How to Assign Users via Bulk Actions

The **Assign Users** bulk action assigns a single user to every client that matches your search filters, so you can hand off a caseload in one run instead of editing clients one at a time.

### Overview

- **What it does:** Assigns the user you choose to all clients returned by your search, and optionally removes the users already assigned to those clients
- **Why it matters:** Reassigning a caseload client by client is slow, and the bulk action applies the same change to every matching client at once
- **Who uses it:** Agency staff who can open the **Bulk Actions** page in the top navigation bar
- **Expected outcome:** One user is assigned across the matched clients, either alongside the existing assignments or in place of them

### Prerequisites

- **Bulk Actions** appears in your top navigation bar. It can be hidden for individual user accounts, so ask an administrator if you do not see it
- The user you want to assign already exists in your agency. The **Assign to User** dropdown lists each user by name and email (see [How to Manage Users](/how-to-manage-users))
- You know which clients you want to match, because the bulk action applies to every client your search returns

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Open Bulk Actions

1. Click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar.

![Main navbar bulk actions](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/images/articles/bulk-actions-main-navbar.png)

#### Step 2: Create the bulk action

1. Enter a name in the **Action Name** field of the **Create Bulk Action** card.
2. Select **Assign Users** from the **Action Type** dropdown. The description "Assign users to clients." appears below the dropdown.
3. Click **Create**.

![Add bulk actions assign users](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/images/articles/add-bulk-action-assign-users.png)

eCourtDate opens the new bulk action. To return to it later, click **Bulk Actions** in the top navigation bar and click the edit button next to it in the list.

#### Step 3: Choose the user to assign

1. Find the **Bulk Action Settings** card in the left column.
2. Select a user from the **Assign to User** dropdown.
3. Check **Unassign Current Users** to remove the users already assigned to the matched clients before the new user is applied.
4. Check **Notify Assign To** to notify the user you selected.
5. Click **Save**.

![Assign to user bulk actions form](https://assets.ecourtdate.com/images/articles/bulk-actions-assign-to-user-form.png)

#### Step 4: Filter the clients

1. Scroll to the **Search Clients** card below the settings.
2. Set the filters that describe the clients you want. Every filter you set narrows the results further:
   - **Search**, **Limit** (the max number of results to return) and **Random Limit** (randomly select this many results from the available clients)
   - **Case number**, **Events from date**, **Events to date**, **Events from time** and **Events to time**
   - **Event Flow**, **Event Location**, **Event Status**, **Event Type** and **Event Appearance**
   - **Client Status**, **Client Type** and **Client Aliases**
   - **Assigned Users** and **Assigned Judge**
   - **Creator**
   - The client group and client organization badges, which you click to toggle on and off
   - The **Archived** and **Trashed** checkboxes
3. Click **Search**.

#### Step 5: Review the matched clients

1. Read the count above the results table. It reads as the number loaded out of the total, for example "25 of 340 Clients", or **No Clients** when nothing matched.
2. Check each client's current assignments. An **Assign Users** search returns the users already on each client as badges, or a **No Assigned Users** badge when a client has none.
3. Click **Load more** at the bottom of the table to load the next batch of clients into the preview.
4. Click the green check in the **INCLUDE** column for any client you want to leave out. It turns into a red X and that client is excluded from the run.

#### Step 6: Run or schedule the bulk action

To run it now:

1. Click **Live Run**.

To run it later:

1. Click **Schedule Run**.
2. Enter the **Scheduled Date** and **Scheduled Time** in the **Schedule Bulk Action** window.
3. Click **Schedule Run** to confirm.

To reuse the setup later, click **Save Template**. The button changes to **Remove Template** while the bulk action is saved as one.

### What to Expect

The status badge next to the client count shows where the bulk action stands, moving through **dispatching**, **processing** and **complete**. A scheduled action shows the **scheduled** status with its run date and time, and a **Cancel Schedule** button in place of the run buttons.

Once the bulk action has run, the count switches to the number of clients it processed, and the **Live Run** and **Schedule Run** buttons no longer appear. To run the same setup again, open **Tools** and click **Replay**, or click **Duplicate** to open a copy in a new tab.

### Best Practices

- Give every action a clear name in the **Action Name** field. The Bulk Actions list is searchable by **Action Name**, **Action Type**, **Action Status** and **Creator**
- Click **Search** and read the client count before you click **Live Run**, because the run applies to every matched client
- Set a small **Limit** or **Random Limit** for a first pass, confirm the result on a few clients, then widen the filters
- Leave **Unassign Current Users** unchecked when you are adding a user to a caseload rather than replacing the current assignments
- Use the **Assigned Users** filter to target the clients that belong to one user when you are moving a caseload from that user to another

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I assign more than one user in a single bulk action?**

A: No. **Assign to User** accepts one user. Run the action once per user and leave **Unassign Current Users** unchecked so the earlier assignments stay in place.

**Q: How do I skip a few clients without changing my filters?**

A: Click the green check in the **INCLUDE** column for each client you want to skip. The button turns into a red X, and you can click it again to include the client.

**Q: Can I still change a scheduled bulk action?**

A: Yes, until it runs. **Save** stays available, and **Cancel Schedule** returns the action to the state where you can run it or schedule it again.

**Q: Can I export the clients the bulk action matched?**

A: Yes. Click **CLIENTS CSV** above the results table to download the loaded rows, or click **PDF** at the top of the page for a copy of the bulk action.

**Q: What happens to a bulk action I no longer need?**

A: Open **Tools** and click **Archive** or **Trash**. Both are reversible from the same menu with **Restore**.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The results table is empty.

**Symptoms:** The count above the table reads **No Clients** and no rows appear.

**Solution:**

1. Click **Search**, because the results only refresh when you run the search.
2. Clear the filters that may be too narrow, such as **Client Status**, **Assigned Users** or the event date fields.
3. Confirm the **Archived** and **Trashed** checkboxes match the clients you are looking for.

**Issue:** The client preview will not load.

**Symptoms:** A "Couldn't load clients." warning appears below the table.

**Solution:**

1. Click **Try again** in the warning.
2. Reduce the **Limit** value and search again if the warning returns.

**Issue:** The **Live Run** button is missing.

**Symptoms:** Only **Save Template** and the **Tools** menu appear next to the client count.

**Solution:**

1. Check the status badge. A **scheduled** action shows **Cancel Schedule** instead of the run buttons.
2. Look for a bulk action that has already run, because the run buttons are hidden afterwards. Use **Tools** > **Replay** or **Tools** > **Duplicate** instead.
3. Restore the bulk action from **Tools** > **Restore** if it is archived or trashed, which hides the whole button group.

### Related Articles

- [How Bulk Actions Work](/how-bulk-actions-work)
- [How to Manage Users](/how-to-manage-users)
- [How to Filter Assigned Clients by Users](/how-to-filter-assigned-clients-by-users)
- [How to Assign Tasks via Bulk Actions](/how-to-assign-tasks-via-bulk-actions)
- [How to save and reuse bulk action templates](/how-to-save-and-reuse-bulk-action-templates)
- [How to Schedule Recurring Bulk Actions](/how-to-schedule-recurring-bulk-actions)