Desktop Agent Deployment: Anonymous Users

This guide outlines how partners can deploy Produce8 to automatically create anonymous user profiles and begin collecting activity data—without requiring users to sign in.

Who This Is For

This deployment flow is intended for:

• Partner accounts setting up Produce8 for the first time

• Teams that want to collect data without requiring users to sign in

• Scenarios where users may never engage directly with Produce8

1. Set Up Account Settings for App & User Discovery

Before deploying to users, configure the account settings to enable automatic app and user discovery.

If you’re deploying to a customer, start by creating their customer account in the Partner Centre. Then log into that account and configure the following:

Enable App Discovery

To automatically detect desktop and browser apps:

1. Select your user icon in the bottom-left corner of the Produce8 Web App.
2. Choose Account Settings from the menu.
3. On on the General page, scroll down to App Discovery Settings.
4. Toggle the settings to On.

 

Once enabled:

• Apps in use will appear in a pending state on the App Administration page

• Admins must approve apps before data collection begins

• Ignored apps are excluded from insights and reports

📘 Learn more in Automatic App Discovery

Enable Automatic User Discovery

To create anonymous profiles automatically for users on deployed systems:

1. In the same Account Settings → General section, scroll to Automatic User Discovery

2. Toggle the setting to On

Once enabled:

• An anonymous user profile will be created for each active system user on any deployed device

• This allows for early data collection without requiring immediate user sign-in

• Anonymous Data Collection is enabled by default when this is on

⚠️ Note: Anonymous users will not be created if the account has already reached its user limit.

📘 Learn more in Automatic App Discovery 

2. Deploy the Desktop Agent and Browser Extensions via RMM

Once your settings are configured, deploy the Produce8 Desktop Agent and Browser Extensions using your preferred RMM tool.

 

Once deployed:

• The agent will auto-launch in the background

• An anonymous user profile will be created for the active user

• These users will appear under Account Settings → User Management

Mac OS Deployment Note

Before deploying the agent on Mac:

• Add the account.properties file to:

  /user/Library/Application Support/Produce8-agent

• Include your account ID (from Account Settings → General) in the file:

account.accountId=your-account-id-here

Browser Extension Deployment

Browser extensions are required to capture activity in tools like Google Docs, Outlook Web, or Slack.

 

Deployment Notes:

1. Extensions can be pushed using Intune or similar tools
2. If Intune isn't available, PowerShell scripts can also be used
3. Extensions must be installed in the browser(s) your users actively use

Where to Find Deployment Scripts

Deployment scripts for the Desktop Agent, Browser Extensions, and Desktop App are available within the Produce8 Web App.

📘 Learn more How to Find Scripts in Produce8

3. (Optional) Deploy the Produce8 Desktop App

The Desktop App is not required for anonymous data collection. However, if users may sign in later, you can deploy it during the initial rollout.

 

If deployed:

• Users can log in via Google/O365 SSO or email and password

• Once signed in, their anonymous profile will automatically convert to a signed-in user

This allows you to start with passive observation and optionally transition users to an interactive experience later.

4. Review and Approve Discovered Apps 

Once users begin working with the Desktop Agent and browser extensions installed, apps will begin appearing in the App Administration section in a “pending” state.

As an admin or owner, you’ll need to:

• Approve apps to begin collecting activity

• Ignore apps to exclude them from reports

• You can update these choices at any time

📘 Learn more in Automatic App Discovery 

What to Expect After Deployment

• Anonymous users will be created automatically for each device

• These users will appear in Account Settings → User Management

• Devices will begin reporting activity via heartbeat to Account Settings → Account Health → Devices

• No data will be collected until at least one app is approved

Technical Notes & Best Practices

• Add a step in your RMM script to quit and restart the agent after installation

• If you use endpoint protection (e.g. SentinelOne), be sure to whitelist the agent and app

• Track deployment success by checking:

  • User Management for new users
  • Account Health → Device for heartbeat data

Example RMM Scripts

• Installing the Produce8 Agent Using ConnectWise Automate (Windows)
• Installing the Setup Agent to Distribute with Datto RMM on Windows