Understanding Procore Directory Tools
Procore organizes all project teams and company contacts through two primary directory tools that serve different but complementary purposes. The Company Level Directory functions as your central hub for managing all users across your organization, with each user uniquely identified by their login email address to prevent duplicates. Meanwhile, the Project Level Directory focuses specifically on individual projects, automatically syncing with the Company Directory when you add new users.
These directories work together to create a seamless user management experience. When you add someone at the project level, they automatically appear in the Company Directory if they weren't already there. This integration ensures consistency across your entire Procore ecosystem while allowing for project-specific customization.
The relationship between these directories affects everything from permission assignments to information updates. For instance, certain user fields can only be modified at the company level, even if you're viewing that user in a project directory. Understanding this hierarchy helps prevent confusion when managing your team members across multiple projects.
Why User Management Matters
Proper user management in Procore directly impacts your project's security, efficiency, and communication flow. When users are added correctly with appropriate permissions, they gain access to exactly what they need—no more, no less. This precision prevents unauthorized access while ensuring team members can contribute effectively to their assigned tasks.
The centralized nature of Procore's user management system creates significant time savings for administrators. Rather than configuring the same user multiple times across different projects, you can set up their profile once and then quickly add them to relevant projects. This approach reduces data entry errors and ensures consistency in how users appear across your organization.
User management also affects notification workflows. When users are properly configured in the system, they receive the right alerts about project updates, document changes, and action items. This targeted communication keeps everyone informed without overwhelming them with irrelevant information.
Beyond day-to-day operations, effective user management provides valuable insights into project participation. Administrators can easily see which team members have access to which projects, helping to identify gaps or redundancies in project staffing. This visibility supports better resource allocation and team coordination across your portfolio.
Company vs Project Directory Differences
The Company Directory serves as your master database of all users across your organization. It contains complete user profiles with detailed information and permissions that apply throughout your Procore account. Only company administrators or users with specific granular permissions can add or modify accounts at this level, ensuring proper oversight of user management.
When working in the Company Directory, you have full control over user profiles, including the ability to create distribution groups for streamlined communication. These groups can be used across multiple projects, making it easier to send notifications to specific teams regardless of which projects they're working on. The Company Directory also maintains the definitive record of each user's status (active or inactive) across your entire organization.
The Project Directory, by contrast, provides a focused view of users specific to individual projects. While it automatically syncs with the Company Directory, it offers a more streamlined interface for project managers who only need to manage team members for their specific projects. This approach balances centralized control with project-level flexibility.
When adding users through the Project Directory, some fields may appear as read-only if that user already exists in the Company Directory. This limitation prevents conflicting information across directories while still allowing project managers to adjust project-specific settings like permission templates and distribution group memberships. The Project Directory also offers convenient invitation options to notify users about their addition to specific projects.
Adding Users via Company Directory
The Company Directory method provides the most comprehensive approach to adding new users to your Procore ecosystem. This process creates a complete user profile that can be utilized across all your projects, ensuring consistency and reducing duplicate work.
Before starting, verify you have the necessary permissions: either 'Admin' level access to the Company Directory tool or 'Read Only'/'Standard' permissions with the "Create and Edit Users" granular permission enabled. Without these permissions, you won't be able to complete the process successfully.
The Company Directory approach gives you access to all user fields and settings in one centralized location. You'll be able to configure everything from basic contact information to company-wide permissions, distribution group memberships, and default project settings. This comprehensive setup ensures the user is properly integrated into your organization's Procore workflow from day one.
Step-by-Step Company Directory Process
Begin by logging into your Procore account and navigating to the Company Directory tool from the main navigation menu. Once there, click the "Add User" button (typically displayed in orange) to start the creation process. If the user doesn't already exist in your directory, select "Create New" to proceed with adding them as a fresh entry.
Enter all required company information for the user, including their legal company name, contact details, and location information. These details help identify which organization the user belongs to, especially important when working with multiple subcontractors or partners across projects. After completing the company section, you'll need to fill in the user's personal contact information.
The system offers a convenient "Copy to Personal Information" option if the user's details match their company information. Otherwise, manually complete fields like address, phone numbers, and job title to create a comprehensive profile. Don't forget to set their active status, classification, and communication preferences to ensure they receive appropriate notifications.
The final steps involve assigning company permissions and adding the user to relevant distribution groups. Select an appropriate company permissions template from the dropdown menu or manually configure access levels for each tool. Then decide whether to immediately send an invitation email or simply save the profile for later activation. Your choice here depends on whether the user needs immediate access or if you're preparing accounts in advance of a project launch.
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Inviting Users to Procore
The invitation process serves as the crucial link between creating a user account and getting that person actively engaged in your Procore workspace. A well-executed invitation ensures new team members can quickly access the platform and begin contributing to projects without unnecessary delays.
Procore's automated invitation system sends a "Welcome to Procore" email that guides new users through setting up their password and accessing their account. This email contains essential onboarding information and direct links to get started. The system intelligently follows up with reminder emails at 3, 7, and 14-day intervals if the user hasn't logged in, reducing the need for manual follow-up by administrators.
For existing users who need to be added to new projects, the re-invitation process works similarly but acknowledges their existing account. This approach prevents confusion and clearly communicates that they've been granted access to additional content rather than needing to create a new account. The distinction between new invitations and re-invitations helps users understand their current relationship with your Procore environment.
Managing Invitations Effectively
To invite a user from the Company Directory, first locate them in the user list by navigating to the Directory tool and clicking "Users." Find the specific person you want to invite, then look for the invitation column where you'll see either an "Invite" button (for new users) or "Re-invite" (for existing users who haven't yet logged in).
After clicking the appropriate invitation button, watch for a confirmation banner at the top of your screen indicating that the welcome email has been sent successfully. This visual confirmation helps prevent duplicate invitations and confirms the system is working as expected. The invitation email typically arrives in the user's inbox within minutes, though it may occasionally be filtered to spam folders.
Monitor invitation status through the Company Directory, where you can see whether users have accepted their invitations. For users who don't respond, you can manually re-invite them after a reasonable waiting period. This monitoring helps ensure no team members fall through the cracks during the onboarding process.
Project Directory User Addition
Adding users directly through the Project Directory offers a streamlined approach when you need to quickly grant someone access to a specific project. This method is particularly useful for project managers who primarily work within individual projects rather than across the entire company account.
To use this method, you'll need either 'Admin' level permissions on the project or 'Read Only'/'Standard' permissions with the "Manage Permission Templates" granular permission enabled. These permission requirements ensure that only authorized team members can add users to projects, maintaining appropriate security controls.
When adding users through the Project Directory, remember that Procore automatically syncs this information with the Company Directory. If you're adding someone who doesn't yet exist in your company's database, they'll be created there as well. This automatic synchronization maintains data consistency while simplifying the user addition process for project-focused administrators.
Project-Level User Addition Steps
Start by logging into Procore and navigating to the specific project where you want to add the user. Click on the "Directory" icon within that project to access the Project Directory interface. From there, look for options like "Create New Contact" or "Add New Contact" to begin the addition process.
When entering user information, provide all required fields including their name, email address, job title, and contact details. The email address is particularly important as it serves as the unique identifier for the user across your entire Procore account. If you have the necessary permissions, you'll also be able to apply a permission template that determines what the user can access within the project.
The most critical project-specific settings include:
- Permission template selection - Determines what tools and functions the user can access
- Email notification preferences - Controls which project updates trigger alerts to the user
- Distribution group membership - Adds the user to relevant communication groups
After configuring these settings, choose whether to immediately send an invitation or simply save the information for later. The "Save and Send Invitation" option is most efficient when you want the user to gain immediate access to the project, while "Save" alone allows you to prepare multiple user accounts before sending invitations in batches.
Managing Duplicate Email Issues
Email address conflicts represent one of the most common challenges when adding users to Procore. Since the system uses email addresses as unique identifiers, attempting to add a user with an email that already exists in the system will trigger an error message stating "This email address entered is already registered with a Procore account."
When encountering this error, your first step should be verifying whether the user truly exists in your Company Directory. Use the search function to look for the email address in question, checking for variations or misspellings that might create confusion. Sometimes what appears to be a duplicate is actually a slightly different address (like john.smith@company.com versus j.smith@company.com).
If you confirm that a duplicate exists but need to use that email for a new user, you'll need to deactivate the existing account first. Navigate to the Company Directory, locate the duplicate account, and use the bulk actions dropdown to mark it as inactive. This process must be done at the company level rather than within individual projects to ensure the change applies across your entire Procore environment.
Resolving Common User Management Issues
When managing hundreds of users across multiple projects, you may occasionally need to make bulk changes to user access. Procore offers efficient tools for adding users to multiple projects simultaneously, though these features only work with active projects. To use this functionality, access the user's profile in the Company Directory and look for the list of available projects.
Users sometimes report not receiving invitation emails, which can delay their onboarding process. When this happens, verify that:
- The email address was entered correctly without typos
- The invitation was actually sent (check for the confirmation banner)
- The email wasn't filtered to spam or junk folders
- Your organization doesn't have email security measures blocking Procore communications
For fields that appear non-editable when managing users at the project level, remember that certain information can only be modified through the Company Directory. This limitation is by design to maintain data consistency across projects. If you need to update such fields, you'll need to make those changes at the company level, where they'll automatically propagate to all projects where the user appears.
Best Practices for User Management
Effective user management in Procore requires thoughtful planning and consistent execution. Taking time to establish clear processes before adding large numbers of users will save significant time and prevent confusion later. Consider developing standardized approaches for different user types based on their roles and responsibilities within your projects.
Consistency in data entry proves crucial for maintaining a clean, searchable directory. When adding company information, use standardized naming conventions to prevent duplicate entries. For example, decide whether you'll use "ABC Construction," "ABC Construction, Inc." or "ABC Construction Incorporated" and stick with that format for all users from that company. This consistency makes searching and filtering much more effective.
Privacy considerations should also factor into your user management strategy. Procore allows you to configure which fields are visible when creating or viewing user profiles. If certain information isn't relevant to your workflow or contains sensitive data, consider hiding those fields to streamline the interface and protect privacy. These configuration options can be accessed through the admin settings for the Directory tool.
Optimizing Your User Directory
The following practices will help maintain an organized and efficient user directory:
- Regular audits - Schedule quarterly reviews of your user directory to identify and remove inactive accounts
- Permission templates - Create standardized permission sets for common roles to ensure consistent access control
- Descriptive job titles - Use specific, standardized job titles that clearly communicate each user's function
- Comprehensive tagging - Apply relevant keywords to user profiles to improve searchability
When adding users who will need access to numerous projects, leverage Procore's bulk addition features to save time and reduce errors. From the Company Directory, select multiple projects using the checkboxes next to project names, then click "Add" to grant access to all selected projects simultaneously. This approach is particularly valuable when onboarding new team members who will work across your project portfolio.
Documentation of your user management procedures helps ensure consistency when multiple administrators handle user addition. Create simple guides that outline your organization's specific processes, including any naming conventions, required fields, and standard permission templates. These resources prove especially valuable when training new project administrators or during periods of rapid team growth.
Troubleshooting User Access Problems
Even with careful planning, users sometimes encounter access issues after being added to Procore. These problems typically stem from either permission configuration errors or account activation challenges. Understanding the common causes helps you quickly resolve these situations without disrupting project workflows.
When users report being unable to access certain tools or functions, first verify their permission template assignment. The most common cause of access problems is simply that the user was assigned an incorrect permission template that doesn't include the tools they need. Check both their company-level permissions and project-specific permissions, as restrictions at either level can limit access.
For users who can't log in at all, confirm whether they've completed the account activation process by accepting their invitation. The Company Directory shows invitation status for each user, making it easy to identify those who haven't yet activated their accounts. For these users, resending the invitation often resolves the issue, especially if the original invitation was missed or filtered to spam.
Sometimes access problems occur because users have multiple Procore accounts across different companies or projects. This situation commonly happens with consultants or contractors who work with multiple Procore customers. In these cases, users need to understand how to switch between their different Procore accounts, which they can do through the account selector in the upper right corner after logging in.
Enhancing Team Collaboration
Well-managed user directories do more than just control access—they enhance team collaboration by ensuring everyone can connect with the right people at the right time. When user profiles contain comprehensive, accurate information, team members can quickly identify and contact colleagues based on their roles, companies, or project assignments.
Distribution groups further strengthen collaboration by creating logical team groupings for communication. These groups can be created at both company and project levels, allowing for targeted messaging that reaches precisely the right audience. For example, you might create groups for "Design Team," "Field Supervisors," or "Executive Stakeholders" to streamline communication for specific purposes.
Procore's directory tools also support relationship management with external partners. By maintaining detailed records of all consultants, subcontractors, and vendors, you create an institutional memory that persists even when individual project managers change. This continuity proves particularly valuable for organizations that work repeatedly with the same partners across multiple projects.
The social aspects of user profiles help build stronger team connections, especially on large projects where not everyone meets face-to-face. Encouraging users to upload profile photos and complete their professional information creates a more personal connection among team members who may collaborate primarily through the platform rather than in person.
Maximizing Your Procore Investment
Taking full advantage of Procore's user management capabilities directly impacts your return on investment with the platform. Well-organized directories and properly configured permissions ensure that every licensed user can fully utilize the tools they need while maintaining appropriate security boundaries.
Regular directory maintenance prevents the accumulation of unused accounts that might otherwise consume licenses. By promptly deactivating users who no longer require access, you free up licenses for new team members without increasing costs. This disciplined approach to license management helps control your Procore subscription expenses while maximizing utilization.
The data within your user directory also provides valuable insights about project team composition and involvement. By analyzing which users and companies participate across different projects, you can identify patterns in your partnerships and resource allocation. These insights support strategic decisions about preferred partners and staffing approaches for future projects.
Advanced organizations integrate their Procore user management with broader identity systems through Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities. This integration streamlines the user experience while enhancing security through centralized authentication. Though requiring additional configuration, SSO integration significantly reduces administrative overhead for organizations with large user bases that span multiple systems.
Start Managing Procore Users Effectively Today
Mastering user management in Procore transforms what could be a tedious administrative task into a strategic advantage for your projects. The time invested in properly setting up and maintaining your user directory pays dividends through improved security, streamlined communication, and more efficient collaboration across your entire team.
Remember that effective user management begins with understanding the relationship between the Company and Project Directories. This foundation guides all your decisions about where and how to add users, modify their information, and manage their permissions. When in doubt, start at the Company Directory level for the most comprehensive control over user profiles.
Take some time this week to review your current user management practices against the best practices outlined in this guide. Look for opportunities to standardize your processes, clean up existing directory entries, and optimize permission templates. Even small improvements in these areas can significantly enhance your team's Procore experience and project execution capabilities.
