Skip to main content

User Profile Management

FOVEA users can manage their own profile information, including display name, email, and password. This guide explains how to access and update your user profile.

Accessing Your Profile​

Via Settings Menu​

  1. Click the user icon in the top-right corner of the navigation bar
  2. Select Settings from the dropdown menu
  3. Navigate to the Profile tab

You'll see your current profile information displayed in an editable form.

Profile Fields​

Username​

  • Read-only: Your username cannot be changed after account creation
  • Unique identifier: Used for login and displayed in activity logs
  • Format: Alphanumeric characters, typically 3-32 characters

Display Name​

  • Editable: Update your display name at any time
  • Visible: Shown in the UI, comments, and activity logs
  • Optional: Can be left blank (username will be used instead)
  • Format: Any UTF-8 characters, 1-100 characters

Example uses:

  • Full name: "Jane Smith"
  • Preferred name: "Dr. Smith"
  • Team identifier: "Analyst Team A"

Email Address​

  • Editable: Update your email at any time
  • Optional: Email is not required for FOVEA login
  • Use cases:
    • Password reset (if implemented)
    • Notifications (future feature)
    • Contact information for collaboration

Note: FOVEA does not currently send emails. The email field is for future use and optional metadata.

Password​

  • Secure: Passwords are hashed with bcrypt (12 rounds)
  • Requirements: Minimum 6 characters
  • Best practices:
    • Use at least 12 characters
    • Include uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
    • Don't reuse passwords from other sites
    • Consider using a password manager

Admin Status​

  • Read-only: You cannot change your own admin status
  • Displayed: Shows whether you have administrator privileges
  • Note: Only existing admins can grant/revoke admin privileges

Updating Your Profile​

Step-by-Step​

  1. Navigate to Profile tab in Settings
  2. Edit fields you want to change:
    • Display Name (optional)
    • Email (optional)
    • Password (optional, leave blank to keep current password)
  3. Click Save to apply changes
  4. Confirmation: You'll see a success message when changes are saved

Example: Changing Display Name​

Current: username: jsmith, display name: (empty)
Action: Enter "Jane Smith" in Display Name field
Result: Display name now shows as "Jane Smith" throughout the UI

Example: Updating Password​

1. Click "Change Password" or enter new password in Password field
2. Enter new password: mySecureP@ssw0rd123
3. Click Save
4. Next login will require new password

Password Changes​

When to Change Password​

  • Security concern: If you suspect your password was compromised
  • Shared access: After using a temporary/shared password
  • Regular rotation: As part of security best practices (every 90 days)
  • Policy compliance: To meet your organization's security policies

Changing Your Password​

  1. Open Settings → Profile tab
  2. Find the Password field
  3. Enter your new password (minimum 6 characters)
  4. Click Save
  5. Your password is immediately updated

Important: There is no "current password" verification field. Any authenticated user can change their own password. Keep your session secure.

Lost Password​

If you forget your password:

  1. Contact an administrator to reset your password
  2. Administrators can reset passwords via:
    • Admin panel → Users → Select user → Edit → Set new password
  3. Administrator will provide you with a temporary password
  4. Change the temporary password immediately after first login

Note: Self-service password reset is not currently implemented. You must contact an administrator.

Email Management​

Setting Your Email​

1. Navigate to Settings → Profile
2. Enter email in Email field: jsmith@example.com
3. Click Save

Updating Email​

1. Navigate to Settings → Profile
2. Change email to new address: jane.smith@newdomain.com
3. Click Save

Removing Email​

1. Navigate to Settings → Profile
2. Clear the Email field (leave blank)
3. Click Save

Email is optional and can be added, changed, or removed at any time.

Display Name Usage​

Your display name appears in various places throughout FOVEA:

  • Navigation bar: Shows display name (or username if not set)
  • Activity logs: Displays who created/modified entities
  • Comments: Shows display name next to comments (future feature)
  • Export metadata: Includes display name in exported data
  • Collaboration: Helps team members identify contributors

Best Practices​

  • Use real name: For team environments where accountability matters
  • Use role name: For role-based analysis ("Geospatial Analyst")
  • Keep consistent: Don't change frequently to avoid confusion

Privacy and Security​

What Admins Can See​

Administrators can view all user profiles, including:

  • Username
  • Email
  • Display name
  • Admin status
  • Account creation date

Administrators cannot see user passwords (stored as secure hashes).

What Other Users Can See​

Non-admin users can only see:

  • Their own profile via Settings
  • Display names of other users in activity logs and UI elements

Non-admin users cannot browse or search other user profiles.

Data Retention​

  • Profile data: Stored indefinitely while account exists
  • Password history: Not stored; only current password hash
  • Login history: Not currently tracked
  • Account deletion: Contact administrator to delete your account

Troubleshooting​

Can't Update Profile​

Error: "Unauthorized"

  • You may have been logged out. Refresh the page and log in again.
  • Check that you're on the Profile tab in Settings.

Changes not saving

  • Ensure you click the Save button after making changes
  • Check browser console for error messages
  • Verify all fields meet requirements (e.g., password ≥ 6 characters)

Password Not Working After Change​

Possible causes:

  1. Password not saved: Ensure you clicked Save after entering new password
  2. Typo: Passwords are case-sensitive; check Caps Lock
  3. Browser autofill: Clear autofill and type password manually

Solution: Contact administrator to reset your password.

Email Not Receiving Messages​

Expected behavior: FOVEA does not currently send emails.

Email field is for:

  • Future notification features
  • Contact metadata
  • Optional user information

If your organization requires email notifications, check with your administrator about custom integrations.

Keyboard Shortcuts​

When editing profile:

  • Tab: Navigate between fields
  • Enter: Save form (if in text input)
  • Esc: Cancel edit (if implemented)

API Access​

Developers can access the profile API programmatically:

Get Current User Profile​

GET /api/user/profile

# Response
{
  "id": "user-uuid",
  "username": "jsmith",
  "email": "jsmith@example.com",
  "displayName": "Jane Smith",
  "isAdmin": false,
  "createdAt": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z",
  "updatedAt": "2025-01-20T14:30:00Z"
}

Update Profile​

PUT /api/user/profile
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "displayName": "Dr. Jane Smith",
  "email": "jane.smith@example.com",
  "password": "newSecureP@ssword123"
}

# Response: Updated user object

Note: Users can only update their own profile via this endpoint.

Administrator Profile Management​

Administrators have additional capabilities:

  • View all user profiles
  • Edit other users' information
  • Reset other users' passwords
  • Grant/revoke admin privileges
  • Delete user accounts

See Managing Users for administrator documentation.

Security Best Practices​

Password Security​

  1. Strong passwords: Use 12+ characters with mixed case, numbers, symbols
  2. Unique passwords: Don't reuse from other services
  3. Password manager: Use a password manager to generate/store passwords
  4. Change on breach: Change immediately if you suspect compromise

Account Security​

  1. Log out on shared computers: Always log out on public/shared devices
  2. Close browser tabs: Close FOVEA tabs when done working
  3. Report suspicious activity: Contact administrator if you notice unusual account activity
  4. Keep browser updated: Use an up-to-date, secure browser

Session Security​

  1. Session timeout: Sessions expire after inactivity (configurable by administrator)
  2. Automatic logout: You'll be logged out after extended inactivity
  3. Multiple devices: You can be logged in on multiple devices simultaneously
  4. Session invalidation: Changing password does not invalidate existing sessions

See Also​