be communicated in advance so support can update your threshold.
Unexpected changes often point to formatting or data issues that need correction.
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