
ShoichiroK.00155 (LAC Co., Ltd) asked a question.
[Summary]
I am trying to map a specific attribute value (e.g., Title) from a CSV Directory to Okta. However, I am seeing cases where the mapping succeeds and fails depending on how the user was created. I would like to know the cause of this behavior difference and how to resolve the failing case.
[Prerequisites]
- Both Active Directory (AD) and CSV Directory are integrated with Okta.
- The Profile Source Priority is set as follows:
- CSV Directory
- Active Directory
[Details]
To map the "Title" attribute from the CSV Directory, I have configured the attribute mapping on the CSV side with "Read/Write" permissions and set it to "Inherit from profile source".
■ Case 1: Success (Reflected in Okta profile)
- Target User: A user provisioned (imported) from AD to Okta.
- Source Values: AD side is blank (empty), CSV side is "Manager".
- Result: The value from the CSV (Priority 1) was successfully reflected in the Okta profile.
■ Case 2: Failure (Not reflected in Okta profile)
- Target User: A user created directly in Okta (Okta-sourced), and later linked to an account in the CSV Directory.
- Source Values: CSV side is "Manager".
- Result: The value from the CSV is not reflected in the Okta profile, and it remains blank.
[Questions]
- What is the cause of Case 1 succeeding while Case 2 fails? (Does the difference between an Okta-sourced user and a Directory-sourced user affect this behavior?)
- For an Okta-sourced user like in Case 2, what settings are required to prioritize and reflect a specific attribute value from the CSV Directory to the Okta profile?

Hello @ShoichiroK.00155 (LAC Co., Ltd) Thank you for posting on our Community page!
The core issue is indeed the difference between an Okta-sourced user and a Directory-sourced user.
Here is the breakdown of why this behavior is happening and exactly how to resolve it for your Okta-sourced users.
The difference in behavior comes down to how Okta handles a user's Source of Truth (Master) when evaluating attribute mappings set to "Inherit from profile source".
How to fix Case 2
To force Okta to prioritize the CSV Directory's "Title" attribute for Okta-sourced users, you need to use Attribute-Level Sourcing. This allows you to override the user's master for one specific attribute without changing how the rest of their profile is managed.
Here are the exact settings required to resolve Case 2:
Step 1: Configure Attribute-Level Sourcing
Step 2: Ensure "Update" Mapping is Enabled You must also ensure that Okta is allowed to continuously update this mapping, not just set it upon initial creation.
Step 3: Trigger a Sync To apply these new rules to existing users immediately:
Once this sync completes, your Okta-sourced users (Case 2) will have their Okta mastery overridden exclusively for the "Title" attribute, and the value of "Manager" will successfully populate from the CSV Directory.
Thank you for reaching out to our Community and have a great day!
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