Before you start
Open the setup link in the invitation email we sent you, or the application setup URL we provided. Follow any sign-in instructions and check that the portal is for the correct application, organization, and environment.
- A setup invitation for your organization's IT administrator.
- Administrator access to your identity provider and authority to assign users.
- A test user who should have access to the application.
- ACS URL and SP Entity ID shown in your setup portal.
ACS URL and SP Entity ID shown in your setup portal
Identity Provider Metadata URL
The portal provides the connection-specific values and current setup steps. This page is a supporting reference. Follow the portal if the steps differ. Connection URLs may use an authentication service domain rather than our website's domain. Copy them exactly and keep test and production settings separate.
Treat your setup link as private. Share it only with authorized IT administrators. If it has expired or setup is already complete, contact us for the appropriate access.
Configure Salesforce
Follow the provider instructions in your setup portal first. Use the steps below as a reference. Screenshots show example settings, not your connection values. Provider screens may differ by version or license.
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Enable Salesforce as an identity provider
In Setup, open Certificate and Key Management. Select an approved signing certificate or create one. Open Identity Provider, select Enable Identity Provider if needed, and choose that certificate. Copy the Metadata URL.
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Configure the connected application
In Setup > App Manager, create or select the connected app for the product you're connecting. Set the contact email to your organization's responsible IT contact. Under Web App Settings, enable SAML. Enter the Entity ID shown in your setup portal and ACS URL. Set Subject Type to User ID and Name ID Format to urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.1:nameid-format:emailAddress. Confirm the Issuer matches your Salesforce subdomain. Select the same IdP certificate and SHA256 as the signing algorithm.
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Add custom attributes
Open Manage Connected Apps and select the application. Under Custom Attributes, add id, firstName, and lastName, mapped to the user's Salesforce ID, first name, and last name. Salesforce includes email automatically; verify it is populated in the test response.
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Grant profile access
Under Manage Profiles, allow only the profiles that should access the application. Save the application and keep the Identity Provider Metadata URL copied in the first step.
- Salesforce must act as the identity provider for this setup. This is different from configuring SSO to sign in to Salesforce itself. Application creation options can vary by Salesforce release; an existing approved connected app may be required.
Save the connection in the setup portal
Return to the same setup portal you opened from your setup invitation. Enter or upload the provider details it requests:
- Identity Provider Metadata URL.
Save the configuration and follow the portal's prompts. You do not need to email these details to us. If a required field or upload is missing, stop and contact us rather than sending credentials through another channel.
Upload identity provider metadata or the public signing certificate requested by the portal. Never upload or send your SAML signing private key.
These documentation pages do not collect credentials or create connections. Complete setup in your organization's private setup portal.
Test before rollout
- After saving the connection, use the setup portal's Test sign-in action when available. Sign in with the assigned test user and check the result.
- Also test the actual application sign-in in a private browser window. A successful portal test does not confirm application membership or permissions.
- Confirm the correct organization and identity provider appear.
- Confirm sign-in returns to the intended application with the correct email and account.
- Confirm the user has the expected application permissions. Authentication alone does not grant application roles.
- Check that a user who should not have access cannot enter the application.
- Agree on rollout and a recovery access method before requiring SSO for everyone.
If the portal requests domain verification, have your DNS administrator add the exact record shown there. Complete the required verification and testing before enforcing SSO. Contact us if you cannot complete a required step.
Troubleshooting
The setup link has expired or no longer opens
Contact us for a fresh invitation or the appropriate management access. Do not forward your private setup link or include it in a support ticket.
The provider rejects the redirect, reply URL, or audience
Compare the configured values with the exact connection details shown in your setup portal. Check the protocol, path, trailing slash, and environment. Don't substitute the application homepage for the authentication callback.
The user isn't assigned or access is denied
Confirm the user or group assignment and the provider's access policy. Also check your organization membership and application permissions with us. For Google Workspace, access changes can take up to 24 hours.
Email or name information is missing
Check the mapped fields for the test user and the outgoing attribute names. For OIDC, check the ID token claims. Ask us to validate the identity response through our secure diagnostics process.
Sign-in fails after a certificate or secret change
Check expiration dates and whether the connection has the updated metadata, public signing certificate, or client credential. Coordinate rotation before replacing a credential used by a live connection.
Can groups assign application roles automatically?
Only configure group claims after we confirm the application's role-mapping support and the intended mappings. Sending groups alone doesn't grant application permissions. Don't assume a group named Admin will receive administrator access.
Need a hand?
Send us your provider name, application, organization, environment, and the time and error code from the failed sign-in. Don't include passwords, client secrets, private keys, tokens, private setup links, or raw SAML responses.