Creating a Vendor Local Account
in Delinea Directory

On the User Management page, locate the button to create a new user. This opens the user creation form where you'll configure the vendor's local account.

• 1
  On the User Management page, locate the + Create User button in the top-right area.
• 2
  Click it — a new user creation dialog or page will open.
• 3
  You will see a form with fields for user details and directory selection.

In the user creation form, the first critical step is selecting the correct directory. You must choose Delinea Directory to create a managed local account within Secret Server's built-in identity store.

• 1
  Find the Directory dropdown at the top of the user creation form.
• 2
  Click the dropdown and scroll to find Delinea Directory.
• 3
  Select Delinea Directory — the form will update to show local account fields.

Fill in the vendor's identity details. Use a consistent naming convention for vendor accounts — many organizations use a prefix like vnd- or vendor- to clearly distinguish vendor accounts from internal users.

• 1
  Username: Enter a unique username following your naming convention (e.g., vnd-john.smith).
• 2
  Display Name: Use the vendor's full name and optionally append (Vendor) for clarity.
• 3
  Email Address: Enter the vendor's corporate email — this is where the invite will be sent.
• 4
  Password: Set an initial password or enable "Require Password Change at Next Login."

This is the most critical step. You must set the Account Type (or User Type) field to Vendor. This classification enables vendor-specific policies, limited access scopes, and time-bound invitation workflows.

• 1
  Scroll to the Account Classification or User Type section of the form.
• 2
  Click the Account Type dropdown field.
• 3
  From the list, select Vendor — it may show as "Vendor" or "External Vendor."
• 4
  Confirm the field shows Vendor and that the vendor policy notice appears below it.

Set access group membership and configure an account expiration date. Vendor accounts should always have a defined expiration — this enforces least-privilege access and ensures accounts are not left open indefinitely.

• 1
  Under Group Membership, add the vendor to relevant restricted groups (e.g., Vendor-ReadOnly, SecretViewer-Vendors).
• 2
  Set an Account Expiration Date — best practice is the end of the vendor's contract or project timeline.
• 3
  Enable Require Password Change on first login to ensure the vendor sets their own secure password.
• 4
  Optionally configure MFA (Multifactor Authentication) — strongly recommended for vendor accounts.
• 5
  Set IP restrictions if the vendor will only connect from known IP ranges.

Review all details, save the account, and send the invite email to the vendor. The invitation email will contain login instructions and a link for the vendor to activate their account.

• 1
  Review the summary panel — verify that Account Type = Vendor and the directory is Delinea Directory.
• 2
  Check the "Send Welcome / Invite Email" option is selected. This sends the vendor an email with login instructions.
• 3
  Click Save User & Send Invite (or Create User depending on your version).
• 4
  Secret Server will create the account and send an activation email to the vendor's email address.
• 5
  The vendor will receive an email with a link to set their password and access the platform.