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Overview

Inviting users is the first step in onboarding new people to your tontine. When you invite someone, Agatabo creates their user profile and sends an invitation via email or SMS (depending on what’s available and enabled). Use this when: A new person needs access to the system - whether they’re a member (who saves/borrows) or staff (who operates the system).

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Before You Begin

Prerequisites:
  • You have organization_users:write permission (typically administrators only)
  • You have the person’s basic information (name and phone required; email optional)
  • You understand roles are assigned AFTER user creation, not during
  • The person is not already in your organization
Member vs Organization User: An “organization user” is anyone with login credentials and access to Agatabo. A “member” is an organization user with a member role who can have savings and loans. All members are organization users, but not all organization users are members.Note: Email is optional. Users can log in with either email or phone number.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

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Step 1: Navigate to Organization Users

1

Open Organization Users section

Click Organization Users in the left sidebar
2

Click 'Add Organization User'

Opens the “Add New Organization User” dialog (usually top-right corner)

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Step 2: Enter User Information

The form contains the following fields:
Email is optional:
  • If email is provided, invitation is sent via email (requires email notifications enabled in settings)
  • If no email is provided, invitation is sent via SMS (requires SMS notifications enabled in settings)
  • If neither email nor SMS is enabled, you must copy the invitation link and share it manually
  • Users can log in with either email or phone number
Important: Name, Phone, and Email cannot be easily edited later. Verify information is correct before saving.

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Example: Adding a New User

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Step 3: Choose Invitation Option

Toggle whether to send an invitation immediately:
  • Send Invitation ON: Invitation sent via email (if provided) or SMS (if enabled)
  • Send Invitation OFF: User created but no invitation sent (you’ll share the link manually)
Manual invitation link: Even with “Send Invitation ON”, if neither email nor SMS notifications are configured, you’ll receive a copyable invitation link to share manually with the user via WhatsApp, in person, or another method.

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Step 4: Review and Submit

1

Review all information

Verify name, email, and phone are correct
2

Click 'Add Organization User'

Creates the user account
3

Confirm success

You’ll see a confirmation message with the invitation status (sent via email, SMS, or link to copy)

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What Happens Next

When you create the user, Agatabo automatically:
  1. Creates the user profile: Stores all user information in the database
  2. Generates activation token: Creates a secure, one-time link for account setup
  3. Sends invitation (depends on what’s configured):
    • If email provided + email notifications enabled: Sends invitation email
    • If no email + SMS notifications enabled: Sends invitation via SMS
    • If neither enabled: Displays invitation link for you to copy and share manually
    The invitation contains:
    • Organization name
    • Activation link (expires in 72 hours)
    • Instructions for setting password
  4. Records in audit trail: Logs the invitation with your user ID and timestamp
Next step - Assign roles: After creating the user, you need to assign roles. Navigate to the user’s profile → Roles tab → Assign role (e.g., Member, Treasurer, Administrator).

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Member’s Experience

The invited person receives an invitation via email or SMS (or manually via link). The invitation contains an activation link that expires in 72 hours.
1

Member clicks activation link

Opens account setup page
2

Member sets password

Creates a secure password (minimum 8 characters)
3

Member logs in

Can log in using either their email or phone number

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Viewing Invited Members

After sending invitations, you can track their status:
1

Navigate to Organization Users

Organization Users section shows all users
2

Check invitation status

Users have status indicators:
  • Pending: Invitation sent, not yet activated
  • Active: Account activated, can log in
  • Inactive: Account deactivated
3

Resend invitation (if needed)

Click Resend Invitation for pending users

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Common Scenarios

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Inviting a Member Without Email

Email is optional. If the person doesn’t have an email address:
1

Leave email field empty

Enter only name, join date, and phone number
2

Ensure SMS notifications are enabled

Go to Settings → Notifications and verify SMS is enabled
3

Send invitation

Invitation will be sent via SMS to their phone number
4

Member logs in with phone

They can use their phone number (instead of email) to log in
If SMS is not enabled: You’ll need to copy the invitation link and share it manually with the member.

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Enabling Notifications for Invitations

For invitations to be sent automatically:
  1. Navigate to Settings → General
  2. Toggle Enable Email to ON
  3. Save changes
  4. Email invitations will now be sent automatically when email is provided
  1. Navigate to Settings → General
  2. Toggle Enable SMS to ON
  3. Save changes
  4. SMS invitations will now be sent when no email is provided
If neither email nor SMS notifications are enabled:
  1. After creating the user, copy the invitation link displayed
  2. Share the link with the user via WhatsApp, in person, or another method
  3. User clicks the link to activate their account
  4. They can log in using their email or phone number

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Inviting Staff (Non-Members)

If inviting someone who works for the organization but doesn’t save or borrow:
1

Enter their information

Same process as any user invitation (name, join date, phone, email)
2

Send invitation

Complete the invitation process to create the user account
3

Assign appropriate role

After user is created, navigate to their profile → Roles tab → Assign Treasurer, Accountant, or Administrator - but NOT “Member”
Staff without “Member” role cannot have savings accounts or take loans. They have operational access only.

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Reinviting After Expiration

If the activation link expires (72 hours):
1

Find the user

Organization Users → Locate the pending user
2

Click 'Resend Invitation'

Generates a new activation link
3

New email sent

Member receives a fresh invitation email

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Common Issues

Cause: This person (identified by email or phone number) already has an account in your organization.Solution:
  • Search Organization Users to find their existing account
  • If they were deactivated, reactivate their account instead of creating a new one
  • If this is genuinely a different person, they need a different email address and phone number
  • The system prevents duplicate accounts based on email/phone to maintain data integrity
Cause: Your user account doesn’t have organization_users:write permission.Solution:
  • Contact your administrator to request user invitation permissions
  • Only administrators typically have this permission
Learn about permissions →
Possible causes:
  • Email notifications are disabled in Settings → General
  • Email address is incorrect or has typos
  • Email is in spam/junk folder
Solution:
  1. Check Settings → General: Verify “Enable Email” is toggled ON
  2. Verify the email address is correct (check for typos)
  3. Ask user to check spam/junk folder
  4. Resend invitation after fixing issues
  5. Add Agatabo sender email to contacts to prevent spam filtering
If email is disabled: Copy the invitation link manually and share it with the user via WhatsApp or another method.
Cause: You lack the organization_user_roles:assign permission, or you’re trying to assign the Administrator role (which requires special handling).Solution:
  • For permission issues: Contact your administrator to grant you organization_user_roles:assign permission
  • For Administrator role: This role cannot be assigned through the normal Roles tab. Contact a system administrator to use the special admin assignment function.
  • For other roles: Ensure you have the organization_user_roles:assign permission
Note: Role assignment is a separate operation from user creation and requires different permissions than inviting users.
Cause: Activation link expired, or link was already used.Solution:
  1. Resend invitation from Organization Users section
  2. Member uses the new activation link
  3. If problem persists, contact support@agatabo.com

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Best Practices

User invitation tips:
  • Verify email address is correct before sending (typos prevent activation)
  • Include phone number with country code (+250 for Rwanda, etc.)
  • Use consistent naming format (First Last, or as preferred)
  • Send invitations in batches (10-20 at a time) to monitor activation
  • Follow up with users who don’t activate within 3 days
  • Keep a record of invitation dates for tracking
  • After user creation, assign the minimum roles needed - you can always add more later

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After Invitation

Once the member activates their account:

Entry Fees

Record entry fees and initial contributions

Explain Features

Orient new members on how to use Agatabo

Generate Member Statement

Provide members with their account summary

Managing Users

Edit member information, deactivate accounts, change roles

Member Roles Explained

Understand different roles and their permissions

Viewing Member Details

Access member profiles, savings, and loan history

New Member Workflow

Complete checklist for onboarding new members

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Need Help?

Permissions Matrix

Full reference of roles and their permissions

Understanding Roles

Detailed explanation of each role type

User Management

Edit, deactivate, or modify user accounts

Common Errors

Troubleshooting invitation issues