Context

By default, directory syncs in Span require manual review and approval before changes are applied. This means that when new data is sent to Span via the API or an HRIS integration, someone with the appropriate permissions must navigate to the Directory Sync page and click Apply to apply the changes. Customers often want to enable automatic syncing so that directory updates are applied without manual intervention.

Answer

Automatic directory sync is not self-serve at this time — it needs to be enabled by the Span support team. To request it, simply reach out to your Span account representative or contact support and ask to have auto-sync enabled for your organization.

Once enabled, Span will automatically apply directory syncs approximately every 2 hours without requiring manual approval.

If you would like to review a sync before it is applied (for example, to validate data before going fully automated), you can ask support to keep the manual approval step in place until you are ready.

To manually apply a pending sync in the meantime:

1. Navigate to Settings > Directory Sync.

2. Review the pending changes across the People, Teams, and Memberships tabs.

3. Click the Apply button in the upper right corner to apply the sync.

Note: Access to the Directory Sync management page is not tied to a standard permission group and must be enabled by the Span team on a per-user basis. If you or a colleague cannot see the Directory Sync page, contact support to request access.

After a sync is applied, changes will be reflected immediately in Settings > People Management. Other areas of the app may take some additional time to update.