Virtual Users in ActiveCollab
Virtual users are placeholders for real people, ideal for planning workloads, allocating tasks, or representing future hires, without using paid seats. Virtual users are easy to spot thanks to their gray avatars and can be managed from the Invites page. And they’re available as part of the Pro and Pro+GetPaid plan.
When to Use Virtual Users in ActiveCollab?
- You want to assign tasks, but don’t yet have a real person in that role
- You’re managing workload forecasts and need placeholders
- You’re preparing onboarding for a new team member
How to create a Virtual User in ActiveCollab?
To create a virtual user in your ActiveCollab account:
- Step 1: Log in to your ActiveCollab account.
- Step 2: Click on the People page in the left-side menu.
- Step 3: Click on the ‘’+’’ icon in the top-right corner of the page.
- Step 4: From the dropdown menu, click on Add Virtual User.
- Step 5: Choose the preferred role.
- Step 6: Fill out Basic Details:
- First and Last Name*
- Company - from the dropdown menu, select the company you wish to add your client to (Optional)
- Title - add a title for the user with the Owner role (Optional)
- Invite to Projects - choose the projects you wish to add the Owner to (Optional)
- Step 7: Click Proceed
- Step 8: In the Rates and Capacity section:
- Add Weekly Capacity.
- Choose the Available Job Types
- Set the Internal Hourly Rate.
- Step 9: Click Add Virtual User
Tip: Fields marked with a * are mandatory.
How to add a virtual user to a task, discussion, or note in ActiveCollab?
This allows you to have everything prepared in ActiveCollab by the time they are ready to join. Just send them an invitation so they can hit the ground running.
- Step 1: Go to the project where you want to assign the item.
- Step 2: Click the "People" window within the project.
- Step 3: Click “+ Add People”.
- Step 4: Select the virtual user from the list and add them to the project.
- Step 5: Open or create a task within the project.
- Step 6: In the Assignee field, select the virtual user’s name.
- Step 7: Open or create a discussion or note.
- Step 8: In the “Subscribers” section, select the virtual user from the dropdown.
- Step 9: Save the changes.
How to invite a regular user in place of a virtual user in ActiveCollab?
If you've been tracking work using a virtual user (a placeholder user used for planning or assigning tasks), you can easily replace it with a regular, active user. Here's how:
- Step 1: Click on the "People" tab in the main navigation.
- Step 2: Locate the virtual user you want to replace.
- Step 3: Click the three‑dot menu (⋯) next to their name
- Step 4: Choose the option to “Invite User”
- Step 5: Enter the email address
- Step 6: Click on Invite
The new user will receive an invitation email to join your ActiveCollab account.
Once they accept, they will automatically inherit all tasks, responsibilities, and data that were previously assigned to the virtual user.
Note: A Virtual User will only be charged to your account once a regular, billable user (Owner, Member, Member+, Client+) accepts the invitation and logs into the account.