User types allow you to tailor the experience for the different users in your marketplace. In many marketplaces, you may generally encounter two types of users: "Customer" and "Provider."
Providers, particularly businesses, are often required to submit their business name and other relevant company details. In contrast, individual customers might be asked to provide more personal information describing their profiles, preferences and specific interests.
The user types feature facilitates these distinctions by enabling you to create multiple types of users, each with a unique set of default and customizable user fields. This functionality improves your ability to organize your users.
Tip: If your marketplace has a peer-to-peer or C2C (customer-to-customer) model, where any user can act as both a customer and a provider, then adding User types and making this distinction is unnecessary.
How user types work
The user type is chosen on the marketplace's signup page during the registration process. Users need to select one user type and then fill out the required default signup fields along with any additional custom user fields that may apply.
How to add user types
In Console, go to Build> Users > User types, and click "+ Add a new user type". You can create up to 20 different user types. When creating the user type, you need to set the user type name and the user type ID:
User type name: The name of the user type is visible to users on your marketplace's sign-up page.
User type ID: The unique identifier of the user type, which is not shown to users.
Tip: The User type ID can be added to your signup page URL (example.com/signup). This functionality is useful for redirecting purposes in CTA links, streamlining the signup process by directing potential users to a signup page where the relevant user type, such as "Customer," is automatically selected.
Suppose your User type ID is customer, and your marketplace domain is mymarketplace.com; the tailored redirect link would be https://example.com/signup/customer.
User roles
Each User type needs to have at least one user role. The possible User roles are Provider, Customer or both.
By default, whenever a new User type is created, both user roles are enabled. The User role(s) allows you to determine what specific links, pages, and tabs a User type can see on the marketplace interface.
If the Provider role is enabled, the User type will be able to see the provider inbox, and their profile page will display reviews written by customers.
If the Customer role is enabled, the User type will be able to see the customer inbox, and their profile page will display reviews written by providers.
customer and provider inboxes
Reviews from customers and providers
User account links
The User role determines which links the User type can see while logged-in on the marketplace. The available links are described below:
Link | Where it appears | What it lets the user do |
Post & Manage Listings | Top bar, Account menu | Create listings and edit existing listings. |
Payout Details | Account settings | Enter payout information to receive payments. |
Payment Methods | Account settings | Add a payment method to purchase listings. |
When a User type is assigned the Provider role, you can enable or disable any of the three links listed above. When a User type is assigned the Customer role, you can enable or disable only the "Post & Manage Listings" and "Payment Methods" links, while the Payout Details link is always disabled.
User account links and where they appear
Default user fields
Every user type you create automatically includes a set of default user fields. These fields are built into the marketplace and support core functionality like authentication, payments, and user profiles.
Fields always included at signup
The following fields are mandatory and cannot be removed from the signup process on the marketplace.
Email address
Required for account creation, login, and system communication.Password
Required for account security and login.First name
Required to identify the user.Last name
Required to identify the user.
Fields that can optionally be added to signup
These fields exist by default but are not included in the signup form unless you enable them in the Default user fields.
Display name
Can be added to the signup form.
You can choose whether it is optional or mandatory.Phone number
Can be added to the signup form.
You can choose whether it is optional or mandatory.
To include either field at signup, enable both of the following options in the field settings.
Add to the signup form
Make mandatory, if you want to require it
Fields completed after signup
The following fields cannot be added to the signup form. Users must fill them in later from their account or profile settings.
Bio
Added in account settings.Profile picture
Added in profile settings.Payout details
Added in account settingsPayment methods
Added in account settings
Fields that cannot be removed
All default user fields are required for the marketplace to function correctly and cannot be removed.
The only exceptions are:
Display name
Phone number
These two fields are optional and only appear at signup if you explicitly enable them.
If you choose to disable the Display name and Phone number fields, users will not be able to add or update these details in their profile and account settings after they have joined the marketplace.
Learn how Display name works for more information about this user field.
How to add custom user fields
Custom user fields can be added, edited and removed from your Console > Users > User fields. You can also assign specific customer user fields to specific user types.
How to assign a user type to pre-existing users
If your marketplace already has users who joined before you implemented User types, you can manually assign a User Type to those existing users.
First of all, ensure you have created User types in Console, and take note of the User type ID you have set. Navigate to the Manage > Users page in your Console:
Select a user and scroll to the Public Data section
Click on the "edit" button indicated by the pencil icon.
Click on + Add new field.
Enter
userTypein the "Key" field, and selectStringin the "Type" field.In the "Value" field, enter the appropriate User type ID you previously created.
That's it! Once these steps are completed, the selected user will be assigned a User type. They will then be able to fill in any custom User Fields that you have assigned to that specific User Type.
Difference between User types and User roles
User types are a label you create to group and organize users. It describes who the user is and can be as specific as you need. On the other hand, User roles define what that group can see and do in the marketplace. In short, user types organize your audience, while user roles determine what the pages and links they may see on the marketplace.
For instance, imagine a marketplace where customers can book bike-repair services and rent bikes from private owners. You might create the user types "Repair Shops" and "Bike Owners". Although these groups are different, they both fulfil the Provider role, because they both post & manage listings and add payout details to sell their services or rent out bikes.
Difference between user types and user fields
User types are used to categorize users, typically by the role they play like "Customer" or "Provider". Meanwhile, user fields are data points specific to each user type, collected during registration or profile updates to gather detailed information. Thus, while user types establish the general categorization for users, user fields collect precise data that enriches user profiles.