Administrator’s Guide

In-depth documentation on installation, deployment and administration of Mattermost system.

Getting Started

Use the following materials as a template to help you plan and document the implementation of Mattermost at your organization.

• Administrator Tasks
  • Getting Started Tasks
  • Important Administration Notes
  • Common Tasks
• Implementation Plan
  • 1 Introduction
  • 2 System Overview
  • 3 Management Overview
  • 4 Implementation Support
• Welcome Email to End Users
  • Email Template

Installing Mattermost

Learn how to get Mattermost running on your environment.

• Software and Hardware Requirements
• Installing on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
• Installing on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
• Installing on Kubernetes
• Installing on Debian Buster
• Installing on RHEL 6
• Installing on RHEL 7
• Installing on CentOS, Oracle Linux, and Scientific Linux
• Instructions On Setting Up a Socket-based Mattermost Database
• Enterprise Install and Upgrade
• Configuring Transport Encryption
• Deploy Mattermost on Bitnami
• Local Machine Setup using Docker
• Production Docker Deployment
• AWS Elastic Beanstalk Docker Setup
• Deploy Mattermost on Cloudron (Unofficial)
• Installing Mattermost Team Edition in GitLab Helm Chart
• MySQL Installation Troubleshooting
• Desktop Application Install Guides
• Desktop MSI Installer and Group Policy Installation Guides (Beta)
• SMTP Email Setup
• Configuring CloudFront to host Mattermost static assets
• Using an Outbound Proxy
• Chinese, Japanese and Korean Search
• Configuring Apache2 (Unofficial)

Deployment

Learn how to host Mattermost to meet your networking requirements.

• Deployment Overview
  • Requirements and Installation Guides
  • User Experience
  • Communication Protocols
  • Network Access and Multi-Factor Authentication
  • Data Center Infrastructure
  • Mattermost Server
  • Data Stores
  • Deployment Options
• Desktop App Deployment Guide
  • Custom Build Configuration
  • Windows App: Pre-Configuration and Silent Deployment
• Mobile App Deployment Guide
  • About this Guide
  • Before You Begin Your Deployment
  • Mattermost Mobile Deployment Primer
  • Choosing the Right Mobile Deployment Model
  • Mobile Deployment via Public App Stores (Recommended)
  • Mobile Deployment via Custom Builds
  • Appendix A: Troubleshooting and FAQs
  • Appendix B: EMM Provider List
• AppConfig for EMM Solutions with Mattermost Mobile Apps
  • What is AppConfig?
  • Mattermost AppConfig Values
  • Other AppConfig Settings
• Image Proxy
  • Local Image Proxy
  • atmos/camo Image Proxy
• Encryption Options
  • Encryption-in-transit
  • Encryption-at-rest
• Client-side Data Storage FAQ
  • Mobile Web Experience
  • Mobile App Experience
• Backup and Disaster Recovery
  • Backup
  • Disaster Recovery

Configure Mattermost

Learn how to configure settings to meet your unique requirements.

• Configuration Settings
  • About
  • Reporting
  • User Management
  • Environment
  • Site Configuration
  • Authentication
  • Plugins (Beta)
  • Integrations
  • Compliance
  • Experimental
  • Settings configurable only in config.json
  • Experimental Settings only in config.json
  • Deprecated Configuration Settings
• Configuration in the Mattermost Database
  • Troubleshooting
• Configuration Settings Prior to v5.12
  • General
  • Advanced Permissions
  • Authentication
  • Security
  • Notifications
  • Integrations
  • Plugins (Beta)
  • Files
  • Customization
  • Compliance
  • Advanced
  • Settings configurable only in config.json
  • Experimental settings
• Customizing Mattermost
  • Mattermost Webapp
  • Mattermost Server
  • Mattermost Mobile Applications
  • Mattermost Desktop Applications
• Email Templates
  • Available templates
• Custom Branding Tools
  • Enable Custom Branding

Mobile Apps

Learn how to configure and administer Mattermost apps.

• Mobile Applications Guide
  • Install from Apple App Store and Google Play
  • Build the apps yourself
  • Use an EMM provider with Managed App Configuration
• AppConfig for EMM Solutions with Mattermost Mobile Apps
  • What is AppConfig?
  • Mattermost AppConfig Values
  • Other AppConfig Settings
• Hosted Push Notification Service
  • Securing your Mattermost Push Notification Service
  • Setting up HPNS push notifications in Enterprise Edition
• Mobile Apps FAQ
  • Can I connect to multiple Mattermost servers using the mobile apps?
  • Is there a tablet version of the mobile apps?
  • Can the permanent sidebar on tablet devices be disabled?
  • How is data handled on mobile devices after a user account is deactivated?
  • Do I need to compile the mobile apps to host my own push notification server?
  • How do push notifications work?
  • What post metadata is sent in mobile push notifications?
  • What are my options for securing the mobile apps?
  • What are my options for securing push notifications?
  • How do I deploy Mattermost with Enterprise Mobility Management providers?
  • How do I host the Mattermost push notification service?
  • How do I receive mobile push notification if my IT policy requires the use of a corporate proxy server?
  • How do I white label the app and customize build settings?
  • How do I pre-configure the server URL for my users?
  • How can I get Google SSO to work with the Mattermost Mobile Apps?
  • How do I configure Deep Linking?
  • How do I connect users across internal and external networks?
• Troubleshooting Mobile Applications
  • I keep getting a message “Cannot connect to the server. Please check your server URL and internet connection.”
  • Login with ADFS/Office365 is not working
  • I see a “Connecting…” bar that does not go away
  • I’m not receiving push notifications on my device
  • All my outbound connections need to go through a proxy. How can I connect to the Mattermost Hosted Push Notification Service?
  • Build gets stuck at bundleReleaseJsAndAssets
  • No image previews available in the mobile app
  • None of these solve my problem!

Onboard Users

Learn how to get your users into and comfortable using Mattermost.

• Bulk Loading Data
  • About the bulk loading command
  • Running the bulk loading command
  • Data Format
    • Version object
    • Scheme object
    • Emoji object
    • Team object
    • Channel object
    • User object
    • Post object
    • DirectChannel object
    • DirectPost object
• Migration Guide
  • Migrating the Mattermost Server
  • Migrating to Mattermost From Other Messaging Solutions
    • Migrating From Bespoke Messaging Solutions to Mattermost
    • Migrating from Slack
    • Migrating from Bitnami
    • Migrating from HipChat Server and HipChat Data Center to Mattermost
    • Migrating from Jabber to Mattermost
    • Migrating from Pidgin to Mattermost
• Migrating from HipChat to Mattermost
  • Step 1: Set up your Mattermost Instance
  • Step 2: Export your data from HipChat Data Center or HipChat Server
    • HipChat Server / HipChat Data Server:
  • Step 3: Import your data into Mattermost
  • Step 4: Onboard your users into Mattermost
    • Onboard users using SSO in Mattermost
• Migration Announcement Email
  • Email Template
• Provisioning Workflows
  • User Provisioning
    • Mattermost User Identifier
  • User Deprovisioning
• Active Directory/LDAP Setup (E10/E20)
  • Overview
  • Pre-installation Notes
  • Getting Started
    • Configure AD/LDAP Sign In
    • Configure AD/LDAP Synchronization
    • Configure AD/LDAP sign-in Using Filters
    • Configure AD/LDAP Deployments with Multiple Domains
  • Troubleshooting/FAQ
    • If the AD/LDAP Test button fails, how can I troubleshoot the connection?
    • When I first set up and synchronize AD/LDAP, are the users automatically created in Mattermost?
    • When I try to synchronize AD/LDAP, why does the Status show as Pending and not complete?
    • What is the difference between the Username Attribute, ID Attribute, and Login ID Attribute?
    • If I want to add people to channels, can I pre-create users?
    • How do I deactivate users?
    • Can I connect to multiple Active Directory servers?
    • When trying to sign in, I see the error AD/LDAP not available on this server.
    • I see the error User not registered on AD/LDAP server.
    • I updated a user account in AD/LDAP, and they can no longer log in to Mattermost.
    • I see the log error LDAP Result Code 4 "Size Limit Exceeded".
    • Where can I find help on AD/LDAP configuration settings in config.json?
    • Can the AD/LDAP User Filter read security groups?
    • How do I know if an AD/LDAP sync job fails?
• Multi-Factor Authentication
  • Enabling MFA
  • Enforcing MFA (E10)
• AD/LDAP Groups (Beta) (E20)
  • Overview
  • Pre-installation Notes
  • Enabling AD/LDAP Group Synchronization
  • Using AD/LDAP Group Synchronization
  • Linking AD/LDAP Groups to Mattermost Groups
  • Configuring the Group
  • Adding Default Teams or Channels For The Group
  • Synchronizing Teams and Channels
  • Removing Configured Teams and Channels From a Group
  • Viewing Users Belonging to The Group
  • Disabling and Re-activating AD/LDAP Users
  • Managing Groups
  • Deleting Groups
  • Using AD/LDAP Synchronized Groups to Manage Team or Private Channel Membership
    • Managing Membership of a Team or Channel with Synchronized Groups
    • Assigning Roles to Group Members
    • Add or Remove Groups from Teams
    • Add or Remove Groups from Private Channels
    • Managing Members
    • Disabling Group Synchronized Management of Teams and Private Channels
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Why can’t my existing users see the teams and channels they have been synced to?
    • How do nested groups work with AD/LDAP Group Sync?
    • How do I manage a team or private channel membership with synchronized groups?
    • How do I use AD/LDAP Group Sync with SAML?
    • Why aren’t public channels supported with synchronized groups?
    • Does a team with its membership managed by groups have any effect on public channel access?
    • Why don’t users get readded to teams or channels once they have been removed from and then later re-added to the LDAP group?
• SAML Single-Sign-On (E20)
  • Okta SAML Configuration
    • Before You Begin
    • Set Up a Connection App for Mattermost SSO
    • Configure SAML Sign-in for Mattermost
    • Configure SAML synchronization with AD/LDAP
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • OneLogin SAML Configuration
    • Before You Begin
    • Create a OneLogin Connection App for Mattermost SSO
    • Configure SAML sign-in for Mattermost
    • Configure SAML synchronization with AD/LDAP
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Microsoft ADFS SAML Configuration for Windows Server 2012
    • Before You Begin
    • Add a Relying Party Trust
    • Create Claim Rules
    • Export Identity Provider Certificate
    • Configure SAML Sign-in for Mattermost
    • Configure SAML synchronization with AD/LDAP
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Microsoft ADFS SAML Configuration for Windows Server 2016
    • Before You Begin
    • Prerequisites
    • Add a Relying Party Trust
    • Create Claim Rules
    • Export Identity Provider Certificate
    • Configure SAML Sign-in for Mattermost
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Configure SAML synchronization with AD/LDAP
  • Using SAML Attributes to Apply Roles
    • Username Attribute
    • Guest Attribute
    • Admin Attribute
  • Roadmap
  • Configuration Assistance
• SAML Single-Sign-On (E20): Technical Documentation
  • SAML Providers
  • SAML Request (AuthNRequest)
  • SAML Responses
  • Technical description of SAML synchronization with AD/LDAP
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • How can I obtain a SAML metadata XML file consumed by Mattermost?
• GitLab Single Sign-On
  • Step 1: Add an OAuth application to your GitLab account
  • Step 2: Configure Mattermost for GitLab SSO
• Google Single Sign-On (E20)
• Office 365 Single Sign-On (E20)
  • Note about Microsoft Active Directory Tenants
• SSL Client Certificate Setup (Beta)
  • Set up mutual TLS authentication for the Web App
  • Troubleshooting
• Certificate-Based Authentication (Experimental)
  • Set up mutual TLS authentication for the Web App
  • Set up Mattermost server to log in with a client certificate
• Advanced Permissions (E10/E20)
  • Permissions Structure
    • System Scheme (E10)
    • Team Override Schemes (E20)
    • Channel Override Permissions (E20)
    • Supplementary Roles (E20)
  • Recipes
    • Team Management
    • Public and Private Channel Management
    • Post Management
    • Integration Management
  • Administration Tools
  • Backend Infrastructure
  • Glossary
• Advanced Permissions: Backend Infrastructure
  • Entity Definitions
    • Permissions
    • Roles
    • Scope
    • Context
    • Schemes
  • Data Structure
    • Permissions
    • Roles Field
    • Roles Table
    • Schemes Table
• Guest Accounts (Beta) (E10/E20)
  • Enabling Guest Accounts
  • Guest Authentication
  • Inviting Guests to the Mattermost Server via Email
  • Configuring AD/LDAP Authentication
  • Configuring SAML 2.0 Authentication
  • Guest Permission Settings
  • Guest Identification
  • Managing Guests
    • Adding Guests to Additional Channels
    • Removing Guests from Channels and Teams
    • Promoting and Demoting User Roles
  • Disabling Guest Accounts
  • Reinstating Guest Accounts
  • Frequently Asked Questions
    • How am I charged for Guest Accounts?
    • Why doesn’t Mattermost have single-channel guests?
    • Can I set an expiration date for guests?
    • Can MFA be applied selectively?
    • Why is the Guest Account feature in Beta?
    • Has the Guest Accounts feature been reviewed by an external security firm?
    • How can I validate my guests’ identity?
    • Can I restrict guests’ ability to upload content?

Administration

Learn how to maintain your Mattermost system.

• Command Line Tools
  • Using the CLI
  • Mattermost 3.6 and later
  • Mattermost 3.5 and earlier
• mmctl Command Line Tool (Beta)
  • Installing mmctl
  • Building mmctl
  • Authenticating and Logging In
  • mmctl channel
  • mmctl command
  • mmctl config
  • mmctl group
  • mmctl group channel
  • mmctl group team
  • mmctl ldap
  • mmctl license
  • mmctl logs
  • mmctl permissions
  • mmctl plugin
  • mmctl post
  • mmctl roles
  • mmctl team
  • mmctl user
  • mmctl version
  • mmctl webhook
• Scripts
• Statistics
  • Site Statistics
  • Team Statistics
  • Troubleshooting
• User Satisfaction Surveys
  • Administration
  • Survey Data
• Health Check
  • /ping APIv4 Endpoint
  • Mattermost Probe
• Announcement Banner (E10)
• Bulk Export Tool
  • Bulk export data
  • Running the bulk export command

Troubleshooting

Understand potential issues and how to address them.

• Important Notes
• General Troubleshooting
• Administration Issues
• SAML Issues
• Deployment and Clustering
• Server Administration
• Settings
• Mobile
• Configuration Issues
• None of These Solve my Problem!

Upgrade Mattermost

Learn how to keep Mattermost current with fixes and new features.

• Upgrading Mattermost Server
  • Upgrading to the Latest Version
  • Upgrading Team Edition to Enterprise Edition
• Important Upgrade Notes
• Mattermost Changelog
  • Release v5.20 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.19 - ESR
  • Release v5.18 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.17 - Quality Release
  • Release v5.16 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.15 - Quality Release
  • Release v5.14 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.13 - Quality Release
  • Release v5.12 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.11 - Quality Release
  • Release v5.10 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.9 - ESR
  • Release v5.8 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.7 - Quality Release
  • Release v5.6 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.5 - Quality Release
  • Release v5.4 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.3 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.2 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.1 - Feature Release
  • Release v5.0 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.10 - ESR
  • Release v4.9 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.8 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.7 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.6 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.5 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.4.5 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.3.4 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.2.2 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.1.2 - Feature Release
  • Release v4.0.5 - Feature Release
  • Release v3.10.3
  • Release v3.9.2
  • Release v3.8.3
  • Release v3.7.5
  • Release v3.6.7
  • Release v3.5.1
  • Release v3.4.0
  • Release v3.3.0
  • Release v3.2.0
  • Release v3.1.0
  • Release v3.0.3
  • Release v2.2.0
  • Release v2.1.0
  • Release v2.0.0
  • Release v1.4.0
  • Release v1.3.0
  • Release v1.2.1
  • Release v1.2.0 (Redacted Release)
  • Release v1.1.1 (Quality Release)
  • Release v1.1.0
  • Release v1.0.0
  • Release v0.7.0 (Beta1)
  • Release v0.6.0 (Alpha)
  • Release v0.5.0 (Preview)
• Desktop Application Changelog
  • Release v4.4.0
  • Release v4.3.0
  • Release v4.2.3
  • Release v4.2.2
  • Release v4.2.1
  • Release v4.2.0
  • Release v4.1.2
  • Release v4.1.1
  • Release v4.1.0
  • Release v4.0.1
  • Release 4.0.0
  • Release 3.7.1
  • Release 3.7.0
  • Release 3.6.0
  • Release v3.5.0
  • Release v3.4.1
  • Release v1.3.0
  • Release v1.2.1 (Beta)
  • Release v1.1.1 (Beta)
• Version Archive
  • Mattermost Enterprise Edition
  • Mattermost Team Edition Server Archive
• Extended Support Release
  • What is an Extended Support Release?
  • What is the life cycle of an Extended Support Release?
  • What is included in an Extended Support Release dot release?
  • Who should use an Extended Support Release?
  • How do I install the Extended Support Release?
  • What are the current supported Extended Support Release versions?
  • How do I restore a previous Extended Support Release?
  • Why is an Extended Support Release supported for 9 months and not longer?
  • Can customers pay for extended support?
• Release Lifecycle
  • What is a Release Lifecycle?
• Downgrading Mattermost Server
  • Downgrade from 5.0 to 4.10
• Open Source Components
  • Desktop
  • Mobile
  • Redux
  • Server
  • Webapp

Mattermost Integrations

Learn how to extend Mattermost by integrating your workflows.

• Mattermost Developer Toolkit
  • More Power for Developers
  • Better Control for System Admins
  • Features of the Developer Toolkit
  • Example Uses
• Incident Response Application (EE, Closed Alpha)
  • How Can I Try The App?
  • Incident Response App Configuration
  • Sample Schema
  • Statistics
  • Permissions and Management of the App
  • Roadmap
  • Troubleshooting
• Atlassian Tools
  • Jira Plugin
  • Jira Atlassian App
  • Bitbucket
  • Confluence
  • Opsgenie
  • Statuspage
  • Trello
• CI/CD Tools
  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Jenkins Plugin
  • Jenkins
  • Bitbucket
• Incident Response and Monitoring Tools
  • AWS CloudWatch SNS
  • Nagios
  • Splunk
  • PagerDuty
  • Opsgenie
  • Prometheus Alertmanager
• Bots
  • WelcomeBot
  • BotKube
  • Sample Golang bot
  • Hubot Adapter
  • Python Chatbot
• Voice, Video and Screensharing
  • Zoom
  • Cisco Webex Cloud
  • BigBlueButton
  • Skype for Business
  • WebRTC
  • Kopano WebMeetings
  • Jitsi
  • SIP PBX
  • appear.in
• Productivity Tools
  • Matterpoll for polls
  • Google Calendar
  • CloudApp
  • Gyazo
  • Autotranslation Plugin
  • Remind Plugin

Mattermost Compliance

Learn how to adhere to your security and regulations.

• Electronic Discovery
  • Mattermost Compliance Exports
  • Mattermost RESTful API
  • Mattermost Database
• Compliance Reporting and Oversight (E20)
  • Enabling Compliance Reporting
  • Turn on Daily Compliance Reports
  • Run Compliance Reports
  • Global Relay Support
• Compliance Export Beta (E20)
  • Set Up Guide
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Data Retention Policy (E20)
  • Configuring a Data Retention Policy
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Custom Terms of Service (Beta) (E20)
  • Configuring Terms of Service
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Scaling Mattermost

Learn how to support growth within Mattermost.

• Scaling for Enterprise
  • Single Machine Deployment
  • Multi Machine Deployment
  • Cluster Based Deployment
  • Sample Scaling Guide
  • Hosting Recommendation for 100,000+ users
• High Availability Cluster (E20)
  • Requirements for Continuous Operation
  • Deployment Guide
  • Configuration and Compatibility
  • Upgrade Guide
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • Troubleshooting
• High Availability Cluster (v3.10 and earlier)
  • Requirements for Continuous Operation
  • Deployment Guide
  • Configuration and Compatibility
  • Upgrade Guide
  • Troubleshooting
• Elasticsearch (E20)
  • Deployment Guide
  • Limitations
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Performance Monitoring (E20)
  • Deployment Guide
  • Getting Started
  • Statistics
  • Frequently Asked Questions
• Mattermost Performance Alerting Guide
  • CPU Utilization Rate
  • Memory Usage
  • Number of Goroutines
  • Number of API Errors per Second
  • Mean API Request Time
  • Other Alerts

Unofficial Enhancements

Documentation on early previews and unofficial functionality.

• Production Install on Windows Server (Unofficial)