Set up SAML with Google#

This article explains how to set up SAML with Google for an organization in Aiven. For more information on SAML and instructions for other identity providers, see the Set up SAML authentication article.

Prerequisite steps in Aiven Console#

  1. In the organization, click Admin.

  2. Select Identity providers.

  3. Click Add identity provider.

  4. Enter a name and select SAML. You can also select the groups that users will be added to when they sign up or log in through this authentication method.

You are shown two parameters needed to set up the SAML authentication in Google:

  • Metadata URL

  • ACS URL

Configure SAML on Google#

  1. Log in to Google Admin console.

  2. Go to Menu -> Apps -> Web and mobile apps.

  3. Click Add App -> Add custom SAML app.

  4. On the App Details page, enter a name for the Aiven profile.

  5. Click Continue.

  6. On the Google Identity Provider details page, Copy the SSO URL, Entity ID and the Certificate. These are needed later for the SAML configuration in Aiven Console.

  7. Click Continue.

  8. In the Service Provider Details window, set the following parameters:

    Parameter

    Value

    Entity ID

    Metadata URL from Aiven Console

    ACS URL

    ACS URL from Aiven Console

    Name ID format

    EMAIL

    App attributes

    email

  9. Click Finish.

  10. Turn on your SAML app.

Finish the configuration in Aiven#

Go back to the Authentication page in Aiven Console to enable the SAML authentication method:

  1. Select the name of the Google method that you created.

  2. In the SAML configuration section, click Edit.

  3. Add the configuration settings from Google:

    • Set the SAML IDP URL to the SSO URL from Google.

    • Set the SAML Entity ID to the Entity ID from Google .

    • Paste the certificate from Google into the SAML Certificate field.

  4. Click Edit method to save your changes.

  5. Toggle on Enable authentication method at the top of the page.

  6. In the Signup and link accounts URLs section, copy the appropriate link and send it to your users to switch them to the new IdP:

    • Signup URL: For users that don’t have an Aiven user account and need to create a new Aiven user linked to this IdP.

    • Account link URL: For users that already have an Aiven user account to link their existing Aiven user with the configured IdP.

Note

If you set up a SAML authentication method before and are now switching to a new IdP, existing users need to log in with the new account link URL to finish the setup.

Troubleshooting#

If you have issues, you can use the SAML Tracer browser extension to check the process step by step.