So Many Logins, So Little Time: Setting up SSO for Salesforce

Single Sign-On (SSO) simplifies login for your users by eliminating the need to enter credentials for multiple applications. In this post, we'll walk you through the process of setting up SSO for Salesforce using SAML, a popular protocol for secure authentication.

Prerequisites:

1. Custom domain: Ensure you have a custom domain set up for your Salesforce org. This eliminates reliance on Salesforce's login page and provides greater control over the user experience.
2. Federation ID: Populate the "Federation ID" field for your users. This acts as a unique identifier matching them between Salesforce and your identity provider (IDP).
3. SAML support: Your chosen IDP must support SAML assertions.

Step 1: Configure SAML Single Sign-On Settings

1. Navigate to: Setup > Security Controls > Single Sign-On Settings.
2. Click New to create a new SAML setting.
3. Gather the following information from your IDP:
   • Identity Provider Login URL: URL to initiate the login process on your IDP.
   • Identity Provider Logout URL: URL to redirect users after logging out of Salesforce.
   • Identity Provider Certificate: Copy and paste the certificate provided by your IDP.
4. In the SAML Single Sign-On Settings page, enter:
   • Name: A user-friendly name displayed on the Salesforce login screen.
   • Issuer: Any value is acceptable, typically the IDP name.
   • SAML Identity Type: Choose the field matching users between your IDP and Salesforce, typically "Federation ID".
   • Service Provider Initiated Request Binding: Select "HTTP Post".
5. Click Save to finalize the SAML configuration.

Step 2: Enable SSO on Your Custom Domain

1. Navigate to: Setup > Domain Management > My Domain.
2. Click Edit next to Authentication Configuration.
3. Select the checkbox for the IDP you configured for SSO.
4. Uncheck the Enable Direct Login box if you want to enforce SSO for all users. This ensures they always use the IDP login process.
5. Click Save to activate the SSO configuration for your custom domain.

Tip: Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced security. You can configure MFA on either your IDP or within Salesforce itself.

By following these steps, you can streamline access to your Salesforce org for your users with convenient and secure SSO. Remember to consult your IDP's documentation for specific configuration details.

Additional Resources:

• Salesforce Help: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.sso_about.htm&language=en_US&type=5
• SAML for Beginners: https://simplesamlphp.org/docs/stable/simplesamlphp-idp.html