Performing Basic User Management Tasks in Microsoft Entra ID: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is one of the most critical responsibilities for IT administrators. Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) provides the foundation for securely managing users, roles, and access to resources in the cloud.

In this guide, you’ll perform basic user management tasks in Entra ID—from creating a new user to assigning licenses, roles, and even importing users in bulk. These are the essential skills every Identity and Access Administrator needs to master.

This exercise should take about 10 minutes to complete and covers five common user management tasks.

Skilling Objectives

By following this walkthrough, you will learn how to:

• Create a new user and confirm login.
• Assign Microsoft 365 licenses.
• Invite an external guest user.
• Assign administrative roles.
• Bulk import multiple users from a CSV file.

Architecture Overview

The setup involves using:

• Microsoft Entra admin center – for creating and managing users.
• Microsoft 365 admin center – for assigning licenses.
• CSV templates – for bulk user import.

These tools together provide a complete foundation for identity lifecycle management in the cloud.

Step 1: Create a New User

1. Open Microsoft Entra admin center.
2. Log in with your tenant administrator credentials.

3. Navigate to Users → All users → + New user → Create new user.
   

4. Fill in the details:

   • User principal name: BhogeswarK
   • Display name: Bhogeswar Kalita
   • First name: Bhogeswar
   • Last name: Kalita
   • Usage location: United States (or your region)

5. Copy and save the auto-generated password.

6. Select Review + Create → Create.
   

✅ Subtask: Confirm Login

• Open an InPrivate browsing window.
• Go to Entra admin center.
• Sign in with:
  • Username: [e-mail]
  • Password: saved password
• Complete MFA setup if prompted.

Step 2: Assign a License to the User

1. Open Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Go to Billing → Licenses.
3. Select Microsoft Power Automate Free.
4. Click + Assign licenses, choose Bhogeswar Kalita, then Assign.
5. A confirmation message will appear.

Step 3: Invite an External User

1. In Entra admin center, go to Users → All users → + New user.

2. Select Invite external user.
   

3. Enter details:

   • Email: [e-mail]
   • Display name: External User
   • Message: “Thank you for joining the company for this short work project.”

4. Click Review + Invite→ Invite.
   

Step 4: Assign a Role to a User

Method 1: Assign Role via User Settings

1. Go to Users → All users → Bhogeswar Kalita.
   

2. Select Assigned roles → + Add assignment.
   

3. From the dropdown, choose Attribute Definition Reader.

4. Select Eligible → Add.
   

Step 5: Bulk Import Users

1. In Entra admin center, go to Users → All users → Bulk operations → Bulk create.
   

2. Download the CSV template.

3. Edit the file with your users’ details:

   • Required fields: Username, Display name, Initial password.
   • Optional: Department, Usage location, etc.

4. Save the file (e.g., APL0501-BulkUser.csv).
   

5. Upload the file back into the Bulk create wizard.

6. Click Submit and wait for the success notification.
   

Conclusion

In this walkthrough, you performed the five core user management tasks in Microsoft Entra ID: creating users, assigning licenses, inviting guests, assigning roles, and importing users in bulk.

Mastering these basics ensures that you can effectively manage user identities, streamline onboarding, and secure access across your organization.

With these skills, you’re well-prepared to take on more advanced Identity and Access Administration tasks such as conditional access policies, identity governance, and lifecycle automation.