diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 89cd378..68db9e3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 
 # misc
+.secrets/
+.env
 .DS_Store
 .env.local
 .env.development.local
@@ -25,5 +27,3 @@ yarn-debug.log*
 yarn-error.log*
 
 package-lock.json
-
-.env
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/migration/user_table_populate.py b/migration/user_table_populate.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f78750d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migration/user_table_populate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+# Important note: this migration script assumes EVERY SINGLE event has 
+# a participants subcollection; if this is not the case, it will yield an assertion error
+
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+from dotenv import load_dotenv
+
+from datetime import datetime
+
+import firebase_admin
+from firebase_admin import credentials, firestore
+
+# |---------- load secrets ----------|
+
+# / operator is overloaded on path instances --> / joins paths
+env_path = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent / ".secrets/.env"
+load_dotenv(dotenv_path=env_path)
+
+key_path = env_path = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent / ".secrets/service_account_key.json"
+cred = credentials.Certificate(key_path)
+firebase_admin.initialize_app(cred)
+
+# |---------- declare constants, init db ----------|
+
+API_KEY = os.getenv("FIREBASE_API_KEY", "BAD_API_KEY") 
+PROJECT_ID = os.getenv("FIREBASE_PROJECT_ID", "BAD_PROJECT_ID")
+MAX_N_EVENTS = 50
+
+db = firestore.client()
+
+# |---------- main task loop ----------|
+
+# fetch documents from the events collection
+for event_doc in db.collection("events").limit(MAX_N_EVENTS).stream():
+    
+    event_data = event_doc.to_dict()
+    # extract fields 
+    event_id = event_data.get("publicId")
+    admin_id = event_data.get("adminAccountId")
+    participants = event_data.get("participants", [])
+
+    # fetch participants subcollection 
+    # [this must exist for every event for the script to run properly]   
+    participants_sub = db.collection("events").document(event_id).collection("participants").stream()
+
+    # init name, email mappings for participants
+    id_to_email_map = {}
+    id_to_name_map = {}
+
+    # go over all docs  
+    for participant_doc in participants_sub:
+
+        participant_data = participant_doc.to_dict()
+        # extract fields
+        account_id = participant_data.get("accountId", "")
+        email = participant_data.get("email", "")
+        name = participant_data.get("name", "")
+
+        if account_id and email:
+            id_to_email_map[account_id] = email
+
+        if account_id and name:
+            id_to_name_map[account_id] = name
+
+    # for every participant in a given event
+    for participant_id in participants:
+        
+        # try to fetch user
+        user_ref = db.collection("users").document(participant_id)
+        user_doc = user_ref.get()
+        user_data = None
+
+        # if user exists
+        if user_doc.exists:
+            user_data = user_doc.to_dict()
+        # if user doesn't exist
+        else:
+            
+            # check we have email
+            user_email = id_to_email_map.get(participant_id, "")
+            # can replace with continue to skip bad participant_ids
+            # assert(user_email != "")
+            if user_email == "":
+                continue 
+            
+            # check we have name
+            user_name = id_to_name_map.get(participant_id, "")
+            # can replace with continue to skip bad participant_ids
+            # assert(user_name != "")
+            if user_name == "":
+                continue
+
+            # construct user
+            user_data = {
+                "email": user_email,
+                "name": user_name,
+                "selectedCalendarIDs": [user_email],
+                "uid": participant_id,
+                "userEvents": []
+            }
+        
+        is_admin = (participant_id == admin_id)
+
+        # make sure user has userEvents attr
+        if "userEvents" not in user_data:
+            user_data["userEvents"] = []
+        
+        # avoid event duplicates
+        if not any(event_already_on_user["code"] == event_id for event_already_on_user in user_data["userEvents"]):
+        
+            # construct event
+            event_entry = {
+                "code": event_id,
+                "idAdmin": is_admin,
+                "dateCreated": datetime.now(),
+                "lastModified": datetime.now()
+            }
+            user_data["userEvents"].append(event_entry)
+
+        # danger! this will override existing user data, 
+        # use merge=True option for soft merge
+        user_ref.set(user_data)
+
+
+# skip if no participant subc
+# if code not 6 digits
+# if Date is not DateTime
\ No newline at end of file