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The value: Every Esri Community account has an SSO ID that connects it to an ArcGIS Online username. When a member attempts to log in to Esri Community via an ArcGIS Online account, the ArcGIS Online username must match an SSO ID on the Esri Community side to complete a successful login. When there is no match, Esri Community will initiate the new account creation process, often leading members to create second or even third Esri Community accounts that are disconnected from the user's posting history.
Because SSO IDs can be updated, members don’t need to create a new Esri Community account and lose their original post history when their ArcGIS Online username changes due to an organization update, new job, etc.
How to do it: Changing an account’s SSO ID is a function of Esri Community Admins. To do this, email esricommunity@esri.com and simply request help getting your SSO ID updated to match your new ArcGIS Online username. When doing so, please include a link to your Esri Community account and an exact copy of your new ArcGIS Online username, which is case sensitive.
Keep in mind: Esri Community accounts can’t be merged. When a member has already created more than one account and each has posts associated with it, posts can’t be moved between them to consolidate. This makes it far better to simply update an account’s SSO ID at the outset and keep a member’s post history in one preferred location.
Note that users are permitted to have more than one Esri Community account; however, each must have its own unique email address, Esri Community username, and correspond to a unique ArcGIS Online account. If users switch between different ArcGIS Online accounts, accessing the Esri Community from each of them will either result in opening different respective Esri Community accounts or, where one doesn’t already exist, the option to create a new Esri Community account.
