> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.deandesk.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Identities

> Manage institution-level accounts, run cross-school people search, and view AI insights for any identity.

<Info>
  This guide covers **institution-level** account management at `deandesk.com`. For school-level user accounts, see [Add users](/setup/users).
</Info>

An **Identity** is an institution-wide login. Identities can manage the institution dashboard and, depending on their role, sign into any of your schools through the [Admin Console quick-jump](/getting-started/institutions-and-schools#admin-console-quick-jump).

## Identity list

Open **Identities** in the institution dashboard sidebar to see every identity in your institution. The list is a full-featured directory with backend-driven search, role filters, and customizable columns.

### Search

The search bar at the top of the directory matches against name, username, email, phone, address, and any custom metadata fields. Results update as you type.

### Role filters

Use the **Role** chips above the table to filter by one or more institution roles. Selecting multiple chips returns identities that match **any** of the selected roles.

### Customizable columns

The **Columns** dropdown lets you toggle which fields appear as table columns. You can show standard fields (name, email, phone, joined date) plus any custom **metadata** field configured under **Settings → Metadata**.

<Tip>
  Add metadata columns for fields you frequently filter or scan — for example, "Volunteer status" or "Board committee" — so you can build directory views tailored to a specific job.
</Tip>

### Identity detail page

Click any identity to open their detail page. The page is organized into tabs — **Overview**, **Accounts**, **Finance**, **Access**, and **History** — and surfaces:

* **Profile** — name, email, contact info, joined date
* **Metric cards** — four at-a-glance metrics (e.g. **Institution paid**) summarizing financial and engagement activity
* **Create a case for this identity** — a quick-action card with a **Create linked case** button that pre-fills a new case with this identity's name and email
* **Memberships** — current and historical institution memberships, if any
* **Schools** — every school where this identity has a linked User account, with their school-level roles
* **Cases** — cases where this identity is the contact (see [Cases](/institution/cases))
* **Activity** — recent activity across all of your schools
* **AI Insights** — an AI-generated summary of the identity's activity, engagement, and any notable events

### AI insights

The AI Insights panel reads the identity's activity history (logins, course participation, payments, communications) and generates a plain-language summary. Use it to quickly orient yourself before reaching out to a member or resolving a case.

<Tip>
  AI insights are regenerated on demand. If the panel shows stale information, click **Refresh** to recompute against the latest activity.
</Tip>

## Global search

The institution dashboard includes a **global search** that finds people across every school under your institution.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open search">
    Use the search bar embedded in the header of every dashboard page (Identities, Memberships, Cases, Metadata, and others), or go directly to **`/dashboard/search`** for the full results page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Type a name or email">
    Start typing. DeanDesk returns matches across both Identities and school-level Users in real time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a result">
    The full search page splits results into **Identities** and **Users** tabs. Each result shows a type badge (Identity vs. User) and the school context (which school the User belongs to). Click to open the corresponding profile.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Identities are institution-wide; Users are school-specific. A single person can show up as one Identity plus multiple Users (one per school). See [Identities vs Users](/getting-started/institutions-and-schools#identities-vs-users-how-accounts-work-across-schools) for the full picture.
</Note>

## Inviting identities

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Identities">
    Go to **Identities** in the institution dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Invite Identity">
    Enter the person's name, email, and role.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send invite">
    The invitee receives an email with an activation link. Once they accept, their identity appears in the list and they can log in at `deandesk.com/login`.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Password reset

Identities can reset their own password from `deandesk.com/login`.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click Forgot your password?">
    On the login page, click **Forgot your password?** and enter your institutional account email.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the reset email">
    You'll receive an email with the subject "Password Reset Request - DeanDesk". If your email belongs to Identities at more than one institution, the email contains a separate reset button for each institution — click the one for the account you want to reset.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a new password">
    Enter a new password (minimum 6 characters). Once saved, you're returned to the login page to sign in.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Reset links expire after 1 hour. If yours has expired, request a new one from the login page.
</Note>

## Account locking

A Super Admin can lock an identity to block their access to the platform.

On an identity's detail page, the **Account access** card shows whether the account is active or locked, along with the lock timestamp and reason.

* **Lock account** — optionally enter a reason, then confirm. The lock takes effect immediately and blocks the identity **and all of their linked school User accounts** — the person can't sign in anywhere on the platform until unlocked.
* **Unlock account** — restores access immediately.

Locked identities show a red **Locked** badge in the identity directory and on their linked school accounts.

<Note>
  No email is sent when an account is locked or unlocked.
</Note>

## Identity roles

| Role                  | Access                                                                       |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Super Admin**       | Full access to the institution dashboard, schools, billing, and all settings |
| **Admin (Read-Only)** | Can view institution data but cannot change it                               |
| **Member**            | Basic institution-level access                                               |

When a Super Admin or Admin signs into a school via Admin Console, they're given **Admin** + **Member** roles in the school automatically. Member-only identities receive school roles based on the school's onboarding policies.