When a user signs up and their account is marked as pending approval, an admin needs to review and take action. This article covers how to find pending sign-ups and the three actions you can take: Approve, Block, or Request More Info.
Before You Approve: Check the Registration Form
⚠️ Always filter by "Is Registration Form Complete = Yes" before approving. Some users start the sign-up form but don't finish it. Approving an incomplete sign-up means the user has access but hasn't provided all the information you need. Filter first so you're only reviewing complete sign-ups.
Finding Pending Sign-ups
There are two places to find users awaiting approval.
Option A: Data Studio
From the admin panel, go to Members → Data Studio
Click on Add Filter and search for the Registration Status filter
Select "is any of" → Pending Approval. Hit Apply Filter.
Add a second filter: Is Registration Form Complete → Yes
Option B: Pending User Approvals page
From the admin panel, go to Reports → Pending User Approvals
The Registration Status filter is already set to Pending Approval on the left-hand side
Set Is Registration Form Complete to Yes
Three Admin Actions
Select the user(s) you want to act on, then go to Admin Actions → Account Access. You'll see three options:
Approve Access
When to use: The sign-up is legitimate and you're satisfied the person belongs in your community.
What happens:
The user is verified and their record is set to Listed — they now appear in the directory
They receive the "User verified confirmation" email
They gain full access to the platform — directory, profiles, messaging
From Data Studio:
From Pending User Approvals page:
Block Access
When to use: The sign-up is not legitimate, or the person does not belong in your community.
What happens:
The user is blocked and receives the "User rejected" email
They cannot access the platform
Their record remains in the system but is not Listed
Navigate to Admin Actions → Account Access → Block Access — same path as Approve, just select Block instead.
Request More Info
When to use: You can't verify the person from the information provided and need additional details before deciding.
What happens:
The user receives an automated email asking for additional information
They remain in Pending Approval status until you approve or block after reviewing their response
For the full workflow — including how to customise the email and where the user's reply goes — see Requesting for More Information.
Watch for Duplicates
When a user signs up with an email that doesn't match any existing record, the system creates a new record for them. If the person actually does have a record in Almabase (just under a different email), you now have a duplicate.
How to find duplicates: Go to Reports → Duplicates. The system identifies potential duplicates based on matching names and other attributes.
How to resolve: Review the flagged pairs, confirm they're the same person, and merge the records. Merging combines the data from both records into one — the sign-up, profile information, and activity are all preserved.
💡 Duplicates are most common with organic sign-ups (where there's no invite link to match the user to their record). The invite workflow significantly reduces duplicates because the unique link ties the sign-up to the correct record regardless of email used.
For any further questions or assistance, please contact us through the Intercom Chat Bubble💬. We are here to assist you! 😄