Enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) for Accord

A general overview of Single Sign-On (SSO) and how it enhances your experience with Accord by simplifying access and bolstering security.

What's in this Article:

1. What is Single Sign-On (SSO)?
2. Accord's Supported Identity Providers (IdPs)
3. How Your Team Accesses Accord with SSO
4. Getting Started with SSO for Accord
5. Important Notes on Accord and SSO

What is Single Sign-On (SSO)?

Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method that simplifies how your team accesses Accord. Instead of remembering a unique password for Accord, your employees can log in once to your company's primary identity system (your Identity Provider, or IdP) and then seamlessly access Accord without needing to re-enter credentials.

Accord's Supported Identity Providers (IdPs)

Accord integrates with leading identity providers, making adoption smooth and efficient:

• Google Workspace
• Okta / Auth0
• Microsoft Entra ID: 
• Salesforce SSO (SAML-based)

How Your Team Accesses Accord with SSO

For Accord workspaces enabled with SSO, your employees will primarily authenticate through your configured Identity Provider.

• Access via Your IdP Portal: Most of your team will likely access Accord directly from their company's SSO portal (e.g., their Okta dashboard), simply clicking the Accord application icon to log in.
• Direct Access: If an employee goes directly to your Accord workspace URL (e.g., yourcompany.accord.com) or clicks an Accord notification, they'll enter their work email. If their email domain matches your SSO setup, they'll be securely redirected to your IdP for login.

Client Access Remains Simple

Rest assured, your clients will continue to access Accord through their familiar and easy methods, such as Google Authentication or password-less links. Their access is completely independent of your organization's internal SSO setup.

Getting Started with SSO for Accord

Implementing SSO for your Accord workspace is a straightforward, collaborative process to ensure a secure and seamless setup for your team.

To initiate the SSO configuration for your organization, please reach out to your dedicated Accord Customer Success Manager (CSM).

Your CSM will guide you through every step, gather the necessary configuration details from your Identity Provider, and work with our technical team to configure SSO directly on your Accord instance. This hands-on approach ensures a precise and efficient integration.

Important Notes on Accord and SSO

• Automatic User Deprovisioning: Employees that leave your company and are removed from your iDP will automatically lose access to Accord.
• No Automatic User Provisioning: New employee accounts must be created or manually added within Accord before they can log in via SSO. Once their Accord account exists, they can then use their IdP credentials to sign in.
• MFA via Your IdP: Accord does not provide its own standalone Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). However, any 2FA/MFA requirements enforced by your Identity Provider will be honored during the SSO login process.
• Centralized Session Expiration: Session expiration times are managed centrally by Accord.