SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is an open standard that
allows an identity provider to pass authorization credentials to a service provider. By using SAML with Apigee, you can support SSO
for the Apigee UI.
How SAML works with Apigee
The SAML specification defines three entities:
Principal (Apigee UI user)
Service provider (Google Cloud Platform)
Identity provider (any third-party provider that supports SAML 2.0)
When SAML is enabled, the principal (an Apigee UI user) requests access to the service provider
(Google Cloud Platform). Google Cloud Platform (in its role as a SAML service provider) then requests and obtains an
identity assertion from the third-party SAML identity provider and uses that assertion to create the OAuth 2.0
token required to access the Apigee UI. The user is then redirected to the Apigee UI.
Advantages of SAML authentication
SAML authentication offers several advantages. By using SAML you can:
Take full control of user management: Connect your company's SAML server to Apigee. When users leave your organization
and are deprovisioned centrally, they are automatically denied access to Apigee.
Control how users authenticate to access Apigee: Select different authentication types for your Apigee organizations.
Control authentication policies: Your SAML provider may support
authentication policies that are more in line with your enterprise standards.
Monitor logins, logouts, unsuccessful login attempts and high risk activities
on your Apigee deployment.
Using SAML with Apigee
To use SAML with Apigee, refer to the resources provided in the following table.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-26 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eSAML enables single sign-on (SSO) for the Apigee UI by allowing a third-party identity provider to pass authorization credentials to Google Cloud Platform, acting as the service provider.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eWhen enabled, SAML authentication allows the Apigee UI user to be redirected via Google Cloud Platform to access the platform.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUtilizing SAML with Apigee grants control over user management, authentication methods, and authentication policies, including the monitoring of logins and high-risk activities.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eSAML is exclusively for authenticating users into the Apigee UI, while authorization within Apigee is still managed through Apigee user roles.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThis only applies to Apigee and does not apply to Apigee hybrid.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# SAML overview\n\n*This page\napplies to **Apigee** , but not to **Apigee hybrid**.*\n\n\n*View [Apigee Edge](https://docs.apigee.com/api-platform/get-started/what-apigee-edge) documentation.*\n\nSAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is an open standard that\nallows an identity provider to pass authorization credentials to a service provider. By using SAML with Apigee, you can support SSO\nfor the Apigee UI.\n\nHow SAML works with Apigee\n--------------------------\n\nThe SAML specification defines three entities:\n\n- Principal (Apigee UI user)\n- Service provider (Google Cloud Platform)\n- Identity provider (any third-party provider that supports SAML 2.0)\n\nWhen SAML is enabled, the principal (an Apigee UI user) requests access to the service provider\n(Google Cloud Platform). Google Cloud Platform (in its role as a SAML service provider) then requests and obtains an\nidentity assertion from the third-party SAML identity provider and uses that assertion to create the OAuth 2.0\ntoken required to access the Apigee UI. The user is then redirected to the Apigee UI.\n\nAdvantages of SAML authentication\n---------------------------------\n\nSAML authentication offers several advantages. By using SAML you can:\n\n- **Take full control of user management:** Connect your company's SAML server to Apigee. When users leave your organization and are deprovisioned centrally, they are automatically denied access to Apigee.\n- **Control how users authenticate to access Apigee:** Select different authentication types for your Apigee organizations.\n- **Control authentication policies:** Your SAML provider may support authentication policies that are more in line with your enterprise standards.\n- **Monitor logins, logouts, unsuccessful login attempts and high risk activities** on your Apigee deployment.\n\n| **Note** : SAML is only used for authentication by the Apigee UI. Authorization is still controlled by Apigee user roles. See [Apigee roles](/apigee/docs/api-platform/system-administration/apigee-roles) for more.\n\nUsing SAML with Apigee\n----------------------\n\n\nTo use SAML with Apigee, refer to the resources provided in the following table."]]
