Single Sign-On (SSO)

Instead of each app managing its own password database, SSO delegates authentication to a single identity provider (Okta, Google Workspace, Azure AD). The app never sees a password at all — it receives a signed assertion that the identity provider already verified who you are.

The connected app trusts a cryptographically signed token from the identity provider — it never handles or stores a password itself

Centralizing authentication means a single place to enforce MFA, and a single place to instantly revoke access across every connected app when someone leaves

The signature on the SSO assertion must be verified against the identity provider's actual public key — accepting an unsigned or self-signed assertion defeats the entire model

"Single sign-on" is also "single point of failure" for access — if the identity provider account is compromised, every connected app is reachable through it

Hands-on demo

Offboard an employee, then try every connected app

Toggle whether this employee's account is still active at the identity provider, then attempt to log into every app that trusts it.

Try it yourself

Try it yourself — run a scenario below, then flip this and replay it to see what changes.

Employee Logs Into a Connected App

An employee accesses a third-party tool using their company identity.

Want this flow explained in detail as it plays?

app.flowground.dev/login

FlowGround

Employee

App

Identity Provider

Redirected to the company's identity provider instead of a login form on the third-party app itself.

Selected hop

Employee clicks "Log in with Company SSO"

Employee

A staff member authenticating with their company identity.

Identity Provider

The single, trusted authority every connected app defers to for authentication.

What happens here

Redirected to the company's identity provider instead of a login form on the third-party app itself.