Top user management features for SaaS + implementation tips

User management is absolutely critical to any SaaS app. It fundamentally influences both the user experience and the app's security. Getting it right can mean the difference between a successful app and one that struggles to get off the ground.

When planning your user management system, you should consider features like secure login processes, straightforward user onboarding, efficient role management, and active user monitoring.

For enterprise SaaS apps, admin features like adding or removing users, assigning roles, monitoring user activity, and managing permissions are essential.

In this article, we’ll discuss these and more user management features, their benefits, and how to implement them using WorkOS.

What is user management?

User management refers to the processes and tools used to manage user access and control how users interact with various resources and services. It covers everything from who gets to see what to keeping user data private and secure.

10 best user management features to add to a system

1. Authentication
2. Email verification
3. Access controls
4. User activity monitoring
5. User groups
6. User provisioning
7. Invite members
8. Identity linking
9. Session management
10. Impersonation

1. Authentication

Authentication is a core component of user management that serves as the first lines of defense in protecting your application and its sensitive data. 

It ensures that only the right people have access to your app.

Authentication verifies a user's identity to ensure they are who they claim to be when accessing your application. Typically, authentication requires users to prove they are who they are. There are different ways to do that, including:

• Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to authenticate once with a trusted identity provider and get access to multiple apps. This method simplifies the login process and reduces password fatigue.
• Social logins enable users to access applications using their existing social media accounts, such as Facebook or Google. 
• Magic links is a passwordless authentication method where users receive a uniquely generated link sent via email that automatically logs them in when clicked. 
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds additional layers of security by requiring two or more verification factors. 
• Email/password is a more traditional authentication method that apps are moving away from due to the security risks associated with passwords.

Once authentication confirms the user's identity, authorization determines which resources the user can access and what actions they can perform within the application. It often relies on settings based on user roles (e.g., admin, editor, viewer) or attributes (e.g., department, location). For example, a financial officer might have access to billing software, while a sales representative might not.

2. Email verification

Email verification helps verify the identity of users when they create new accounts.

This step is essential in ensuring each email address is linked to a real user. Doing so can prevent bots and spammers from creating fake accounts. 

Here’s how it works.

When a user registers or updates their email, the system automatically sends an email to the address provided. This email contains a verification link or code. The user must click the link or enter the code on the provided platform to confirm that they have access to the email account. Only after this step is the user’s email considered verified.

3. Access controls

These rules and restrictions determine which parts of your system or data users can access. Good access control is key to preventing users from stumbling into areas they shouldn’t be, or worse, maliciously accessing sensitive information.

There are different types of access control models that you can use, but the most common ones are:

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): When users are set up in the system, they're given specific roles based on their job or position — like 'Admin,' 'Editor,' or 'Viewer.' This determines what they can access and do within your application.
• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): This type of access control uses policies that evaluate users' attributes (characteristics), the environment, and resources to make decisions.
• Discretionary access control (DAC): This type allows resource owners to control access.
• Mandatory access control (MAC): This system uses classifications to determine who can access what.

By controlling who can access what, user management:

• Prevents any accidental or intentional mishandling of important data
• Helps you meet regulatory requirements by ensuring that data is accessed only by authorized personnel
• Automates access decisions based on predefined rules

4. User activity monitoring

This feature logs, monitors, and records all user actions within your app.

Observing users' actions once logged in can help spot suspicious behavior or ensure everyone uses the system properly. 

This might involve logging when users log in and out, what changes they make, which files they access, and any other significant activity captured and timestamped.

This is beneficial because:

• Industries like finance and health are governed by regulations like PCI-DSS and HIPAA, which require detailed data access records and modifications. Activity logs help prove compliance by providing a verifiable trail of user actions.
• Logs are crucial for security audits and identifying vulnerabilities and breaches. If a security incident occurs, you can trace back the actions of specific users, identify how a security breach occurred, and understand the scope of the data compromised.

 5. User groups

This feature lets you organize users into groups based on their roles, departments, or other relevant classification. 

Managing users in groups allows you to set permissions, access controls, and other settings for multiple individuals at once, reducing the time and effort required compared to making adjustments for each user individually.

Segmenting users also means you can send information and updates specifically relevant to certain groups. For example, by only sending financial software updates to the accounting department, you ensure everyone gets the information they need without overwhelming others with irrelevant details.

6. User provisioning 

User provisioning is setting up and managing user accounts and access rights in a system. It streamlines getting new users up and running while ensuring they have the appropriate access for their roles. User provisioning involves creating new user accounts, assigning the necessary permissions, and configuring user settings according to predefined policies for each role. 

The two most popular methods used to automate provisioning are JIT (Just-in-Time) and SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management).

With JIT provisioning, users are created on the fly during their first login attempt, while in SCIM provisioning, admins pre-provision accounts ahead of time.

SCIM provisioning is designed to sync user data across different systems automatically. When a customer updates a user’s information in their directory (like an HR system or corporate identity provider), your app automatically reflects these changes through your SCIM integration.

This ensures access rights align with the user's current role and responsibilities without manual intervention.

Similarly, when a user is removed from the customer’s directory, SCIM can automatically trigger the de-provisioning process in your app to quickly revoke access. 

7. Invite members

Inviting members lets existing users bring new participants into your application.

It’s a great way to grow your user base by tapping into the networks of your current users.

Here’s how it works.

Users can send invitations by entering the email addresses of potential new users directly into the system. Once an invitation is accepted, the new user will be walked through the registration process, provided they don’t already have an account.

Inviting new members is particularly valuable in corporate settings where new team members frequently need access to specific tools and information. It’s also valuable in collaborative spaces and community platforms, where expanding participation can improve the overall user experience.

8. Identity linking

Identity linking associates a user's multiple identity providers into a single unified account.

It ensures that a user who logs in through different providers is recognized as the same person.

Here’s how it typically works.

The system creates a user profile when a user first logs in using an identity provider (like Google or Facebook). If the same user later logs in using a different provider, identity linking detects overlapping identifiers (such as email addresses) and links this new login to the existing profile.

All user data and activity can be consolidated by linking identities under a single profile. 

9. Session management

Session management handles user interactions within a system throughout an active session, from when they log in until when they log out.

Proper session management is essential for maintaining the integrity and security of user interactions within applications. It involves tracking and controlling the state of user sessions to provide a seamless experience while safeguarding against unauthorized access.

Here’s how it works:

When users log into your system, they receive a unique session ID, which is used to track their activities during that session. The system continuously monitors the session to determine whether it is still active or has expired, ensuring a seamless user experience without unnecessary disconnects or interruptions.

Sessions don’t last forever — they automatically time out after a certain time. This security measure prevents unauthorized access in case someone else tries to take over an active session. Consequently, a user may need to log in again to start another session.

User management systems should allow users to set expiration times and configure specific redirect URLs that users are sent to after their sessions expire.

10. Impersonation

Impersonation allows you to take on the identity of a user within your app to troubleshoot issues or assist with user-specific problems.

This feature helps quickly resolve user issues by allowing you to see exactly what the user sees. It’s useful in support and administrative contexts where direct observation of an issue, as it occurs for the user, is necessary.

Here’s how it works.

When impersonation is activated, the authorized staff member can log into the system as if they are the user without needing the user’s password. This enables them to interact with the application from the user’s perspective, accessing only what the user can access.

By experiencing the user's environment firsthand, support staff can better understand the issues and troubleshoot them effectively. This is particularly helpful for resolving complex issues that are difficult to diagnose through descriptions alone.

For security purposes and to prevent abuse, all impersonation sessions should be logged with detailed audit trails that record who impersonated whom, when, and what actions were taken during the impersonation. 

Additionally, only authorized personnel, such as system administrators or support team members, should be granted the ability to impersonate users. 

How to implement user management features

You have two main options when implementing user management features: Develop a custom solution or buy an off-the-shelf product.

Opting for a custom solution allows you to tailor everything to your needs, giving you full control over the functionality. However, this approach demands a lot of time and engineering expertise and comes with ongoing maintenance, updates, and security costs. Plus, developing a solution from scratch can considerably delay your product launch.

Alternatively, a ready-made solution like WorkOS User Management can get your user management features up and running much quicker. This option speeds up your time to market and often comes with lower upfront costs.

With WorkOS, you have two great implementation options for integrating user management features: You can choose AuthKit, a customizable hosted UI equipped with all the necessary features, or you can use the Authentication APIs to design and build your custom authentication UI. 

Here’s what you get with either choice:

• Authentication: Enjoy seamless Single Sign-On across numerous identity providers, such as Microsoft Entra, Okta, and OneLogin, as well as any other provider that supports OIDC or SAML protocols. This feature also supports email/password setups, social logins (including Google, Microsoft, GitHub, and more), and multi-factor and magic link authentication options.
• Session management: You can view active user sessions and configure their behavior by setting parameters like maximum session lengths and access token durations.
• Invitations: Allow your users to invite others via email, simplifying the growth of your user base.
• Email verification: Ensure new users verify their email addresses before they gain access.
• Identity linking: Automatically merge user credentials across different identity providers to avoid duplicate entries.
• JIT provisioning: Allow your clients to provision their users to your app as they log in (just-in-time).
• SCIM provisioning: Allow your customer’s IT admins to pre-provision and manage users using their identity provider. This feature supports providers like Okta SCIM, Entra ID SCIM, Google Workspace, JumpCloud, and more.
• Roles: You can easily manage and assign user roles within your app.‍
• Impersonation: This feature allows admins to assume user identities in your app for easier troubleshooting.‍
• Organization policies: Enable your enterprise clients to restrict their users to only a subset of authentication methods. For example, your client may want to disable MFA.

Conclusion

Whether you pick WorkOS’s AuthKit or Authentication APIs, you’ll equip your app with a powerful suite of user management tools to make life easier for you and your users. This means less time worrying about user management features and more time focused on what matters most — building your core product and growing your customer base.

Explore User Management by WorkOS.