Want to see Minga the way a Student, Teacher, or Staff member sees it? A test account lets you do that. You create it the same way you add any user, with one setting that keeps it safe from the nightly sync.
This article walks you through creating a test account, logging in to it, and fixing common problems.
Permission Level Required: Owner | Manager | District Manager
In this article:
What a test account is: Learn what test accounts do and when to use them.
When to use a test account: Use cases for when a test account comes in handy.
Creating a test account: Add a test user with any role.
Logging in to a test account: Sign in with an email address and password.
Recommended test accounts: See which three roles to create.
Test accounts in reports and counts: Learn how test accounts affect your school’s data.
What a test account is
A test account is an account you use to experience Minga as a role other than the one you have. This way, you can see how a Teacher's view and permissions differ from those of an Owner or even a Student. Schools use test accounts to check how each role experiences Minga without using real student records.
When to use a test account
Test or mock accounts come in handy when you want to see a workflow from the perspective of a user it affects. For example, creating a test student account is a great way to see how a student creates a Hall Pass, or what happens when they receive a Guidance Behavior.
Understanding how a student experiences Minga makes troubleshooting issues or training users on the platform much easier!
Examples of when to use a test account
Use Case | Description | Test Account Needed |
Preview parent notifications. | You can enter your own email address in the Parent email field when you create a test Student. You then receive the same notifications a parent receives, so you can check what families see before you turn a feature on. | Student Account |
Practice registering for an activity. | You can log in as the test Student and register for a FlexTime activity. You see what a student sees, including what an activity looks like when it reaches its seat limit. | Student Account |
Testing Behavior Automations | Check to see if the steps in your Automation Groups are working the way you would like. For example, the consequences assigned are in the right order and sending parent emails. | Student Account |
Testing permissions set for Teachers/ Staff | Make sure the settings you have enabled in each solution for Teachers and Staff work for your school. Log in and see what you are able to access as a Teacher/ Staff member. | Teacher or Staff Account |
Teacher Training and Enablement | Walk your staff through a new workflow or process using a test teacher account to show exactly what to look for and experience it from their point of view. | Teacher or Staff Account |
Creating a test account
Creating a test account uses the same steps outlined in Manually Add Users to Minga, but with a few key differences:
The email address used for test or mock accounts does not have to be a real or working email address. It could be [email protected], for instance.
The account will need a password so that you can log into the account using the email address and password option, instead of the typical SSO method.
Step-by-step guide to creating a test account
Step-by-step guide to creating a test account
Navigate to People from the main menu.
People opens on the People tab, which lists every user in your school.
Click Add person.
The Create Person form opens.
Enter a first name and a last name.
Use a name that clearly shows the account is a test, such as “Test Student.”
Enter an email address.
The email address does not need to work. Minga uses it only as the login name for the account.
You cannot use an email address that is already in use in Minga.
Enter a password.
The password must contain at least 8 characters.
The password must include a letter, a number, and a symbol.
Open the Role drop-down under the School information heading.
Select a Role from the list.
The Role drop-down contains these options: Owner, Manager, Teacher, Staff, Student Leader, Student, Parent, and Read-Only.
The role controls what the test account can see and do.
Optional: Enter your own email address in the Parent email field.
The parent contact fields appear for every role.
When you create a test Student, Minga sends parent notifications to this address. You see what a parent receives.
Turn off Include user in SIS sync under the Settings heading.
The toggle must be OFF or the profile will be removed in the nightly sync with your SIS.
Click Create.
💎 Tip: You can create multiple test accounts by uploading a CSV. You can follow the steps outlined in How to Add Multiple Users to Minga, ensuring that you include a column for a password, role, and email address.
Logging in to a test account
You log in to a test account with its email address and password. Enter both on the Minga login page.
Single sign-on (SSO) options do not work for test accounts. SSO requires a working email address tied to your school. A test account uses an email address that is not functional or not tied to your school, so it cannot sign in through SSO.
Step-by-step guide to logging into a test account
Step-by-step guide to logging into a test account
Click on the Log out button to log out as your current role.
• This button is located next to the 'M' icon in the bottom left corner (web version), or bottom right corner (mobile app version).Confirm your action by clicking the blue Log out button on the pop up.
You will no be on the Sign in landing page at app.minga.io
Select the Sign in with email and password option.
Enter the email address and password you created for your test account.
Select Next to log in.
You will then be able to experience Minga as the role assigned to the test account.
💎 Tip: Open a private or incognito browser window to log in to a test account. You stay signed in to your own account in your regular window.
Recommended test accounts
Create one test account for each of these three roles: Student, Teacher, and Staff. Each account shows you what that role sees when it logs in to Minga.
Role | What the test account shows you |
Student | The student view and how they experience Minga. Use your test student account to see what you can interact with on the home feed, create hall passes, or view notifications in My Tools. |
Teacher | The teacher's experience in Minga. Use your teacher test account to test assigning behaviors and hall passes, or managing a FlexTime activity. |
Staff | The Staff role has a similar experience to a Teacher, but your school may have different permissions for each role. |
💎 Tip: Name each account after its role, such as “Test Student,” “Test Teacher,” and “Test Staff.” You can then find all three quickly in the People list.
Test accounts in reports and counts
Test accounts appear in reports and counts. Minga treats a test account like any other user. A test Student, for example, is included in student counts.
Keep this in mind when you review school data. Name every test account with the word “Test” so you can recognize it in a report.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Minga does not accept the email address for a test account
If Minga rejects the email address when you click Create, another user already has that address. Enter a different email address. It does not need to be a working address.
Minga does not accept the password for a test account
If Minga rejects the password, it does not meet the requirements. Enter a password with at least 8 characters, including a letter, a number, and a symbol.
A test account was archived after the nightly sync
If your test account disappeared from the active People list, Include user in SIS sync was turned ON when you created it. The nightly sync archived the account. Create a new test account with Include user in SIS sync turned OFF.
You cannot log in to a test account with SSO
If you click an SSO option, the login fails for a test account. SSO requires a working email address tied to your school. Enter the test account’s email address and password in the login fields instead.
Test accounts appear in your reports and counts
If test accounts show up in your school’s reports and counts, that is expected. Minga includes test accounts in reports and counts like any other user.
FAQs
FAQs
Does the email address for a test account need to be real?
The email address for a test account does not need to be a working address. Minga uses it only as the login name. You cannot use an address that is already in use by another Minga user.
Which roles can I create a test account for?
You can create a test account for any role in the Role drop-down on the Create Person form. The options are Owner, Manager, Teacher, Staff, Student Leader, Student, Parent, and Read-Only. We recommend Student, Teacher, and Staff.
Who can create a test account?
Owners, Managers, and District Managers can create a test account. They are the roles that can add people in Minga.
Why does my test account need Include user in SIS sync turned off?
Include user in SIS sync must be OFF so the nightly sync does not archive your test account. With the toggle ON, the sync archives the account.
How can I see parent notifications for a test Student account?
You can see parent notifications for a test student account by entering your own email address in the Parent email field when you create the account. Minga sends the notifications to that address.
Do test accounts appear in reports and student counts?
Test accounts appear in reports and counts. Minga includes them like any other user. Name each test account with the word “Test” so you can recognize it in your data.
What can a Staff test account see and do?
A Staff test account can see and do everything a Teacher account can. Use it to preview the Staff experience.