Managing Users with Multiple Email Addresses or Aliases

What Is a User Principal Name (UPN)?

A User Principal Name (UPN) is the unique identifier Microsoft uses to authenticate users across its ecosystem.

• It typically looks like an email address (e.g., firstname.lastname@company.com).

• Even if a user has multiple email addresses or aliases, Microsoft considers the UPN the source of truth for SSO.

• You can confirm your UPN with your internal IT team.

Best Practices for Adding Users to Catalyst

1. Always Use the UPN for Catalyst Logins

When adding a new user, use their UPN (not necessarily their primary email) as their Catalyst email address.
This ensures Catalyst and Microsoft recognize the same identity during authentication.

2. If a User Has Multiple Emails or Aliases

Some users may have multiple emails (e.g., after a name change or domain change).

• These may look like flast@company.com and first.last@company.com.

• Even if both point to the same inbox, they are not interchangeable for login purposes.

If the Catalyst user was created using one address and your IT department later changes your UPN, you may experience login issues such as password errors or missing company branding on the login page.

Example:
If you see your internal company logo instead of the EBM logo during login, it’s often a sign the UPN and Catalyst email don’t match.

Fixing Mismatched UPN and Email Addresses

If you cannot log in to Catalyst but can still access other Microsoft 365 apps, your Catalyst user email may not match your UPN.

Resolution Steps:

1. Contact your IT department to confirm your UPN.

2. Submit a support request to EBM referencing this article and ask for:

   • Your Catalyst user email to be updated to match your UPN, and

   • Your Microsoft guest account to be reset.

You can submit that request here:
👉 Submit a Support Request

For more information, see Microsoft’s documentation:
🔗 What happens if I invite a user whose email and UPN don’t match? (Microsoft Entra External ID)

Receiving Catalyst Notifications

You can continue using any alias or forwarding address to receive Catalyst email notifications (for example, for unassigned hierarchy alerts), as long as forwarding rules or aliases are correctly configured in your email system. This does not impact SSO or login behavior.

Troubleshooting Cube Access After an Email Change

If your Catalyst email has recently changed and you’re unable to refresh cubes in Excel, the add-in may still reference your old email. Follow the workaround in this article to resolve it:
🔗 Fixing “You do not have access to one or more cube(s)” Error in Excel

Need Help?

If you’re unsure which email or UPN to use, or you’re experiencing login issues after a name or email change, please contact EBM Support. Reference this article and include your confirmed UPN from IT to help us expedite the fix.

Keeping your Catalyst login aligned with your Microsoft UPN ensures smooth, secure access across both the website and Excel. If you experience login or cube access issues after an email or name change, confirm your UPN with IT and contact EBM Support for quick resolution.