Bulk Operations

Bulk Operations in User Management & License Optimizer enable administrators to perform actions on multiple users simultaneously, significantly reducing the time and effort required for large-scale user management tasks. This powerful feature ensures consistency and efficiency when managing users across your Atlassian organization.

Overview

Bulk Operations allow you to:

• Remove app access for multiple users across specific or all applications

• Suspend user accounts in bulk (reactivation coming soon)

• Add or remove users from groups efficiently

• Combine multiple actions in a single operation

• Track all bulk changes with detailed audit logs

Accessing Bulk Operations

Prerequisites

1. Navigate to the User Browser in User Management & License Optimizer

2. Select users using the checkboxes in the table

3. The selection count appears at the top: "N of M users are selected."

4. Click the Bulk Operations button that appears in the bottom right

Note: The Bulk Operations button only appears when at least one user is selected. You must select users before you can perform bulk actions.

Available Bulk Operations

The Bulk Operations modal presents all available actions that can be performed on selected users. You can combine multiple actions in a single operation.

Remove App Access

Remove users' access to specific Atlassian applications while maintaining their account and group memberships.

How it Works

1. Select the operation: Check the "Remove App Access" checkbox

2. Choose target:

   • Select "Removes user access to specific applications" to choose individual apps

   • Individual app tiles will appear, showing app icons and names

3. Select applications:

   • Click on app tiles to select them (e.g., Bitbucket, Confluence, Jira)

   • Selected apps show a blue checkmark

   • Each app tile shows which site it belongs to

4. Alternative option: Select "Select All" to remove access from ALL applications

Important Considerations

• Users immediately lose access to selected applications

• Billing adjustments occur automatically at the next billing cycle

• User data and content created by the user are preserved

• Group memberships are maintained (not the Product Access Groups)

• The operation removes users from app-specific access groups in the background

Suspend User

Temporarily suspend user accounts from accessing any Atlassian services across your organization.

Process

1. Select the operation: Check the "Suspend User" checkbox

2. Understand the impact:

   • "Suspends user account, needs to be reactivated"

   • Users cannot access ANY Atlassian products

   • Account data is preserved

3. Review warning: A yellow warning message reminds you that "Organization administrators cannot be modified for security reasons"

Key Points

• Suspended users retain all their data and settings

• Group memberships are preserved for when they're reactivated

• Reactivation currently requires using Atlassian's admin interface

• No license charges apply for suspended users

• Suspended status is reflected immediately in the User Browser

Security Note: Organization administrators are automatically excluded from suspension to prevent accidental lockouts.

Remove from Groups

Remove selected users from one or more groups to adjust permissions and access.

Steps

1. Select the operation: Check the "Remove from Groups" checkbox

2. Select groups:

   • A dropdown appears showing "Choose a group"

   • Start typing to search through available groups

   • Groups are listed with their full names

3. Multi-select capability:

   • Select multiple groups to remove users from all of them

   • Each selected group appears in the dropdown

4. Review selection: Ensure you're removing from the correct groups

Add to Groups

Add selected users to one or more groups for standardized access and permissions.

Process

1. Select the operation: Check the "Add to Groups" checkbox

2. Select target groups:

   • Choose from the dropdown list

   • Search functionality helps find specific groups

   • Can select multiple groups

3. Apply addition: Users are added to all selected groups

Benefits

• Streamline onboarding for new team members

• Ensure consistent group assignments across users

• Grant batch permissions efficiently

• Standardize access patterns

Combining Operations

One of the most powerful features is the ability to combine multiple operations in a single execution.

How Operation Order Works

The order of operations is determined by the sequence in which you select the checkboxes:

1. First selected operation executes first

2. Subsequently selected operations follow in order

3. The system processes operations sequentially

Example Combination

To remove a user from a group and then suspend them:

1. First check "Remove from Groups" and select the group

2. Then check "Suspend User"

3. The system will:

   • First remove the user from the specified group

   • Then suspend their account

Changing Operation Order

To modify the execution order:

1. Deselect all checkboxes

2. Re-select them in your desired order

3. The new order will be applied

Tip: Plan your operation order carefully. For example, remove app access before suspending users if you want to ensure clean removal from app-specific groups.

Security Warning

A prominent warning message states:

"Please note: Organization administrators cannot be modified for security reasons"

This safety feature:

• Prevents accidental lockout of critical admin accounts

• Applies to all bulk operations

• Cannot be overridden

• Affected users are automatically skipped

Executing Bulk Operations

Apply Button

Once you've configured your operations:

1. Review all selected actions

2. Click the Apply button

3. The operation begins processing immediately

Cancel Option

• Click Cancel to close without making changes

• No operations are performed if cancelled

• User selections remain active in the User Browser

Bulk Results and History

After executing bulk operations, you can review detailed results and maintain audit trails.

Accessing Results

Click "Show Bulk Results" to view:

• History of all bulk operations

• Detailed execution logs

• Success and failure reports

• Technical details for troubleshooting

Results Table

The results view shows:

Summary Columns

• Task Name: "Bulk Operation" identifier

• Status: SUCCESS, FAILED, or PARTIAL

• Done at: Timestamp of completion

• Updated Users: Count of affected users

Viewing Details

Click on any bulk operation entry to see:

• Started: Exact start time

• Ended: Completion time

• Started By: Admin who initiated (with avatar)

• Elapsed Time: Total processing duration (e.g., "17 seconds")

• Status: Final operation status

• Messages: Detailed processing information

Detailed Results View

Shows comprehensive operation details:

User Statistics

• Users Failed: Count of users where operation failed

• Users Deactivated: Successfully deactivated count

• User Removed from App Access: Count by operation type

• Users Removed from Groups: User Group removal count

• Users Added to Groups: User Group addition count

Technical Details

Show Details button reveals:

• JSON-formatted operation log

• Individual user processing results

• Error messages for failures

• API response codes

• Timestamps for each action

Download Results

• Click "Download Result" for a complete JSON export

• Useful for:

  • Compliance documentation

  • Troubleshooting with support

  • Audit trail maintenance

  • Integration with other systems

Best Practices

Before Executing

1. Verify user selection: Double-check the selected users

2. Test with small groups: Try operations on 5-10 users first

3. Review operation impact: Understand what each action does

4. Document the purpose: Note why the operation is needed

5. Check operation order: Ensure actions execute in logical sequence

During Execution

1. Monitor the progress: Watch for the completion notification

2. Stay on the page: Don't navigate away during processing

3. Avoid concurrent operations: Run one bulk task at a time

4. Be patient: Large operations may take several minutes

After Completion

1. Review results immediately: Check the bulk results log

2. Verify in User Browser: Confirm changes are reflected

3. Address any failures: Investigate and retry failed items

4. Document outcomes: Record results for audit purposes

Common Use Cases

Quarterly License Cleanup

Scenario: Remove access for inactive users

1. Filter users inactive for 90+ days

2. Select all matching users

3. Bulk Operations:

   • Remove app access for all products

   • Or suspend accounts entirely

4. Document cost savings achieved

Department Offboarding

Scenario: Remove access for departing team

1. Filter by department group

2. Select all team members

3. Bulk Operations:

   • Remove from all internal groups

   • Remove app access

   • Suspend accounts

4. Complete in minutes instead of hours

External Contractor Management

Scenario: Adjust contractor permissions

1. Filter by contractor email domains

2. Select relevant users

3. Bulk Operations:

   • Remove from internal groups

   • Limit to customer/guest access

   • Remove from sensitive apps

Access Standardization

Scenario: Ensure consistent group membership

1. Filter by department or role

2. Select users missing standard groups

3. Bulk Operations:

   • Add to required security groups

   • Add to department groups

   • Remove from legacy groups

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Bulk Operations Button Not Visible

• Cause: No users selected

• Solution: Select at least one user in the User Browser

Slow Processing

• Cause: Large user selection or system load

• Solution:

  • Reduce batch size

  • Run during off-peak hours

  • Check for other running operations

Org Admins in Selection

• Cause: Organization admins included in selection

• Solution: They are automatically skipped for security

Error Messages

The system provides detailed error information:

• User-specific failure reasons

• API error responses

• Permission denial details

• Suggested remediation steps

Security and Compliance

Audit Trail

All bulk operations are:

• Permanently logged with full details

• Timestamped with millisecond precision

• Attributed to the executing administrator

• Available for compliance reporting

Safety Features

• Admin protection: Org admins cannot be modified

• Confirmation required: Explicit Apply action needed

• Results tracking: All changes are logged

• Rollback data: Results help plan reversals if needed

Compliance Documentation

Use bulk operation results for:

• Access reviews and certification

• Change management records

• Security audit evidence

• License optimization reports

Integration with Other Features

User Browser Integration

• Changes reflect immediately in the table

• Status updates show new states

• Group columns update automatically

• Last active dates remain unchanged

Automated Tasks

• Bulk operations can complement scheduled tasks

• Use same saved filters

• Manual bulk operations for immediate needs

• Automated tasks for recurring operations

Reporting

• Export bulk operation history

• Include in compliance reports

• Track administrator activities

• Monitor license optimization metrics