How do I add role-based access control with SSO?

To add role-based access control (RBAC) with SSO, think of it as two separate but connected parts:

1. SSO authenticates the user: “Who are you?”
2. RBAC authorizes the user: “What are you allowed to do?”

1) Pick an identity provider

Use an SSO provider such as:

• Okta
• Azure AD / Entra ID
• Google Workspace
• Auth0
• Keycloak
• Ping Identity

These typically support SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect (OIDC).

2) Define your roles

Decide on a small set of application roles, for example:

• admin
• manager
• editor
• viewer

Keep roles business-focused, not tied too tightly to UI screens.

3) Model roles in the identity provider

You usually have two options:

A. Put roles in the IdP

Assign roles/groups in the identity provider and send them in the SSO assertion/token:

• OIDC: include roles/groups as claims in the ID token or access token
• SAML: include roles/groups as attributes in the SAML assertion

This is common and convenient because access rules follow the user automatically.

B. Put roles in your app

SSO only provides identity; your app maps the user to roles stored in your database.

This is better when:

• you need app-specific roles
• you don’t want to manage access in the IdP
• you need more granular permissions

4) Map identity to authorization

After login, your app should:

1. validate the SSO token/assertion
2. identify the user uniquely
3. read roles/groups from claims or your database
4. create a session with those permissions

Example mapping:

• IdP group Finance-Admins → app role admin
• IdP group Support-ReadOnly → app role viewer

5) Enforce permissions in the app

Check roles at the:

• API layer
• route/controller layer
• service layer
• optionally the UI for hiding unavailable actions

Example logic:

• admin can manage users
• manager can approve requests
• viewer can only read data

Important: Always enforce access on the server, not just in the frontend.

6) Handle provisioning and deprovisioning

Decide how users get access:

• Just-in-time (JIT) provisioning: create user record on first login
• SCIM provisioning: sync users/groups from IdP to your app

If a user is removed from a group in the IdP, ensure access is revoked promptly.

7) Recommended implementation patterns

If using OIDC

• authenticate with your IdP
• receive ID/access token
• inspect claims like:
  • groups
  • roles
  • email
  • sub (unique user ID)
• map claims to app permissions

If using SAML

• configure SAML attribute statements for groups/roles
• parse assertion on login
• map attributes to app roles

8) Keep it secure

• Validate tokens/signatures properly
• Use short-lived tokens
• Don’t trust client-side role values
• Use least privilege
• Log role changes and access denials
• Review access periodically

9) Simple architecture

SSO provider → authenticates user → sends token/assertion with groups/roles → your app validates it → maps to internal roles → RBAC checks in backend

10) Example flow

1. User clicks “Sign in with SSO”
2. IdP authenticates them
3. IdP returns token with groups: ["Sales", "Managers"]
4. App maps Managers → manager
5. App grants manager-level actions
6. Backend checks role on every protected endpoint

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If you want, I can also give you:

• a step-by-step implementation for OIDC + RBAC
• a SAML example
• or code samples for Node.js, Python, Java, or .NET