Favicon

You are here: Home > Device Management > Apple > macOS > Policies > Automate Standard User Account

Automate Standard User Account Creation on macOS

Automate the creation of standard (non-administrator) User accounts on macOS Devices using Applivery Scripts and Policies.

4 min read

TL;DR

Automate macOS standard user account creation with Applivery scripts for enhanced security and efficiency.

Managing user accounts with the appropriate privilege levels is essential for maintaining both security and operational efficiency in corporate environments. Standard (non-administrator) users help reduce security risks by preventing unauthorized system-level changes, while still allowing employees to perform everyday tasks without restrictions.

Through Applivery, IT teams can automate the creation of these standard accounts across all managed macOS Devices, ensuring consistency, reducing manual work, and enforcing a strong least-privilege security model.

Note

The Applivery Agent App for macOS must be enabled on the Device. You can learn more about it here.

1
Create your script

To begin, learn how to create scripts by following this link

Assign a descriptive name to the script and copy and paste the following script into the editor, then adjust the necessary parameters:

  • USERNAME (username): The short name of the account to be created.

  • FULLNAME (Full Name): The full display name of the user.

  • PASSWORD (password): The password that will be assigned to the user.

#!/bin/sh
export PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin

#User details
USERNAME="User"
FULLNAME="Full Name"
PASSWORD="Password"

# Create the user with the specified username, full name and password
sysadminctl -addUser "$USERNAME" -fullName "$FULLNAME" -password "$PASSWORD"
2
Assign script to Policy

Next, go to any of your Policies 1 and select the Scripts 2 section from the left-hand menu. Click the + Add Script 3 button.

add script to policy

Next, select the script by typing its name, choose the execution method, and add any required arguments.

Depending on the selected execution method, the script will run automatically in Loop, or Once mode, or it can be manually triggered from the Actions section within the Applivery Agent when configured as On-demand.

actions agent

Creating standard users with limited privileges is a recommended security practice that helps safeguard macOS Devices against unintended modifications or unauthorized access. Automating this process through Applivery ensures consistent configuration across the entire Device fleet, supports compliance with internal Policies, and minimizes operational overhead.

By leveraging Applivery’s scripting capabilities, IT teams can efficiently deploy standard user accounts at scale, maintain system integrity, and streamline the onboarding and management of macOS Devices. This approach offers a simple, reliable, and repeatable method to enforce least-privilege access across your organization.

Key Takeaways

  • Standard user accounts improve macOS security.
  • Applivery automates user account creation through scripts.
  • Script execution can be configured via policies.

Standard user accounts reduce security risks by preventing unauthorized system-level changes, while still allowing employees to perform everyday tasks.

Applivery automates the creation of standard accounts across managed macOS devices, ensuring consistency and enforcing a least-privilege security model.

The first step is to create a script with the user details, including username, full name, and password.

The script requires the USERNAME (short name), FULLNAME (display name), and PASSWORD for the new user account.

Go to a Policy, select the Scripts section, and add the script, choosing the execution method (Loop, Once, or On-demand).

Scripts can be executed in Loop, Once, or On-demand mode, depending on the desired automation level.

Automating this process ensures consistent configuration, supports compliance, and minimizes operational overhead.

Yes, the Applivery Agent App for macOS must be enabled on the device to manage user accounts.

Last updated: April 18, 2026