Users & QR codes

Use Users & QR codes in the portal’s top-level menu to manage users for your BYO PBX softphone subscription. You can create one user, import a CSV, download codes later, and edit a user’s tenant or SIP details.

You do not lose a user or their setup details if you leave without downloading the QR. Open Saved users to return to them. Each managed QR can be used once and expires 72 hours after generation. If it has been used or has expired, generate a new code from the saved details.

Open Users & QR codes 

Before you start

• Have the user’s SIP credentials from your PBX provider. Saving a portal user does not create an extension on your PBX.
• Sign in as the subscription owner or an authorised portal administrator. Shared, read-only project access does not grant provisioning access.
• Use a compatible SessionCloud or branded app. The app needs internet access to retrieve the configuration when scanning a managed QR.

This guide covers subscriptions with saved-user management enabled. If you only see the older Local and External generator, contact SessionTalk to enable managed users for your subscription. Hosted SessionPBX members are managed in their tenant workspace.

Choose a tenant

1. Open Users & QR codes from the main menu, outside the tenant settings.
2. Select a Tenant.
3. The page shows the selected tenant’s subscription allowance and saved users from all tenants in that subscription.

The selected tenant is used for new users created with Generate one or Import CSV. Each saved user has one tenant association. You can change it later using Edit, provided the new tenant belongs to the same subscription.

User capacity belongs to the subscription. Editing a user, changing their tenant or generating another code does not use another slot.

Create one user

1. Select Generate one.
2. Enter a User reference, such as guide-001, and an optional Display name.
3. Add the SIP account details supplied by your PBX provider. Set transport and any other options to match that provider’s requirements.
4. Select Save and generate QR code.
5. Download the code and share it with the intended user, who scans it in their app to finish setup.

The user reference is a stable identifier, unique within the subscription. It is separate from the SIP username. Two people can use the same SIP extension while having different user references. Keep the reference unchanged when updating that person; a new reference creates another managed user.

A managed profile requires at least one SIP account and supports up to four SIP accounts, with up to four XMPP accounts alongside them. The CSV importer supports one SIP account per row; use the form or API for multiple accounts. External provisioning-server login codes and XMPP-only profiles use the separate legacy provisioning flows.

Find and download saved codes

Open Saved users and search by user reference, display name or tenant. Each entry shows its tenant, QR status and expiry time.

A ZIP includes the QR images and an expiry-manifest.json file with each image’s user reference, tenant and expiry. Downloading or viewing a code does not extend its expiry.

If a selected code has expired or been used, the ZIP export asks you to generate new codes first. You can instead select only users whose codes are still active.

Expiry, reuse and additional devices

Use New QR for [user] for one user, or check users and select Generate new QRs for selected for a batch of up to 500.

Generating a new code invalidates that user’s previous unused code, including copies already downloaded or shared. It uses the saved tenant and credentials and starts a new 72-hour lifetime.

For a second device, let the first device complete setup, then generate another QR for the same user. Generating a new code does not disconnect an already configured app. If setup fails after the app has retrieved the configuration, the code may already be marked Used; correct any setup problem and generate another.

Edit details or change tenant

1. In Saved users, select Edit [user].
2. Update the display name, SIP or XMPP details, or choose another tenant in the same subscription.
3. Select Save user and generate new QR.
4. Distribute the new code. The previous unused code stops working.

The user reference stays the same, so the edit does not consume another slot. Saving a different password in the portal does not change the password at your PBX; update the PBX first, then save matching details here. Editing a user does not automatically reconfigure apps that have already completed setup.

CSV imports cannot silently move an existing user to another tenant. Use Edit for that change, then import updates against the user’s new tenant.

Included users and prepaid capacity

The Subscription user allowance panel shows included users, prepaid additional users, total capacity and the number of saved users. Your plan’s allowance and price are shown there, including any grandfathered terms.

New users need available capacity. If an import would exceed it, the preview shows the shortfall and the batch cannot be saved until enough capacity is available.

1. Enter the desired Total additional users to purchase. This is the total paid allowance, not the number to add and not the included allowance.
2. Select Review and prepay and complete checkout.
3. Select Refresh capacity after payment, then validate and generate your batch again.

For example, if you already have 5 prepaid additional users and want 3 more, enter 8. Capacity becomes available only after payment is verified. Closing the browser after paying does not lose the purchase; refreshing reconciles the payment.

On subscriptions using this model, additional users are billed as recurring prepaid capacity, rather than active-user overage. Deleting saved users frees management slots but does not reduce purchased recurring capacity. Contact SessionTalk to discuss a capacity reduction. An inactive subscription retains saved records, but generation and editing require an active plan or valid trial; existing codes still expire normally.

Delete a user

Select Delete [user] and confirm. This removes the saved provisioning details, frees the management slot and invalidates their managed QR tokens. It does not delete the PBX account, sign out configured devices or cancel purchased capacity. To stop an installed app from using a SIP account, manage that account or rotate its credentials at the PBX.

Frequently asked questions

Do you store the QR image or the setup details?

The portal retains the user, tenant association and encrypted provisioning details, together with the current setup token. You can download an active code again or generate a replacement after it expires. The managed QR carries a setup token rather than readable SIP credentials. Treat the QR and your credential CSV as private setup information and share them only with the intended user.

Can I recover codes made with the old generator?

Browser-only codes cannot be recovered if you did not save them. Import or enter the credentials to create managed users. Older static QR codes do not acquire a 72-hour expiry when you enable this feature; changing the SIP credentials at the PBX is how you invalidate those old credential-bearing copies.

Why does an import say the user belongs to another tenant?

The reference already exists elsewhere in the same subscription. Choose that user’s tenant for the import, or move them explicitly using Edit. Do not create a new reference unless you intend to create another user.

Why does a code no longer scan successfully?

Check its status in Saved users. Used, expired or replaced codes cannot be reused. If it is still active, check that the app supports token-based setup and can reach the internet. If setup succeeded but SIP registration fails, confirm the credentials and server settings with your PBX provider.

Can we automate this?

Yes. Customer API keys have separate permissions for reading provisioning details and managing users. See Users & QR codes API. API keys remain restricted to their owning customer, even when created by someone who also has portal administrator access.