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Guide
Create a persona
Write down once what a job needs on day one (apps, licences, hardware and Zonitix groups), then reuse it every time you hire or move someone into that job.
Before you start
- An account that can manage users or personas. Without that right, the page opens read-only and the create button is hidden. In the built-in set, members of the “IT”, “Human Resources” and “HR Managers” groups can manage personas; only administrators can manage users.
- A list of what the job needs: apps, paid seats, devices, and any access with no licence, such as VPN or a building badge.
- Optional but recommended: a connected directory with write access, so directory accounts can be created automatically. See Connect Okta, Entra or Google.
Build the persona
Step 1: Open the persona studio
Go to AdministrationUser Personas. The page is called Persona Blueprint Studio. In Zonitix, a persona is also called a blueprint. Click “CREATE BLUEPRINT”, or “CREATE FIRST PERSONA” if you have none yet.
The editor has five steps down the left: Details, Hardware, Apps & licences, Groups & role, and Provisioning. “CONTINUE → Hardware” (and so on) moves you to the next one, and you can click any step to jump to it.
Step 2: Details: name the job
Fill in “Blueprint Name” (for example, the job title) and “Role Description”. The name must be unique. You can leave “Directory department (optional)” blank.
Step 3: Hardware: add devices
Choose a device from “Hardware Model” and click “ADD”. If it is not in your catalog, leave the model set to Custom and enter a “Custom Model Name”, a cost and a “Type” (Laptop, Monitor, Keyboard or Mouse), then click “ADD”.
Hardware is always handled by a person. Each device becomes an IT fulfilment task.
Step 4: Apps & licences: add what the job uses
Click an app in the catalog to add it. Zonitix adds its default seat plan, which you can change in the This role’s stack list. To add an app that is not listed, enter a “Custom App Name” and monthly price, then click “ADD”.
Each app is tagged Auto-ready (a connected hook will set it up), Needs a hook (Zonitix could automate it once you connect that app) or Manual (no connector, so it becomes a dated IT task). Use the “Auto-ready”, “Need a hook” and “Manual” filters to see each group.
Under Access without a licence, add things like VPN or badge access, then click “ADD”.
Step 5: Groups & role: Zonitix access (optional)
In “Groups this role joins”, add the Zonitix groups a new starter should join. Everyone also joins the baseline Everyone group.
“RBAC roles” is optional. (RBAC is the app’s name for permission roles: what someone may do inside Zonitix.) Leave it empty and people get the standard user role. Add a role only if everyone in this job needs those Zonitix permissions. You cannot add a role that gives more access than you have yourself.
Step 6: Provisioning: preview what will be automated
The Onboarding provisioning preview lists every item with its outcome. Auto means a connected hook (a saved connection to that system) provisions it (sets it up) by the start date. IT task means someone does it by hand, with a due date. IT fulfilment is used for hardware. The counters at the top show how many items are automatic and how many are IT tasks.
A highlighted row marked Needs a choice means more than one directory is connected. Pick the one this job should use. Use “Change” on any other row only if you want to override the choice, for example to force an item to “Manual (IT task)”.
Step 7: Save it
Click “DEPLOY BLUEPRINT”. This saves the persona. It does not provision anything for anyone yet.
Assign it to a person
Step 8: A new hire: start onboarding
In AdministrationUsers, find the person. Hires waiting to start (Pre-boarding) have an Onboard button (rocket icon, tooltip “Onboard (provision from a persona)”). Click it and choose the “Persona”. Set a “Start date” if you have one, since IT tasks are due on that day.
The dialog shows the same plan: how many items are automatic and how many are IT tasks. Click “Start onboarding”. You can follow the run in the Workflow Builder under Runs.
Step 9: Someone already working: change their role
For an active person, use the Change role button (tooltip “Change role (grant new + revoke old)”) on their row. Choose the persona in “Move to role”. Zonitix shows what will be granted and what will be revoked. Untick anything they should keep during a handover.
Nothing changes until a manager approves the run. “Revoke old access after” lets you keep old access for a few days after approval.
What you should see
The persona appears in the list on User Personas with its one-time, monthly and Year 1 costs. When you start onboarding, a message confirms how many automatic steps and IT tasks were created. Auto items are set up by the connected hooks. IT tasks are dated to the start date.
If something goes wrong
- “A role blueprint named … already exists”
- Persona names must be unique. Open the existing one from the list, or choose a different name.
- “You cannot create a persona that grants access you don’t hold” (or cannot onboard or move someone into it)
- The persona includes a Zonitix role or group with more access than your own account. Remove it from Groups & role, or ask an admin who has that access to do it.
- Onboarding says the account was prepared but no onboarding run was created
- There is no active onboarding workflow, so nothing will be provisioned. Publish an onboarding workflow in the Workflow Builder, then onboard the person again.
- An app you expected to be automatic shows as an IT task
- The matching hook is missing, paused or read-only. On Identity Hooks, connect the app, turn on Write Users and validate it. The preview updates the next time you open the persona.
- You cannot delete a persona
- It is still assigned to people or job postings. Move them to another persona first, then delete it.
Still stuck? See When something goes wrong, or Contact Zonitix support.