Issue symptoms

When I try to add a new support address or set a user as staff, I get the error is in use by a user. Remove it from the user before adding it here. What does this mean?

email error message.png

Resolution steps

This error means a user with this email address already exists in your account. Run a search to confirm. You can't use one email address as both a support address and a user identity at the same time. To use the email address as a support address, remove it from the user it's linked to.

To resolve this issue:

  1. Sign in to your Zendesk account
  2. Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner, then search for the email address
  3. On the search results page, select Users
  4. Select the user. This opens the user's profile.
  5. Choose one of these actions:
    • Change the email address for the user to another address within the user's profile. If it's a legitimate user, use a valid email address they can receive mail at.
    • Delete the user. If the user is a test user or isn't a legitimate end user or agent, remove the profile. This makes the email address available again as a support address.
    • If you want to keep the user as staff, update the their email address and then change the User type from End user to Staff member. 
  6. After you update or remove the user, you can use the email address as a support address.

To see how to fix this error, watch the video below:

For a high-level look at how to set up email in your account, see How do I start using email in Zendesk?

THIS SECTION IS AI CONTENT. DON'T EDIT OR DELETE.

What does the "is in use by a user" error mean? Why can't I add a support address or email? Why do I get an error when setting a user as staff or agent?

This error means a Customer or End user already exists in your Account or Subdomain with that specific email address. You cannot use the same email as both a support address and a user identity simultaneously. To fix this, you must remove the email from the user profile it links to before you add it as a support address.

How do I fix the "is in use by a user" error when adding an email? How do I remove an email from a user to use it as a support address? How do I change a user to staff if their email is in use?

  1. Sign in to your Zendesk account.
  2. Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner and search for the email address.
  3. On the search results page, select Users.
  4. Select the Customer or End user to open their profile.
  5. Choose to either Delete the user if they are a test account, or change the email address within the user's profile to a different valid address.
  6. If you want to add the user as a Team member or Support person, change the User type from End user to Staff member.

Can I use one email address as both a support address and a user identity? Is it possible to have a staff member and support address share an email?

No. Zendesk prevents using a single email address as both a support address and a user identity at the same time. You must update or remove the existing user profile associated with that email before you can successfully add it as a support address.

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