# Unable to get Admin Filter working for LDAP

**URL:** <https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-get-admin-filter-working-for-ldap/25636>\
**Category:** Troubleshooting\
**Created:** [January 12, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-get-admin-filter-working-for-ldap/25636 "2026-01-12T17:31:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ConfusedBadger91](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e495f1/32.png) [@ConfusedBadger91](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/ConfusedBadger91)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/unable-to-get-admin-filter-working-for-ldap/25636/1 "2026-01-12T17:31:09Z")

</div>

**Summary**  
I use SAML (ADFS) with LDAP enabled but when I configure the LDAP admin filter it seems to be ignored.

**Steps to reproduce**  
Run mattermost server via docker following the guidance documentation and add enterprise license.

Enable SAML for ADFS following; [Configure SAML with Microsoft ADFS using Microsoft Windows Server 2016 - Mattermost documentation](https://docs.mattermost.com/administration-guide/onboard/sso-saml-adfs-msws2016.html) and enable LDAP sync following; [AD/LDAP setup - Mattermost documentation](https://docs.mattermost.com/administration-guide/onboard/ad-ldap.html) .

Set an admin filter (and enable) under LDAP setup of: (memberOf=cn=admingroup,ou=groups,DC=fabrikam,DC=local)

Add a mattermost user directly to the admin group in AD

**Expected behavior**  
I expected the user would be promoted to admin at next logon via SAML (after AD sync) assuming existing session has expired (as per note on admin filter docs)

**Observed behavior**  
The user is still just a normal user, there are no log entries to suggest admin filter is being checked or is failing.

Am I incorrectly understanding how the admin filter should work? If so, how can I get mattermost to set users that are part of a specific AD group as Admins in mattermost?