Atera makes it simple to keep your end users up-to-date with Azure AD continuous sync. Connecting with Azure AD initiates a continuous one-way sync that imports and updates your end users from Azure AD to Atera automatically, saving you time and effort.

Note:

• Azure AD continuous sync is available to Atera Enterprise and Superpower users only.
• If you activated Autopilot for your account before 21 April 2025, and had already synced your sites, you'll need to resync them — and re-accept Microsoft's permission request — to unlock Autopilot’s newest cloud-based features. For more information, see Azure AD integration, and follow the disconnect and the connect instructions.
• If you activated Autopilot for your account before 21 April 2025, and had already synced your customers, you'll need to resync them — and re-accept Microsoft's permission request — to unlock Autopilot’s newest cloud-based features. For more information, see Azure AD integration, and follow the disconnect and the connect instructions.

Overview

• Simple, one-way sync from Azure AD to Atera.
• 100% secure. Login credentials are never saved.
• Atera Admin permissions are required.
• When Azure AD Offices/Departments are matched to Atera sites, the new users are created in Atera (if they don't already exist).
• All of a site's existing Azure AD users will automatically be created in Atera, including shared mailboxes (if they don't already exist) when connecting with Azure AD.
• Users are matched based on email addresses. If Azure identifies that a user already exists in Atera, then user information including first name, last name, job title, and mobile phone will be updated in Atera based on Azure AD. The integration will override all the values of these fields in Atera, with their respective information from Azure. 
• Users that exist in Atera, but not in Azure AD, won’t be affected. 
• Any changes made in Atera to a user imported or updated from Azure will be overwritten during the next automatic sync.
• If the email address of a user imported or updated from Azure is changed in Atera, the next sync will create a new user.
• The Azure integration is unique to each customer. You can disconnect specific customers from the integration while keeping others connected.
• All of a customer's existing Azure AD contacts will automatically be created in Atera, including shared mailboxes (if they don't already exist) upon connecting with Azure AD.
• Contacts are matched based on email addresses. If Azure identifies that a contact already exists in Atera, then contact information including first name, last name, job title, and mobile phone will be updated in Atera based on Azure AD. The integration will override all the values of these fields in Atera, with their respective information from Azure.
• Contacts that exist in Atera, but not in Azure AD, won’t be affected.
• Any changes made in Atera to a contact imported or updated from Azure will be overwritten during the next automatic sync.
• If the email address of a contact imported or updated from Azure is changed in Atera, the next sync will create a new contact.
• When importing contacts from Azure Active Directory, Atera will use the User principal name. However, you can also import users from Azure AD using their 'Email' field. As this is a behind-the-scenes process, please reach out to us so we can set it up for you.
• When importing contacts from Azure Active Directory, Atera will use the User principal name. However, you can also import users from Azure AD using their 'Email' field. As this is a behind-the-scenes process, please reach out to us so we can set it up for you.

How the continuous sync works

• Azure AD continuous sync is an automatic and ongoing process that updates twice a day so you don't have to manually sync with Azure every time you add a new end user.
• To enable Azure AD continuous sync, you must first connect to Azure AD with your Admin credentials and map your Offices/Departments to Atera's sites. For more info, see Azure AD integration
  • For each site, you will need to enter their Azure Admin credentials the first time you connect.
  • For each customer, you will need to enter their Azure Admin credentials the first time you connect.
• Once you've connected to Azure AD, your users will be updated automatically every 12 hours, although the initial automatic sync may take longer than 12 hours.
• Once you've connected to Azure AD, your contacts will be updated automatically every 12 hours, although the initial automatic sync may take longer than 12 hours.

Manage your syncs

To manage your Azure AD connections: 

1. From Sites (on the sidebar), click New site > Import from Azure AD.

1. From your selected customer (in the Contacts tab), click the Manage contacts dropdown menu and select Manage Azure AD integration.

The Azure Active Directory page appears.

Here you'll see details such as your last sync date, your next auto-sync date, and the date of your initial connection with Azure AD. 

Note:

• Click Sync now to sync your end users automatically without waiting for the next auto-sync.
• You can disconnect your Azure AD integration at any time from this page by clicking Disconnect.
• If you activated Autopilot for your account before 21 April 2025, and had already synced your sites, you'll need to resync them — and re-accept Microsoft's permission request — to unlock Autopilot’s newest cloud-based features.
• If you activated Autopilot for your account before 21 April 2025, and had already synced your customers, you'll need to resync them — and re-accept Microsoft's permission request — to unlock Autopilot’s newest cloud-based features.

For more info, see Azure AD integration