Manage Default User Templates

Some user settings, such as virus blocking and spam filter levels, are applied across an organization using its Default User. A Default User is a template for creating new users in an organization. When a user is created, it receives org-level settings from its organization, and user-level settings from the org's Default User.

Every org containing users must be assigned a Default User.

Initially, one Default User exists in your hierarchy and is shared by all organizations. All new users receive its settings.

You can create additional Default Users, give them unique settings, and assign them to separate orgs. New users in those orgs get the unique settings.

Note: These settings can also be customized for individual users. However, we highly recommend you make changes at the Default User level, and not for individual users. See below for details.

How Default Users Work

Initially, one Default User exists in your hierarchy. It appears under Users, has settings you can configure, and can be found in a search, like any other user. It’s named pdefault@yourdomain.com and resides in your top-level org. It’s assigned as the Default User for your initial user org, so new users added to this org get its settings. When you create sub-orgs, this Default User assignment is copied to them, too.

Initially, one Default User exists in your hierarchy and is shared by all orgs. New users added to each org get user-level settings from this Default User.

Your initial Default User resides in your top-level organization. It’s listed under Users like any other user, and named pdefault@yourdomain.com.

Unless you create another Default User and assign it to specific organizations, the same Default User will be shared by all your organizations.

Note: Default Users (any user beginning in “pdefault”) aren’t counted towards billing.

Manage Default User Settings

You manage a Default User’s settings just like any other user’s settings—by going to its User Overview page.

WARNING: Before configuring a Default User, please see “Recommended Default User Settings,” below.

1.	Locate the Default User under Orgs and Users > Users. For example, perform a user search for “pdefault” (see Search for Users). Then click the user to go to its Overview page.

For convenience, you can also access a Default User’s settings from any org it’s assigned to. On the org’s Management page, scroll down and click the Default User.

Accessing a Default User from an org: Clicking here goes to the Default User used by Acme Users. This Default User might be used by other orgs, too.

2.	On the Default User’s Overview page, click the feature you want to modify, make changes, and click Save. See below for recommended settings.

Recommended Default User Settings

Before configuring a Default User, please note:

Configure a Default User before deploying it in your hierarchy. Avoid updating it afterwards. This is because changes affect only new users—not an org’s existing users. If you update spam filters in an org’s Default User and want existing users in the org to share those same levels, you must update each existing user’s filters separately, using the Administration Console.

Changing a Default User’s settings affects all orgs using that Default User. To give an org unique settings for its new users, create a new Default User and assign it to that org.

Do not use a Default User as an account for quarantine redirect. The Default User is meant as a template only and not for mail flow.

Don’t disable Message Center Access for a Default User. Disable the Message Center at the org level, instead (see Enable / Disable Message Center Access). See below for other recommendations.


Default User Recommended Settings
	Spam Filtering Filter Status: On Filter Sensitivity: Adjust levels as you wish. See About Spam Filters.
	Virus Blocking: On Virus Notification Interval: Organization default. See Configure Inbound Virus Blocking.
	Senders Lists Allowed or Blocked Senders Don’t add any senders to these lists. To apply common allowed or blocked senders across an org, do so using the org’s Sender Lists. Approved Recipients Optionally add any external mailing lists that should be approved for all users in the org. See Approved and Blocked Sender Lists.
	Message Limits: Leave the daily message limit blank. Set any desired message limit at the organization level. See Set an Organization’s Message Limits.
	Message Center Access Enable this setting, whether or not you want new users to access their Message Center. Disable Message Center access using the org-level User Access settings, instead. Individual permissions Leave these check boxes unchanged. Set all permissions at the org-level, instead. See About the Message Center.
	Not applicable for the Default User—enter no user aliases here.
	Not applicable for the Default User.
	Notification Address: Enter an address here only if you intend for a single administrator to receive notifications for users in orgs using this Default User (not typical). Note: Redirecting to a notification address affects all notifications. This includes spam and virus notifications, welcome notifications, and password changes. Otherwise, leave this field blank. See Quarantine Summary & Notifications.

Create a Default User

To apply different user settings across an organization—say, to give the Sales org more lenient spam filtering than other orgs—create a new Default User, customize its filter levels, and assign it to the org.

Creating a Default User. The Sales org is assigned a new Default User with low filter levels. All other orgs continue using the original Default User, and get Moderate filter levels.

1.	Go to Orgs and Users > Users, and choose the organization where you want to create the new Default User.

Default Users don’t send or receive mail, so they can reside in any organization. We suggest putting them in your top-level org, which makes them easy to find later.

2.	Click any user in that organization, such as a current Default User, to go to a User Overview page.

3.	On the User Overview page, type an address for the new Default User in the New User form. The address must begin with pdefault. For example:

pdefault@cs.acme.com

pdefault_sales@acme.com

4.	Click Add, which creates the Default User and displays its Overview page.

5.	Configure the new Default User with your desired new-user settings. See “Recommended Default User Settings,” above for important guidelines.

Assign a Default User to an Org

All organizations containing users must be assigned a Default User. You do this on the org’s General Settings page. You can assign the same Default User to several orgs. All new users created in an org receive its Default User settings. You can’t create users in an org that doesn’t have a Default User.

1.	Go to the Management page of the organization you want to assign the Default User to. Under Orgs and Users, for example, locate the org in the list, and click it.

2.	On the org’s Management page, scroll down to General Settings, and click it.

3.	On the General Settings page, enter the Default User’s address in the Default User field, and click Save.

To remove a Default User from an organization, clear the Default User field under General Settings, and click Save. Do this only if the org is to contain no active users.

Delete a Default User

If a Default User is no longer in use, you can delete it. Do this only if the Default User isn’t assigned to any organizations.

1.	Remove the Default User from all orgs’ General Settings.

2.	Locate the Default User under Orgs and Users > Users, and click it.

3.	On the Default User’s Overview page, click Delete User.