Use IDP Federation to enforce zero trust policies on all SaaS Applications integrated with OneLogin

Use federation capabilities in OneLogin to enforce CSE Policies on your SaaS applications
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026

Overview

This guide details the steps required to set up OneLogin and CSE TrustProvider to enable device registration and authentication for any SaaS application. Additionally, this guide covers how to add policy enforcement in CSE TrustProvider at the SaaS application level.

How it Works

In the IDP-first authentication flow, you configure your OneLogin to federate authentication requests to CSE's TrustProvider component. CSE TrustProvider federates right back to OneLogin for user authentication but, because CSE is now in the authentication flow, it is able to enforce Zero Trust security policy.

CSE supports two types of IDP-first authentication flows for OneLogin:

1. Service Provider-initiated - End users launch the SaaS application directly.

  • 1.1 SaaS application redirects the user to OneLogin with Special Query parameter for Application and Trusted IDP
  • 1.2 User is redirected to OneLogin
  • 1.3 OneLogin selects the CSE Trusted IDP
  • 1.4 User is redirected to Trust Provider
  • 1.5 Trust Provider validates the certificate
  • 1.6 Trust Provider is redirected the user to OneLogin for authentication (SAML Connector)
  • 1.7 User enters credentials and OneLogin posts the SAML Response to Trust Provider
  • 1.8 Trust Provider exchanges the access token and issues the token to OneLogin
  • 1.9 OneLogin redirects the user to Application Portal

2. Identity Provider-initiated - End users launch the SaaS application from the OneLogin catalog.

  • 2.1 User logs in to OneLogin
  • 2.2 User is redirected to application catalog
  • 2.3 User clicks on SaaS Application (Proxy App)
  • 2.4 Proxy Application routes the user to Trust Provider with Application Redirect URL and Group Id as SAML Assertion Claims
  • 2.5 Trust Provider verifies the device certificate and applies Policy
  • 2.6 On success, user is redirected to application redirect URL

OneLogin currently cannot redirect the end user back to intended SaaS application. The end user must click the SaaS application again from OneLogin Portal.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the setup steps below, please ensure you have:

  • A OneLogin account with Admin privileges
  • Integrated CSE with OneLogin to create a directory of users that can access your Services
  • A CSE Organization and a configured CSE Trust Provider
  • A role and policy tailored for your organization's needs
  • A SaaS application for testing (such as Slack)

Setup

About the screenshots and example values: The screenshots in this guide were captured in an example tenant. Wherever a URL, subdomain, or tenant identifier appears in an image or a code sample, substitute the value from your own environment — your OneLogin subdomain (for example, https://<your-subdomain>.onelogin.com) and your production CSE tenant URLs. Do not enter the example or lab values literally.

At a high level, configuring OneLogin IdP federation to CSE can be broken out into three phases:

Phase 1. Configure CSE as a OneLogin Trusted IDP

This phase establishes trust between OneLogin and CSE's TrustProvider.

StepDescription
1Configure OneLogin Trusted IdP
2Configure CSE IDP-routed Service
3Prepare your CSE-registered app details for OneLogin
4Update OneLogin Trusted IdP Configuration

Phase 2. Configure SP-initiated Access

This phase sets up all apps federated with OneLogin to use CSE TrustProvider for ZeroTrust policy checks.

StepDescription
5Configure OneLogin SaaS Application

Phase 3. Configure IdP-initiated Access

Phase 3 is only required if your end users will launch the SaaS application from the OneLogin application catalog.

This phase sets up applications launched from the OneLogin catalog to use CSE TrustProvider for ZeroTrust policy checks.

StepDescription
6Configure Proxy SaaS Application
7Assign Users to Application
8Disable Original Application from OneLogin Catalog

Phase 1. Configure CSE as a OneLogin Trusted IDP #

Step 1. Configure OneLogin Trusted IdP

1.1 In the OneLogin Admin Portal, navigate to Authentication > Trusted Idps and then click New Trust.

1.2 Enter the Trust Provider name "CSE SAML Idp" and then click the green checkmark.

1.3 Navigate to the Settings tab and then copy the SP Entity Id, which you will use in the steps below.

Step 2. Configure CSE IDP-routed Service

2.1 In the CSE Command Center, navigate to Manage Services > SaaS Applications and then click + PUBLISH SAAS APPLICATION.

2.2 Select IDP Routed to route OneLogin to CSE

2.3 Enter the service details shown below.

  • Enter a IDP Routed Service Name (such as "OneLoginSAML") and Description
  • Set the authentication protocol to SAML
  • For Redirect URL (SAML ACS), enter https://<your-subdomain>.onelogin.com/access/idp (replace <your-subdomain> with your OneLogin subdomain)
  • For Audience URI (Service Provider Entity ID), enter the OneLogin Trusted IDP SP Entity ID (copied in step 1.3)
  • Set Name ID Format to Email
  • Set Name ID Value to Legacy compatibility mode
  • Attach an applicable policy

2.4 Register.

2.5 Make note of the SaaS app Client configuration values shown in the Command Center, as you will use them in Step 4.1.

2.6 Also, copy the Metadata URL, paste it in your browser search bar and then press enter to download the xml file. You will use the information in this file to configure SSO in OneLogin.

Step 3. Prepare your CSE-registered App Details for OneLogin

3.1 Open the metadata xml file downloaded in Step 2.6 in your preferred text editor.

3.2 Locate and copy the X509Certificate string, and then paste it in a separate, new text editor file.

3.3 Format the string and then save it as a pem file. You will upload this file in Step 4.1.

  • Ensure you add the header (-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----) to the first line.
  • Ensure you add the footer (-----END CERTIFICATE-----) to the last line.
  • Ensure you add line breaks so that each line is no longer than 64 characters max.
  • The formatted pem file should look like the example below:

3.4 Also in the downloaded metadata xml file, locate and take note of the <SingleSignOnService Location> string. You will enter this value in Step 4.1.

Step 4. Update OneLogin Trusted IdP Configuration

4.1 Navigate to Settings and then update following fields:

  • Login Options
    • Show in Login Panel - Unchecked
    • Login Icon - Enter a publicly accessible URL for your login icon (for example, your organization's logo or an official SonicWall CSE logo). Do not use internal lab or test-tenant URLs.
  • Configurations
    • Issuer - Enter the CSE SaaS Application Metadata Url (noted in step 2.6)
    • Sign users into OneLogin - Checked
    • Sign users into additional applications - Unchecked
    • Send Subject Name Id or Login Hint in Auth Request - Checked
  • User Attribute
    • User Attribute Mapping - set to Email
  • SAML Configurations
    • Idp Login Url - Get SingleSignOnService Url from CSE SaaS Application metadata Url (noted in step 3.4)
  • Enable/Disable
    • Enable Trusted IDP - Checked
  • Paste X.509 Certificate in the relevant box

4.2 Click Save.


Phase 2. Configure SP-initiated Access #

Step 5. Configure SaaS Application SSO

This step uses Slack as an example.

5.1 Log in to the Slack Admin Portal and then navigate to Settings & Permissions.

5.2 Select the Authentication tab and then click Change/Add Settings for SAML Authentication Settings.

5.3 Update the fields accordingly:

  • SAML SSO URL - This value is not copied directly from OneLogin. You build it so that OneLogin routes the sign-in through the CSE Trusted IdP. Use the following format:

    {onelogin-domain}/access/initiate?iss={issuer}&target_link_uri={endpoint}
    

    Replace each placeholder as described below:

    PlaceholderWhat to enterWhere to find it
    {onelogin-domain}Your OneLogin instance base URL, including https://.For example, https://example.onelogin.com.
    {issuer}The Issuer value configured on the CSE Trusted IdP.Authentication > Trusted IdPs > [CSE SAML Idp] > Settings > Configurations > Issuer. This is the CSE SaaS app Metadata URL you entered in Step 4.1.
    {endpoint}The OneLogin app's SAML 2.0 Endpoint (HTTP).Applications > [your app, e.g. Slack] > SSO > SAML 2.0 Endpoint (HTTP).

    Append the {issuer} value to the ?iss= parameter, then add a &target_link_uri= parameter set to the {endpoint} value. URL-encode both the iss and target_link_uri values. A completed URL looks like this:

    https://example.onelogin.com/access/initiate?iss=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.trust.banyanops.com%2Fapi%2Fv1%2Fsaml_metadata&target_link_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.onelogin.com%2Ftrust%2Fsaml2%2Fhttp-post%2Fsso%2Fabcdef
    

    Tip: After you save, validate the URL with a test sign-in. If OneLogin does not route through the CSE Trusted IdP, confirm that the iss value exactly matches the Trusted IdP Issuer and that both query-string values are URL-encoded.

  • Identity Provider Issuer - Enter the Issuer URL from the OneLogin app's SSO tab (Applications > [your app] > SSO).

  • Public Certificate - Enter the X.509 Certificate from the OneLogin app's SSO tab (Applications > [your app] > SSO > View Details).

  • Sign In Button Label - Enter "OneLogin".

5.4 Click Save Configuration to verify and complete SSO setup.


Phase 3. Configure IdP-initiated Access #

Step 6. Configure Proxy SaaS Application

6.1 In OneLogin, navigate to Applications and then select Add App.

6.2 In the application catalog search box, enter SAML Custom Connector (Advanced), select that connector, and then click Save.

6.3 Navigate to the Info tab and then update the following fields:

  • Display Name - Enter the app name (such as "Slack")
  • Visible in portal - Checked/enabled
  • Square Icon - Upload the app logo icon (such as the Slack logo icon)

6.4 Save.

6.5 Navigate to the Parameters tab and then add redirect url and serviceId.

  • To add redirectUrl, select the Plus icon and enter:
    • Name - Enter "redirectUrl", then click Save
    • Value - Select Macro and then enter the application's SAML 2.0 Endpoint (HTTP) URL
    • Flags - Check the Include in SAML assertion checkbox
  • To add serviceId, select the Plus icon and enter:
    • Name - Enter serviceId, then click Save
    • Value - Select Macro and then enter your SaaS Application ID from the CSE Command Center.
    • Flags - Check the Include in SAML assertion checkbox

6.6 Save, and then select Save again to update the parameters.

6.7 Navigate to the Configuration tab and complete the following fields using the SAML Proxy URL and Audience (Entity ID) values from the IDP Routed App in the CSE Command Center:

  • Audience (EntityID) - Enter the Audience / Entity ID of the IDP Routed App.
  • Recipient - Enter the SAML Proxy URL.
  • ACS (Consumer) Url - Enter the SAML Proxy URL.
  • Login Url - Enter the SAML Proxy URL.

{:.alert.alert-warning} Verify before publishing: The exact field mapping above could not be confirmed against a live tenant. Confirm with an SME which IDP Routed App value belongs in each OneLogin field, and update this step accordingly.

6.8 Save.

Step 7. Assign Users to Application

7.1 In OneLogin, navigate to Users and then select a User.

7.2 Navigate to the Applications tab and then click the plus icon (+) to add a new Application.

7.3 Add Slack and Slack proxy application to the user.

7.4 Click Save User.

Step 8. Disable Original Application from OneLogin Catalog

8.1 Navigate to Info and then disable Visible in portal.

Enabling Passwordless #

Passwordless is recommended to provide an optimal user experience when accessing applications on CSE registered devices. If Passwordless is not enabled, end users will default to OneLogin's authentication methods.

Passwordless authentication with CSE leverages the fact that the trusted Device Certificate includes the user's email address in the UserPrincipalName SAN extension field.

When passwordless is enabled, the device certificate that is presented during device trust will be used to extract the user who is attempting to authenticate. The identified user will be issued a TrustToken without requiring username and password. The user will then proceed with OneLogin's authentication configurations for the user selected application such as adding MFA.

1. Edit the existing CSE IDP Routed Service for OneLogin (Step 2.3).

2. Enable Passwordless Authentication.