# Wrong displayname for user\_saml user pre-provisoned with email

**URL:** <https://help.nextcloud.com/t/wrong-displayname-for-user-saml-user-pre-provisoned-with-email/246241>\
**Category:** ℹ️ Support\
**Tags:** postgresql, app\_api, user-saml-app, nc33, saml\
**Created:** [June 25, 2026, 9:21pm UTC](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/wrong-displayname-for-user-saml-user-pre-provisoned-with-email/246241 "2026-06-25T21:21:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pwo](https://help.nextcloud.com/letter_avatar/pwo/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@pwo](https://help.nextcloud.com/u/pwo)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2026, 9:21pm UTC](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/wrong-displayname-for-user-saml-user-pre-provisoned-with-email/246241/1 "2026-06-25T21:21:39Z")

</div>

> **Support intro**
>
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> 
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Some or all of the below information will be requested if it isn’t supplied; for fastest response please provide as much as you can. ❤

## The Basics

- Nextcloud Server version _(e.g., 29.x.x)_:
  - 33.0.5

- Operating system and version _(e.g., Ubuntu 24.04)_:
  - `docker container nextcloud:production-apache`

- Web server and version _(e.g, Apache 2.4.25)_:
  - 2.4.67

- Reverse proxy and version \_(e.g. nginx 1.27.2)
  - `N/A`

- PHP version _(e.g, 8.3)_:
  - 8.4.22

- Is this the first time you’ve seen this error? (Yes / No):
  - `N/A`

- When did this problem seem to first start?
  - `N/A`

- Installation method _(e.g. AlO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)_
  - `docker/k8s`

- Are you using CloudfIare, mod\_security, or similar? _(Yes / No)_
  - `No`

### Summary of the issue you are facing:

user\_saml works in mysterious ways with pre-provisioned users.  
If the user is added with email the displayname becomes the uid in the web interface, “Shared by uid”.

```auto
# php occ saml:user:add --display-name=“John Doe” --email=“john.doe@example.org” 199901018888
nextcloud=# select data::json->‘displayname’, data::json->‘email’ from oc_accounts where uid=‘199901018888’;
                           ?column? | ?column?
----------------------------------------------------------------±-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
{“value”:“199901018888”,“scope”:“v2-federated”,“verified”:“0”} | {“value”:“john.doe@example.org”,“scope”:“v2-federated”,“verified”:“1”}

```

If I instead add the user without email the displayname set by saml:user:add is shown correctly in the web interface, “Shared by displayname”, however oc\_accounts still has the uid as the displayname.

```auto
# php occ saml:user:add --display-name=“John Doe” 199901018888
nextcloud=# select data::json->‘displayname’, data::json->‘email’ from oc_accounts where uid=‘199901018888’;
                           ?column? | ?column?
----------------------------------------------------------------±-----------------------------------------------------
{“value”:“199901018888”,“scope”:“v2-federated”,“verified”:“0”} | {“value”:null,“scope”:“v2-federated”,“verified”:“0”}

```

If I then update my email address it also fixes the oc\_accounts displayname, the web interface also shows the correct displayname after this:

```auto
php occ user:setting 199901018888 settings email john.doe@example.org
nextcloud=# select data::json->‘displayname’, data::json->‘email’ from oc_accounts where uid=‘199901018888’;
                       ?column? | ?column?
----------------------------------------------------------------±-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
{“value”:“John Doe”,“scope”:“v2-federated”,“verified”:“0”} | {“value”:“john.doe@example.org”,“scope”:“v2-federated”,“verified”:“1”}

```

My SAML idp only returns the uid, eventually it will only accept pre-provisoned users.

Why does saml:user:add set the uid as the displayname and why does the web interface change it’s behaviour depending on if the email adress is set or not?

### Steps to replicate it (hint: details matter!):

1. 

```auto
php occ saml:user:add --display-name=“John Doe” --email=“john.doe@example.org” 199901018888

```

2. Login with SAML IDP that maps UID to the user UID.

3. Observe that the web interface shows “Shared by uid” for other users you share files with.

4. To add confusion the user profile page shows the displayname correctly as John Doe (this information likely comes from oc\_user\_saml\_users table which always has the correct displayname).

### Log entries

#### Nextcloud

Please provide the log entries from your Nextcloud log that are generated during the time of problem (via the _Copy raw_ option from _Administration settings-\>Logging_ screen or from your `nextcloud.log` located in your data directory). Feel free to use a pastebin/gist service if necessary.

```auto
PASTE HERE

```

#### Web Browser

If the problem is related to the Web interface, open your browser inspector _Console_ and _Network_ tabs while refreshing (reloading) and reproducing the problem. Provide any relevant output/errors here that appear.

```auto
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/150.0.0.0 Safari/537.36

```

#### Web server / Reverse Proxy

The output of your Apache/nginx/system log in `/var/log/ ____ `:

```auto
PASTE HERE

```

### Configuration

#### Nextcloud

The output of `occ config:list system` or similar is best, but, if not possible, the contents of your `config.php` file from `/path/to/nextcloud` is fine (make sure to remove any identifiable information!):

```auto
{
    "system": {
        "htaccess.RewriteBase": "\/",
        "memcache.local": "\\OC\\Memcache\\APCu",
        "apps_paths": [
            {
                "path": "\/var\/www\/html\/apps",
                "url": "\/apps",
                "writable": false
            },
            {
                "path": "\/var\/www\/html\/custom_apps",
                "url": "\/custom_apps",
                "writable": true
            }
        ],
        "memcache.distributed": "\\OC\\Memcache\\Redis",
        "memcache.locking": "\\OC\\Memcache\\Redis",
        "redis": {
            "host": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "password": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "port": 6379,
            "user": "nextcloud"
        },
        "mail_smtpmode": "smtp",
        "mail_smtphost": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtpport": 25,
        "mail_smtpsecure": "",
        "mail_smtpauth": false,
        "mail_smtpauthtype": "LOGIN",
        "mail_smtpname": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_from_address": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_domain": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtppassword": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "upgrade.disable-web": true,
        "passwordsalt": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "secret": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "trusted_domains": [
            "localhost",
            "nc.example.org"
        ],
        "datadirectory": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbtype": "pgsql",
        "version": "33.0.5.1",
        "overwrite.cli.url": "http:\/\/localhost",
        "instanceid": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbname": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbhost": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbtableprefix": "oc_",
        "dbuser": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbpassword": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "installed": true,
        "has_internet_connection": false,
        "updatechecker": false,
        "config_preset": 8,
        "defaultapp": "files",
        "overwriteprotocol": "https",
        "trusted_proxies": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "default_phone_region": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "lost_password_link": "disabled",
        "token_auth_enforced": true,
        "skeletondirectory": "",
        "forbidden_filename_basenames": [
            "con",
            "prn",
            "aux",
            "nul",
            "com0",
            "com1",
            "com2",
            "com3",
            "com4",
            "com5",
            "com6",
            "com7",
            "com8",
            "com9",
            "com\u00b9",
            "com\u00b2",
            "com\u00b3",
            "lpt0",
            "lpt1",
            "lpt2",
            "lpt3",
            "lpt4",
            "lpt5",
            "lpt6",
            "lpt7",
            "lpt8",
            "lpt9",
            "lpt\u00b9",
            "lpt\u00b2",
            "lpt\u00b3"
        ],
        "forbidden_filename_characters": [
            "<",
            ">",
            ":",
            "\"",
            "|",
            "?",
            "*",
            "\\",
            "\/"
        ],
        "forbidden_filename_extensions": [
            " ",
            ".",
            ".filepart",
            ".part"
        ],
        "maintenance": false
    },
    "apps": {
        "activity": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem"
        },
        "admin_audit": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "types": "logging",
            "enabled": "yes"
        },
        "app_api": {
            "installed_version": "33.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "backgroundjob": {
            "lastjob": "99314979863273473"
        },
        "bruteforcesettings": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "circles": {
            "installed_version": "33.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem,dav",
            "loopback_tmp_scheme": "http",
            "maintenance_run": "0",
            "maintenance_update": "{\"3\":1782400858,\"2\":1782400858,\"1\":1782400858}",
            "migration_22": "1",
            "migration_run": "0"
        },
        "cloud_federation_api": {
            "installed_version": "1.17.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem"
        },
        "comments": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "logging"
        },
        "contactsinteraction": {
            "installed_version": "1.14.1",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "dav"
        },
        "core": {
            "installedat": "1782309738.2911",
            "lastupdatedat": 1782309738,
            "vendor": "nextcloud",
            "public_files": "files_sharing\/public.php",
            "mail_providers_enabled": false,
            "shareapi_allow_resharing": "no",
            "shareapi_allow_public_upload": "no",
            "shareapi_default_permissions": "15",
            "backgroundjobs_mode": "cron",
            "moveavatarsdone": "yes",
            "previewsCleanedUp": "1",
            "metadataGenerationDone": true,
            "previewMovedDone": true,
            "lastcron": 1782400865,
            "files_metadata": {
                "photos-original_date_time": {
                    "value": null,
                    "type": "int",
                    "etag": "",
                    "indexed": true,
                    "editPermission": 0
                },
                "photos-exif": {
                    "value": null,
                    "type": "array",
                    "etag": "",
                    "indexed": false,
                    "editPermission": 0
                },
                "photos-ifd0": {
                    "value": null,
                    "type": "array",
                    "etag": "",
                    "indexed": false,
                    "editPermission": 0
                },
                "photos-size": {
                    "value": null,
                    "type": "array",
                    "etag": "",
                    "indexed": false,
                    "editPermission": 0
                },
                "blurhash": {
                    "value": null,
                    "type": "string",
                    "etag": "692abac5b0b6a804eb1a4f318f0599be",
                    "indexed": false,
                    "editPermission": 0
                }
            },
            "oc.integritycheck.checker": []
        },
        "dashboard": {
            "installed_version": "7.13.0",
            "types": "",
            "enabled": "no"
        },
        "dav": {
            "installed_version": "1.36.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem",
            "hasCustomDefaultContact": false,
            "enableDefaultContact": false,
            "regeneratedBirthdayCalendarsForYearFix": "yes",
            "buildCalendarSearchIndex": "yes",
            "buildCalendarReminderIndex": "yes",
            "checked_for_classified_activity": true
        },
        "federatedfilesharing": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "federation": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "authentication"
        },
        "files": {
            "installed_version": "2.5.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem",
            "mimetype_version": "33.0.5.1"
        },
        "files_downloadlimit": {
            "installed_version": "5.1.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "files_pdfviewer": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "files_reminders": {
            "installed_version": "1.6.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "files_sharing": {
            "installed_version": "1.25.2",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem",
            "outgoing_server2server_share_enabled": "no",
            "incoming_server2server_share_enabled": "no",
            "federatedTrustedShareAutoAccept": "no"
        },
        "files_trashbin": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem,dav"
        },
        "files_versions": {
            "installed_version": "1.26.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem,dav"
        },
        "firstrunwizard": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "types": "",
            "enabled": "no"
        },
        "logreader": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "logging"
        },
        "lookup_server_connector": {
            "installed_version": "1.21.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "authentication"
        },
        "nextcloud_announcements": {
            "installed_version": "5.0.0",
            "types": "logging",
            "enabled": "no"
        },
        "notifications": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "logging"
        },
        "oauth2": {
            "installed_version": "1.21.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "authentication"
        },
        "password_policy": {
            "installed_version": "5.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "authentication"
        },
        "photos": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "dav,authentication",
            "lastPlaceMappedUser": "admin",
            "lastPlaceMappingDone": "true"
        },
        "privacy": {
            "installed_version": "5.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "",
            "readableLocation": "se"
        },
        "profile": {
            "installed_version": "1.2.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "provisioning_api": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "prevent_group_restriction"
        },
        "recommendations": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "related_resources": {
            "installed_version": "4.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "richdocuments": {
            "installed_version": "10.2.0",
            "types": "filesystem,prevent_group_restriction",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "wopi_url": "https:\/\/office.example.org",
            "wopi_callback_url": "",
            "public_wopi_url": "https:\/\/office.example.org"
        },
        "serverinfo": {
            "installed_version": "5.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "",
            "size_appdata_storage": 5166846,
            "cached_count_appdata_files": 116,
            "cached_count_filecache": 194,
            "cached_count_storages": 4
        },
        "settings": {
            "installed_version": "1.16.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "",
            "profile_enabled_by_default": "0"
        },
        "sharebymail": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem",
            "sendpasswordmail": "no"
        },
        "support": {
            "installed_version": "5.0.0",
            "types": "session",
            "enabled": "no",
            "SwitchUpdaterServerHasRun": "yes"
        },
        "survey_client": {
            "installed_version": "5.0.0",
            "types": "",
            "enabled": "no"
        },
        "systemtags": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "logging"
        },
        "text": {
            "installed_version": "7.0.1",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "dav"
        },
        "theming": {
            "installed_version": "2.8.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "logging",
            "name": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "url": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "privacyUrl": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "slogan": " ***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "disable-user-theming": false
        },
        "twofactor_backupcodes": {
            "installed_version": "1.22.0",
            "types": "",
            "enabled": "yes"
        },
        "twofactor_totp": {
            "installed_version": "15.0.0",
            "types": "",
            "enabled": "yes"
        },
        "updatenotification": {
            "installed_version": "1.23.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "user_saml": {
            "installed_version": "8.1.2",
            "types": "authentication",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "type": "saml",
            "general-require_provisioned_account": "0"
        },
        "user_status": {
            "installed_version": "1.13.0",
            "types": "",
            "enabled": "yes"
        },
        "viewer": {
            "installed_version": "6.0.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": ""
        },
        "weather_status": {
            "installed_version": "1.13.0",
            "types": "",
            "enabled": "no"
        },
        "webhook_listeners": {
            "installed_version": "1.5.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem"
        },
        "workflowengine": {
            "installed_version": "2.15.0",
            "enabled": "yes",
            "types": "filesystem"
        }
    }
}

```

**SAML app config**

Note the lack of attribute mapping, all attributes are pre-provisioned.

```auto
php occ saml:config:get -p 1

  - 1:
    - general-idp0_display_name: My IDP
    - general-uid_mapping: uid
    - idp-entityId: https://idp.example.org
    - idp-singleLogoutService.url: https://idp.example.org/logout
    - idp-singleSignOnService.url: https://idp.example.org/login
    - idp-x509cert: -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
REDACTED
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
    - security-wantAssertionsSigned: 1
    - security-wantNameId: 1
    - sp-name-id-format: urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:nameid-format:persistent

```

```auto
Enabled:
  - activity: 6.0.0
  - admin_audit: 1.23.0
  - app_api: 33.0.0
  - bruteforcesettings: 6.0.0
  - circles: 33.0.0
  - cloud_federation_api: 1.17.0
  - comments: 1.23.0
  - contactsinteraction: 1.14.1
  - dav: 1.36.0
  - federatedfilesharing: 1.23.0
  - federation: 1.23.0
  - files: 2.5.0
  - files_downloadlimit: 5.1.0
  - files_pdfviewer: 6.0.0
  - files_reminders: 1.6.0
  - files_sharing: 1.25.2
  - files_trashbin: 1.23.0
  - files_versions: 1.26.0
  - logreader: 6.0.0
  - lookup_server_connector: 1.21.0
  - notifications: 6.0.0
  - oauth2: 1.21.0
  - password_policy: 5.0.0
  - photos: 6.0.0
  - privacy: 5.0.0
  - profile: 1.2.0
  - provisioning_api: 1.23.0
  - recommendations: 6.0.0
  - related_resources: 4.0.0
  - richdocuments: 10.2.0
  - serverinfo: 5.0.0
  - settings: 1.16.0
  - sharebymail: 1.23.0
  - systemtags: 1.23.0
  - text: 7.0.1
  - theming: 2.8.0
  - twofactor_backupcodes: 1.22.0
  - twofactor_totp: 15.0.0
  - updatenotification: 1.23.0
  - user_saml: 8.1.2
  - user_status: 1.13.0
  - viewer: 6.0.0
  - webhook_listeners: 1.5.0
  - workflowengine: 2.15.0
Disabled:
  - dashboard: 7.13.0 (installed 7.13.0)
  - encryption: 2.21.0
  - files_external: 1.25.1
  - firstrunwizard: 6.0.0 (installed 6.0.0)
  - nextcloud_announcements: 5.0.0 (installed 5.0.0)
  - support: 5.0.0 (installed 5.0.0)
  - survey_client: 5.0.0 (installed 5.0.0)
  - suspicious_login: 11.0.0
  - twofactor_nextcloud_notification: 7.0.0
  - user_ldap: 1.24.0
  - weather_status: 1.13.0 (installed 1.13.0)

```

### Tips for increasing the likelihood of a response

- Use the `preformatted text` formatting option in the editor for all log entries and configuration output.
- If screenshots are useful, feel free to include them.
  - If possible, also include key error output in text form so it can be searched for.

- Try to edit log output only minimally (if at all) so that it can be ran through analyzers / formatters by those trying to help you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jtr](https://help.nextcloud.com/letter_avatar/jtr/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@jtr](https://help.nextcloud.com/u/jtr)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2026, 11:02pm UTC](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/wrong-displayname-for-user-saml-user-pre-provisoned-with-email/246241/2 "2026-06-26T23:02:49Z")

</div>

> [@pwo](#):
>
> oc\_accounts

I’m on my phone at the moment so I’m not readily able to check specifics, but I would check the `[oc_]users` table instead.

The `accounts` table is a byproduct of the `users` table (among others) IIRC and it’s not populated in the same way as the `users` table, which is authoritative (for lack of a better way to explain it at the moment).

Some of your frontend (web UI) testing may also be impacted by caching of the display name, which I believe there is… since it’s not expected to change constantly. I don’t recall the specific TTL but it may be several hours or more.

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**Author:** ![system](https://help.nextcloud.com/user_avatar/help.nextcloud.com/system/32/29333_2.png) [@system](https://help.nextcloud.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2026, 11:03pm UTC](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/wrong-displayname-for-user-saml-user-pre-provisoned-with-email/246241/3 "2026-09-24T23:03:08Z")

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