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Category: Account Management Level: Beginner Reading time: 5 minutes Updated: 2026-01-03

Account Settings & Profile Management

Quick Summary: Manage your profile information, change your password, view account tier limits, and link OAuth accounts for single sign-on.

What You'll Learn

  • How to update your profile information (name, email, organization)
  • How to change your password securely
  • How to view your account tier and usage limits
  • How to link or unlink OAuth accounts (Google, Microsoft, ORCID, GitHub)
  • How to upgrade your account tier

Overview

Your PEBL Hub account settings allow you to manage all aspects of your account profile, security, and subscription. The account settings page provides a centralized location to:

  • Update personal information used for receipts and invoices
  • Change your password or manage OAuth authentication
  • Monitor account limits including studies, storage, sessions, and custom tests
  • View your subscription tier and upgrade/downgrade as needed

You can access account settings at any time by clicking your username in the top navigation bar and selecting "My Profile".

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Access Your Profile

  1. Log in to PEBL Hub
  2. Click your username in the top navigation bar
  3. Select "My Profile" from the dropdown menu
You'll see your account information organized into several cards:
  • Account Information
  • Account Limits & Usage
  • Change Password
  • OAuth/SSO Settings (if enabled)

Step 2: Update Account Information

The Account Information card displays and allows editing of:

Read-only fields:

  • Username: Cannot be changed after account creation
  • Registration Date: When you created your account
  • Account Type: Your current subscription tier (Free, Trial, Student, Instructor, Researcher, etc.)

Editable fields:

  • Full Name: Your real name (appears on receipts and invoices)
  • Organization: Your institution or company name (appears on receipts)
  • Email Address: Your primary contact email

To update your information:

  1. Edit the desired fields in the Account Information card
  2. Click "Save Changes" at the bottom
  3. You'll see a confirmation message if successful
Important: Your email address is used for:
  • Password reset links
  • Study notifications
  • Receipt/invoice delivery
  • System announcements

Keep it current to ensure you receive important communications.

Step 3: View Account Limits & Usage

The Account Limits & Usage card shows your tier limits and current usage in real-time.

Displayed metrics:

  1. Studies (active): Number of active/pilot studies vs. tier limit
  2. Storage: Data file storage in MB vs. tier limit
  3. Sessions (Total): Lifetime completed test sessions
  4. Sessions (Per Period): Sessions in current billing period (if applicable)
  5. Tests per Study: Maximum tests you can add to a study
  6. Participants per Study: Maximum participants per study
  7. Custom Tests: Number of uploaded custom PEBL tests (Researcher+ tiers)
  8. Collaborators: Number of people you can share studies with
Visual indicators:
  • Green progress bar: Under 75% of limit
  • Orange progress bar: 75-90% of limit (warning)
  • Red progress bar: Over 90% of limit (approaching limit)

Upgrade link: Click "Manage Subscription →" at the bottom to upgrade your tier if you need higher limits.

Tier badges:

Each tier has a color-coded badge:

  • 🔓 Free (red): Basic tier with limited features
  • ⏱️ Trial (purple): 30-day trial with expanded features
  • 🎓 Student (yellow): Academic student pricing
  • 👨‍🏫 Instructor (blue): Teaching-focused features
  • 🔬 Researcher (green): Full research capabilities

Trial expiration notice:

If you're on the Trial tier, you'll see an expiration notice showing:

  • Days remaining in your trial
  • Expiration date
  • Note that account will revert to Free tier after expiration

Step 4: Change Your Password

For password-based accounts:

  1. Scroll to the Change Password card
  2. Check the box: "I want to change my password"
  3. Password fields will appear
Required fields:
  • Current Password: Your existing password (verification)
  • New Password: Your new password (minimum 6 characters)
  • Confirm New Password: Re-type new password to confirm
  1. Click "Update Security Settings" to save
  2. You'll be logged out and must log in with your new password
Password requirements:
  • Minimum 6 characters
  • New password must differ from current password
  • Both new password fields must match

Security tip: Use a strong, unique password that includes:

  • Uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Numbers
  • Special characters
  • At least 12 characters (recommended)

Important: If you've forgotten your current password, use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page instead. You cannot change your password from this page without knowing your current password.

Step 5: Manage OAuth / SSO Accounts (Optional)

If OAuth authentication is enabled on your server, you can link your PEBL Hub account to external identity providers for single sign-on.

Accessing OAuth settings:

  1. Click your username in the top navigation
  2. Select "OAuth Settings"
Alternatively, look for the OAuth section on your profile page.

Supported providers:

  • 🔵 Google: Sign in with your Google account
  • 🔷 Microsoft: Sign in with Microsoft/Azure AD
  • 🟢 ORCID: Sign in with your researcher ORCID ID
  • ⚫ GitHub: Sign in with your GitHub account

Linking a new OAuth account:

  1. In the "Link Additional Accounts" section
  2. Click the button for your desired provider (e.g., "Link Google")
  3. You'll be redirected to the provider's login page
  4. Sign in and authorize PEBL Hub to access your basic profile
  5. You'll be redirected back and see the account in your "Linked Accounts" list
Viewing linked accounts:

The "Linked Accounts" section shows:

  • Provider name and logo
  • Email address associated with the OAuth account
  • Name from OAuth profile
  • Date you first linked the account
  • Date you last used it to log in

Unlinking an OAuth account:

  1. Find the account in your "Linked Accounts" list
  2. Click "Unlink"
  3. Confirm the action
Warning: Before unlinking all OAuth accounts, ensure:
  • You have a password set for your PEBL Hub account, OR
  • You have at least one other OAuth provider linked

If you unlink all OAuth accounts and have no password, you won't be able to log in!

OAuth benefits:

  • Faster login: No need to remember another password
  • More secure: Leverages provider's security infrastructure (2FA, etc.)
  • Single sign-on: Use same account across multiple services
  • Optional: Traditional password login still works

Mixed authentication:

Your PEBL Hub account supports both password AND OAuth authentication simultaneously. You can:

  • Sign in with your password
  • Sign in with Google
  • Sign in with Microsoft
  • Sign in with ORCID
  • Sign in with GitHub

All methods log you into the same account.

Step 6: Upgrade Your Subscription

From the Free tier:

If you're on the Free tier, you'll see a prominent upgrade prompt in the Account Type section:

  1. Click "Start Free Trial →"
  2. You'll be upgraded to the Trial tier immediately
  3. No credit card required
  4. Trial lasts 30 days
  5. Automatically reverts to Free after 30 days if not upgraded
From Trial or other tiers:
  1. Click "Manage Subscription →" in the Account Limits card
  2. You'll be taken to the billing/subscription page
  3. Review available tiers and pricing
  4. Select the tier you want
  5. Complete payment (if upgrading to a paid tier)
See the Subscription Tiers help article for detailed tier comparisons.

Common Issues

Problem: "Current password is incorrect" when changing password

Solution:

  1. Double-check that Caps Lock is not on
  2. Ensure you're typing your current password correctly
  3. If you've forgotten your current password, use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page instead
Why this happens: The system requires verification of your current password before allowing you to set a new one. This prevents unauthorized password changes if someone gains temporary access to your logged-in account.

Problem: "Passwords do not match" error

Solution:

  1. Ensure both the "New Password" and "Confirm New Password" fields contain identical text
  2. Check for extra spaces before or after the password
  3. Make sure you're typing carefully in both fields
Why this happens: This is a safety check to prevent typos when setting a new password. If the two fields don't match exactly, the system rejects the change to protect you from locking yourself out.

Problem: Cannot save profile changes

Solution:

  1. Check that your email address is valid (contains @ and domain)
  2. Ensure Full Name doesn't contain special characters that might cause issues
  3. Try logging out and back in, then attempt the change again
  4. Contact support if the problem persists
Why this happens: The system validates email format and may reject invalid entries. Session issues can also prevent updates.

Problem: OAuth link button does nothing or shows error

Solution:

  1. Ensure pop-ups are not blocked by your browser
  2. Check that you're not already logged into the provider with a different account
  3. Try the link in a different browser or incognito/private window
  4. Clear browser cookies and try again
Why this happens: OAuth authentication opens a new window or redirects to the provider's site. Browser privacy settings, ad blockers, or cookie restrictions can interfere with this flow.

Problem: Unlinked OAuth account but can't log in now

Solution:

  1. Use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page
  2. Reset your password via email
  3. Log in with username and new password
Why this happens: If you unlink all OAuth providers and don't have a password set, you lose all login methods. The password reset flow is the only recovery option.

Prevention: Before unlinking your last OAuth account, set a password:

  1. Go to your profile
  2. Use the "Change Password" section
  3. Since you don't have a current password, you may need to keep at least one OAuth provider linked, or contact support to set a password

Problem: Account usage shows incorrect numbers

Solution:

  1. Refresh the page to get the latest data
  2. Wait a few minutes - usage calculations may be cached
  3. Check if you have multiple accounts and are viewing the wrong one
  4. Contact support if numbers remain incorrect after 24 hours
Why this happens: Usage data is cached for performance. Very recent changes (new studies, uploaded files) may take a few minutes to reflect in the usage counters.

Problem: Trial tier expired but still shows as Trial

Solution:

  1. Log out completely
  2. Clear browser cache and cookies
  3. Log back in
  4. Your tier should now show as "Free"
Why this happens: A background job checks for expired trials periodically. If your trial just expired, the system may not have updated yet. Logging out and back in triggers a fresh check.

Best Practices

Profile Information

  • Use your real name: This appears on receipts and invoices. Use your legal/professional name for proper accounting.
  • Use your institutional email: If you're affiliated with a university or research institution, use your institutional email address for easier verification and collaboration.
  • Keep organization current: Update your organization field if you change institutions. This helps with billing and receipt documentation.

Password Security

  • Use a password manager: Tools like 1Password, Bitwarden, or LastPass generate and store strong unique passwords
  • Don't reuse passwords: Each service should have a unique password
  • Enable OAuth if available: OAuth providers often offer 2-factor authentication (2FA) which adds extra security
  • Change password after suspicious activity: If you suspect unauthorized access, change your password immediately

OAuth / SSO

  • Link your institutional account: If your university uses Microsoft or Google for email, link that account for easier login
  • Link your ORCID: For researchers, linking ORCID provides professional identity verification
  • Keep at least two login methods: Link one OAuth provider AND set a password, or link multiple OAuth providers. This ensures you can always access your account even if one method fails.

Account Monitoring

  • Check usage regularly: Monitor your usage to avoid hitting tier limits unexpectedly
  • Set up billing alerts: If on a paid tier, ensure your payment method stays current
  • Upgrade before hitting limits: Don't wait until you're at 100% of a limit. Upgrade when you're consistently using 75-80% of your tier's capacity.

Admin-Only Features

If you're an administrator (admin_level > 0), you'll see additional fields:

User Type

  • Dropdown to set user as "User" or "Administrator"
  • Admins can access admin panel and manage other users

Paid Account

  • Checkbox to manually mark account as paid
  • Used for legacy accounts or manual billing arrangements

Paid Account Expiration

  • Date picker to set when paid status expires
  • System will automatically downgrade user to Free tier after this date

View Other Users

  • Admins can append ?user_name=username to the profile URL to view and edit other users' profiles
  • Useful for customer support and account management

Admin Password Reset

  • Admins can reset passwords for other users without knowing their current password
  • Regular users always need their current password to change it

Related Topics

Need more help? Contact support at support@pebl.com or visit the Troubleshooting Guide.

Related Topics