# Manage User Metadata How-to Guide
1 - Manage user metadata how-to guide
2 - Manage data metadata how-to guidemanage-data-metadata-how-to-guide
3 - Author policy how-to guideauthor-policy-how-to-guide
Before authoring global data policies to mask columns or redact rows, user metadata must exist in Immuta so that it can be used in the policy to identify the users that should be targeted by the policy. This how-to guide demonstrates how to manually add groups and attributes or use existing groups in external identity managers to identify these users. For detailed explanations and examples of how to manage user metadata, see the [Managing user metadata guide](https://documentation.immuta.com/SaaS/govern/getting-started-with-secure/automate-data-access-control-decisions/managing-user-metadata). ## Requirements **Immuta permission**: `USER_ADMIN` ## Prerequisite [Identity access manager configured](https://documentation.immuta.com/SaaS/configuration/people/section-contents) ## Organize your user metadata using the ABAC method Fact-based user metadata allows you to decouple policy logic from user metadata, allowing highly scalable ABAC policy authoring. For example, * Steve has attribute: `country:USA` * Sara has attribute: `role:administrator` * Stephanie has attribute: `sales_region: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana` 1. Create groups that describe users' roles or who they are. 2. Create attributes that describe users' roles or who they are. ## Add user metadata to Immuta Once you've organized your user metadata, you can add that metadata in Immuta in these ways: 1. Add attributes and groups to users in your identity manager. Then, sync your users, groups, and attributes from your external identity manager to Immuta: 1. [**LDAP**](https://documentation.immuta.com/SaaS/configuration/application-configuration/how-to-guides/config-builder-guide#add-ldap-or-active-directory): Enable **LDAP sync** and **sync groups and attributes to Immuta** for your provider. 2. [**OpenID Connect**](https://documentation.immuta.com/SaaS/configuration/people/section-contents/how-to-guides/openid-connect/openid-connect-protocol) or [**SAML**](https://documentation.immuta.com/SaaS/configuration/people/section-contents/how-to-guides/saml/enable-saml): Enable SCIM for your provider and enable sync attributes and groups. 2. [Add groups and attributes to users in Immuta manually.](https://documentation.immuta.com/SaaS/configuration/people/users-index/how-to-guides/managing-attribute-and-group) 3. [Use the external user info endpoint to sync attributes or groups from a custom source.](https://documentation.immuta.com/SaaS/configuration/people/section-contents/reference-guides/custom-external) ## Next steps
LearnRead these guides to learn more about using Immuta to mask sensitive data.
  1. Choose your path: orchestrated RBAC and ABAC: This section describes the two different approaches (or mix) you can take to managing policy and their tradeoffs.
  2. Managing data metadata: This guide describes how to manage your data metadata and create meaningful tags before you use them to author policies.
  3. Author policy: This guide describes how to define your global data policy logic.
ImplementFollow these guides to start using Immuta to mask sensitive data.
  1. Manage data metadata. Tag your columns with tags that are meaningful.
  2. Author policy. Define your global data policy logic.
  3. Optionally test and deploy policy.