# Identities and User Directories

When people message your agents on external channels, OneByZero Neo records who they are on each channel. **Members → Identities** and **Members → User directories** in Workspace Settings show these records and let you link the same person across channels.

These are the people your agents talk to — customers, employees on Microsoft Teams, and so on. They are not workspace members.

## Identities

The **Identities** list shows each person seen on a channel, with their **Name**, **Email**, **External ID** (their ID on that channel), **Channel**, **Directory ID**, and when the record was last **Updated**.

Records are added automatically:

- When someone messages an agent on Facebook, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, or Zalo.
- When a member signs in to OneByZero Neo.

Search by name, email, or external ID, and filter by **Channel type**.

**Merging identities**

The same person often appears once per channel. To link them, click the merge icon on one record, select the other records that belong to the same person, and click **Merge contacts**. The merged records are linked under one user directory. Merging needs the **Merge External User Contact** permission.

## User Directories

A user directory is one person’s profile across channels. The **User directories** list shows each profile’s **Display Name**, **Primary Email**, **Source** (how it was created), and when it was last **Updated**.

Click the eye icon to see every identity linked to the profile. With the merge permission you can **Delink contact** to separate an identity that was linked by mistake.

User directories are created automatically — when someone messages an agent, when identities are merged, or when a member signs in. They cannot be created by hand.

## Permissions

| Permission | Allows |
| --- | --- |
| **View Identity Sync Credential** | Seeing the Identities tab. |
| **View External User Contact** | Seeing identities and user directories. |
| **Merge External User Contact** | Merging and delinking identities. |