Unlock locked-out user account in Okta
Automatically unlock a locked-out Okta account from a Slack request with Stepwork. Find the user and restore sign-in, without resetting their password.
- Use case
- Helpdesk & requestsIT
- Best for
- Helpdesk Technician
- Applications used
Okta
Slack
- Business outcome
- Time savings
The problem
Locked out for a typo. Stuck until IT is free.
A few wrong passwords and Okta locks the account. The person still knows their password, but they can’t sign in until someone in IT unlocks them.
The unlock takes an admin a minute. The wait in the queue takes much longer, and outside working hours it can last until the next morning. Some admins reset the password instead, which leaves the person with one more thing to fix.
The outcome
They sign back in with the password they already have
Stepwork unlocks the Okta account and leaves the password as it is. The person can sign in as soon as the run finishes, and the record shows who asked and when the status returned to Active.
- The account is unlocked only when the status reads Locked out.
- The password is left unchanged.
- The Slack reply confirms the status is Active.
The process
From locked out to signed back in
A locked-out person asks for help in Slack. Stepwork unlocks the account in the Okta admin console, and their password stays the same.
- Step 1
Request it in Slack
The person’s work email is posted in the helpdesk channel. Stepwork records who asked and when.
- Step 2
Find the locked account
Stepwork signs in to the Okta admin console, searches for the exact work email, and checks that the status reads Locked out.
- Step 3
Unlock the account
Stepwork unlocks the user. There is no password reset, so they sign in with the password they already have.
- Step 4
Confirm and reply in Slack
Stepwork checks that the status is back to Active, then replies in Slack so the person knows they can sign in.
Why Stepwork
An unlock stays an unlock
Credentials stay in 1Password. Stepwork signs in to the Okta admin console with a vault reference, unlocks the account, and leaves the password as it is. The path has no password-reset step, so one is never added.
Similar use cases
Similar use cases
- Reset MFA factors for user in OktaFinds the user in Okta admin, resets all enrolled MFA factors, and triggers re-enrollment at next sign-in.
Force a password change in Microsoft Entra IDResets a user's password in Entra and requires a change at next sign-in.- Deactivate user account in OktaSigns into the Okta admin console, locates the user by email, deactivates the account, and confirms the status change ended all SSO sessions.
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