AD DS - User Account Template

How to create user account templates

Consider creating user templates

User templates allow administrators to create a default user account and use that account to create all the other users that match it. For example, a user account template named _LondonSales could be used to create all the other sales accounts in the London office. User templates can save you a lot of time and resources especially if you have to create a large number of users or fill out many of the same attribute fields over and over again.

• Not all information gets copied from a template. For example, Name, Logon Name, Password, Email, and Phone Number do not get copied.
• Always ensure you disable the template account. You wouldn't want someone using it to access your network.

User account best practices

User accounts require planning

- Have a plan. Plan the accounts policy carefully to make sure that the plan meets the security needs of your organization. Your user accounts policy should include password length, password complexity rules, and the maximum password age for user accounts.
- Unique accounts. Create a user account for every user who has to access your forest. Don't let users share user accounts.
- Naming convention. Implement a naming convention that yields simple-to-remember, unique user names. Consider that the more users you have, the more likely there are to be duplicates within your organization.
- Special characters. User names can contain special characters, including periods, hyphens, and apostrophes. However, these special characters may not be compatible with all programs and applications. Before you use special characters, such as an apostrophe, test with other applications your organization uses.

- Temporary accounts. Create accounts for temporary or contract staff with the same naming convention that you use for other users. For example, don't use generic account names such as Temp1 or Tester2.