[Due for payment 2026-10-21] Allow workspace admins to set a member's display name when one isn't set

@mallenexpensify

Background

Admins regularly ask to set a display name for members who don't have one — most often when the member signed up with a phone number, or when their email doesn't make their first and last name obvious. Today the display name is an account-level setting only the member can change.

HR integrations already set a member's display name when none exists. This brings the same capability to the Members page so admins can do it manually.

Scope

On the workspace member profile (RHP, opened from the Members page), let an admin set the member's Display name when the member doesn't already have one.
Only when no name is set. If one already exists — set by the member, by an HR integration, or by Clearbit — the row is read-only and the caret goes away.
The name saves at the account level, so it applies across every workspace the member belongs to.
Audit trail: post a system message in that member's default expense chat confirming the change. The message marks the chat unread only for the member whose name has changed.

Mockups

Out of scope

Setting display names through CSV import — a good follow-up.

Open item

The audit-trail message repeats admin-supplied text back to the member, so before release, we should confirm with the fraud and spam team that they will now be screening for this field.

Reported in Slack.

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @mallenexpensify

@dubielzyk-expensify

Triggered auto assignment to Design team member for new feature review - @dubielzyk-expensify (NewFeature)

@dubielzyk-expensify

Unassigning @dubielzyk-expensify since he's already assigned to the parent issue.

@allgandalf

@allgandalf Whoops! This issue is 2 days overdue. Let's get this updated quick!

@allgandalf

@allgandalf I updated the mockups, so we're good to go here. Let me know in case you have any questions.

nice, i'll get to these tomorrow

@Valforte

Assigning @Valforte here since pullerbear assigned them for review on the PR

@gijoe0295

Assigned @gijoe0295 for payment here, @gijoe0295 can you please add checklist here ? thanks !

Contributor+ Checklist:

[Contributor] The offending PR and associated issue have been commented on, pointing out the bug it caused and why, so the author and reviewers can learn from the mistake.

No, this is new feature
[Contributor] If the regression was CRITICAL (e.g. interrupts a core flow) A discussion in #expensify-open-source has been started about whether any other steps should be taken (e.g. updating the PR review checklist) in order to catch this type of bug sooner.

Link to discussion: N/A
[Contributor] If it was decided to create a regression test for the bug, please propose the regression test steps using the template below to ensure the same bug will not reach production again.

No

Regression Test Proposal

Precondition:

Admin account has at least 1 workspace

Test:

Sign in as an admin of a workspace that has a member who signed up with a phone number
Go to that workspace, open Members, and open that member
Click Profile and verify a Display name row showing their phone number, with a caret
Click the row, enter a first and last name, and click Save
Verify the Display name row now shows the name and has no caret
Verify the member's name updates everywhere it is shown, including the Members list
Open that member's expense chat and verify the admin does not see any message about it
Sign in as the member and verify their expense chat is unread, with a whisper naming the new display name, what it was before, and an Only visible to you note
Click Edit in your profile in that whisper and verify it opens the account Display name page
Open a member who already has a name as the admin and verify the Display name row has no caret

Do we agree 👍 or 👎

@mallenexpensify

Triggered auto assignment to @mallenexpensify (Awaiting Payment)

@allgandalf

Payment Summary

Resolving PRs:

Allow workspace admins to set a member's display name #100727
Contributor: @allgandalf does not require payment (Contractor)
Reviewer: @gijoe0295 owed $175 via NewDot

BugZero Checklist (@mallenexpensify)

I have confirmed assignees, roles, and Upwork contracts look correct
I have paid out Upwork contracts / manual NewDot requests
[BugZero Assignee] I have created a GH issue for creating/updating the regression test once above steps have been agreed upon

@gijoe0295

Deploy Blocker Members - Hover effect on Display name is cut off on left and right #103856 was identified to be related to the PR Allow workspace admins to set a member's display name #100727 that attempted to fix this issue.
Deploy Blocker Workspace - "updated your display name to x" whisper disappears after reacting to it #103933 was identified to be related to the PR Allow workspace admins to set a member's display name #100727 that attempted to fix this issue.
⚠️ Looks like this issue was linked to a Deploy Blocker Expense - Expense is not duplicated in source report when it is duplicated via bulk select #103866

@gijoe0295 this issue and/or PR mention a deploy blocker or a regression. Before the payment date, post one of the three options in step 20 of the C+ doc: it was a regression, it was not, or you did not review the offending PR. If you don't post, the default is to reduce payment.

Yes, It was a regression

@MelvinBot

@MelvinBot for this job and payment, how many regressions were there that would/should reduce payment?

3 regressions count against this payment. All three came from Allow workspace admins to set a member's display name, which gijoe0295 reviewed as C+. gijoe0295 also confirmed above that it was a regression.

The fourth link, Expense - Expense is not duplicated in source report when it is duplicated via bulk select, does not count. Its offending PR is Keep duplicated expenses on the source report when it can accept them, which gijoe0295 did not review.

HOW_TO_BECOME_A_CONTRIBUTOR_PLUS.md:8 cuts C+ pay by 50% for each regression that should have been caught. Three regressions would wipe out the full $175.

Notes

All three were bugs in the new feature on staging. None reached production. Each was demoted from deploy blocker, and one fix PR, Fix Not here flash, Display name hover and whisper disappearing after a reaction, resolved all three.
The hover cut-off is cosmetic. You may decide whether it "should have been caught."

view run

@gijoe0295

Payment Summary

Contributor+: @gijoe0295 due $50 via NewDot

Multiple regressions, the floor is 25% so $50 is due.

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[Due for payment 2026-10-21] Allow workspace admins to set a member's display name when one isn't set #100343

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Contributor+ Checklist:

Regression Test Proposal

Precondition:

Test:

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BugZero Checklist (@mallenexpensify)

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[Due for payment 2026-10-21] Allow workspace admins to set a member's display name when one isn't set #100343

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melvin-bot commented on Sep 3, 2026

flaviadefaria commented on Sep 3, 2026

melvin-bot commented on Sep 7, 2026

flaviadefaria commented on Sep 8, 2026

allgandalf commented on Sep 8, 2026

allgandalf commented on Sep 10, 2026

27 remaining items

allgandalf commented on Oct 16, 2026

gijoe0295 commented on Oct 16, 2026

Contributor+ Checklist:

Regression Test Proposal

Precondition:

Test:

melvin-bot commented on Oct 20, 2026

melvin-bot commented on Oct 20, 2026

Payment Summary

BugZero Checklist (@mallenexpensify)

mallenexpensify commented on Oct 21, 2026

gijoe0295 commented on Oct 22, 2026

gijoe0295 commented on Oct 22, 2026

mallenexpensify commented on Oct 22, 2026

MelvinBot commented on Oct 22, 2026

mallenexpensify commented on Oct 22, 2026

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