Request Blackboard accounts for external users

Posted on by digitaleducation

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New process information

Federated identity is a process that allows users to access multiple applications or services using a single set of credentials, e.g. when you sign into an application with a Google/Microsoft account or use single sign on.

From April 2025, there will be a new process for external users to sign into Blackboard using an existing identity (a personal or corporate email address). New external users will use this identity to create an account in system called Microsoft Entra External ID which will then allow them access Blackboard.

The full process for setting up an external user comprises of these four steps:

  1. School Admin requests external accounts using a Microsoft list
    This will replace account requests being emailed to the DEO.
  2. DEO process request
    The DEO will export all new requests to a CSV and bulk create the accounts in Blackboard. They will mark the accounts as complete on the Microsoft list which will trigger an automated email to be sent to the requestor with the account details and further instructions.
  3. School Admin configures Blackboard account and emails external user
    Once the accounts have been configured, School Administrators use an email template to send instructions to external users.
  4. External User creates new account
    The user creates an Entra External ID account. Their email address is matched with the Blackboard account and they are instantly signed into Blackboard.

Requesting a new account

To request a new external Blackboard account, go to Microsoft list.

NOTE: There are various automations built into this list so it’s important to only add data to the first name, last name, email and school/department columns in the default view. The other views in the list are for the DEO to use only.

Request a small number of accounts

  1. Click +Add new item button in the top left corner.
  2. Enter the first name, last name and email address of the external user. Note the email address must not be a bristol.ac.uk email address, the cell will be highlighted in red if it does.
  3. Scroll through the list of schools or start to type the name of your area then select your school/department from the list and click the Save button.

Repeat these steps for each account you wish to create.

Screenshot of the Add new item form, showing fields for name and email and searching for school.
Using the Add new item form and searching for school

Request multiple accounts

  1. Click Edit in grid view in the top left corner and Add new item line (not the button in the top left), this will allow you to type directly into the table.
    Alternatively if you have the details saved in a spreadsheet (with the columns in the same order as the Microsoft list) you can paste the data straight into the table. Paste into the first empty cell in a blank row and all the rows below will be populated with your data. Once you have selected your school or department in the top row, you can drag this down to all the cells below.
    Note the email address must not be a bristol.ac.uk email address, the cell will be highlighted in red if it does.
  2. Click Exit grid view to save your changes.
    • If you get an error message when trying to save your changes, click Fix issues if you’ve left a mandatory field blank.
    • If you’ve accidentally added an empty row, click Discard changes  to remove the row, all other changes will be saved.
Using the grid view to add entries
Some changes could not be saved popup

Receiving account details

Once your account has been processed by the Digital Education Office (DEO), the date the account has been processed will be displayed in the Microsoft list. You will also receive a confirmation email with all the details of the requested accounts.

If you need to make any changes to an account once you have added the details to the list, please contact the DEO directly. Do not delete or edit any of your existing entries once the request has been processed.

Sharing account details with external users

Once you have configured the accounts in Blackboard and granted the appropriate permissions for the relevant courses, you’ll need to share the account details with the external user(s).

Please use the provided email template to send instructions to the external users. If you’re emailing multiple users, we recommend placing all the email addresses in the BCC field.

The external user will need to follow the instructions to create an account in Entra External ID. They must use the same email address that was used to create their Blackboard account when setting up their Entra account, as this is required to link their accounts. If the email address doesn’t match, they will not be able to access Blackboard.

This Entra External ID Guidance outlines the steps required to create an account using Entra External ID. It is not available to anyone outside of the University; its purpose is to help you answer any questions from external users regarding the process, should you receive any queries.