# What is SAML? A practical guide to the authentication protocol

DevFeed: [What is SAML? A practical guide to the authentication protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/what-is-saml-a-practical-guide-to-the-authentication-protocol-709.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://supabase.com/blog/what-is-saml-authentication>)

Author: Kang Ming Tay

Published: 2024-01-17T07:00:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Supabase Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/supabase-blog.md>)

Topics: [Authentication](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/authentication.md>), [Protocol (disambiguation)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/protocol.md>), [Single sign-on (SSO)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/sso.md>), [XML](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/xml.md>), [Authorization](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/authorization.md>), [Provisioning](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/provisioning.md>), [Security](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/security.md>), [OAuth](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/oauth.md>)

Tags: [active-directory](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/active-directory.md>), [authentication](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/authentication.md>), [authorization](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/authorization.md>), [guide](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/guide.md>), [oauth](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/oauth.md>), [openid](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/openid.md>), [openid-connect](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/openid-connect.md>), [protocol](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/protocol.md>), [provisioning](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/provisioning.md>), [saml](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/saml.md>), [sso](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/sso.md>), [xml](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/xml.md>)

## AI overview

This practical guide explains SAML authentication and how SAML enables single sign-on between identity providers and service providers. It covers employee provisioning, XML-based SAML assertions, X.509 certificate exchange, and the distinction between SAML and broader SSO approaches such as OAuth and OpenID Connect.

## Source excerpt

Learn what is SAML authentication, how it differentiates from SSO, SAML with Postgres, and more.