User Authentication

Use one login across your site with the SSO LMS integration

Give learners one set of credentials for your website and your school. The SSO integration supports SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, and custom setups.

TL;DR

The SSO integration lets learners use one set of credentials for your website and your LearnWorlds school, so you stop running separate logins. This SSO LMS integration works with SAML, OpenID Connect, or your own login page.

Cut password fatigue. Learners use one set of credentials across your site and school

Stop choosing one login system. SAML and OpenID Connect can run side by side

Skip rebuilding accounts. User data and roles carry over when you switch methods

Best for: IT teams and school owners who want one login for their website and academy.

Available on Learning Center and above.

What you can do with SSO and LearnWorlds

Pick the right SSO method

Use SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect for an identity provider. A WordPress site can use the WordPress SSO plugin, and any other system can use custom SSO.

Run several methods at once

Keep more than one SSO method active in the same school. You can run up to three custom SSO, SAML, or OpenID setups before you contact support.

Bring existing users across

Bulk import and enroll users who already exist in your SSO provider, so their accounts and course access are ready at their first sign-in.

Update emails from OpenID Connect

Turn on the user ID setting for an OpenID provider and email changes in that provider update LearnWorlds at login. SAML email changes need a manual update.

How LearnWorlds and SSO integrate

See what changes at sign-in once SSO is connected. Automatic rows need nothing beyond the connection, and Conditional rows depend on how you configure your school.

LearnWorldsSSOType of trigger
User clicks Sign in with SAML or OpenID Connect activeUser is redirected to the identity provider to authenticate, then back to your schoolAutomatic
LearnWorlds login is turned offEvery user authenticates with the SSO provider and LearnWorlds passwords stop workingConditional
Registration through OpenID Connect, SAML, or a social loginAffiliate link is tracked for commissionAutomatic
First login with an email your school doesn’t haveCreate User adds the user to your schoolConditional

What teams ask before connecting

Does LearnWorlds SSO support all major identity providers including Entra ID and Auth0?

Yes for Auth0 and Microsoft Entra, which both have setup guides. LearnWorlds supports SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect, and you can set up either with practically any identity provider. If neither fits your system, custom SSO lets you use your own login page.

Can SSO be set up without developer involvement?

Yes for SAML and OpenID Connect. You configure both in your LearnWorlds authentication settings with details from your identity provider, using the school owner account. Custom SSO is different, because you build the external authentication page yourself.

Can multiple organizations each use their own SSO configuration in the same school?

You can connect several identity providers to one school. LearnWorlds supports multiple SSO setups at the same time. Using more than three custom SSO, SAML, or OpenID setups in total needs a request to support. Learning Center schools can also add three more with the Scale package.

How to set up the LearnWorlds and SSO integration

Have admin access to your identity provider and the LearnWorlds school owner account ready. At the end, learners sign in once for your website and school.

1. Pick your SSO method

Choose SAML 2.0 or OpenID Connect for a standard identity provider. Use the WordPress SSO plugin for a WordPress site, or custom SSO for your own login page.

2. Create your provider app

Create an authentication application in your identity provider and collect the details LearnWorlds asks for. Requires: admin access to your identity provider.

3. Open authentication settings

Go to Website > Website settings > Authentication, select SAML or OpenID Connect, and add a new setup. Requires: the LearnWorlds school owner account.

4. Enter details and activate

Activate the setup, name it, and paste your provider details. Turn on Create User if new users need accounts at first login, then click Create.

5. Update your payment flow

If you turn off LearnWorlds login, update Site Navigation for logged-out users and hide the Sign in/up form in payment sections. For the full setup guide, see the SSO help article.

What the SSO integration handles automatically

Redirect sign-in requests

LearnWorlds automatically sends users to your SSO provider when they sign in with LearnWorlds login turned off.

Keep user data and roles

LearnWorlds automatically keeps user data and roles like admin or instructor when you change the authentication method.

Track affiliate registrations

LearnWorlds automatically tracks affiliate links when users register through OpenID Connect, SAML, or a social login.

What LearnWorlds handles automaticallyWhat your team configures
Sends every sign-in to your SSO providerChoosing the SSO method that fits your login system
Keeps user data and roles on a method changeCreating the authentication application in your identity provider
Matches users by email address at loginImporting users who already exist in your SSO provider
Tracks affiliate links on OpenID, SAML, and social registrationsHandling sign-up and password resets in your provider

Who uses the SSO integration and how

IT teams standardizing on one identity provider

IT connects the company provider through SAML or OpenID Connect and turns off LearnWorlds login. Every learner signs in through it, and roles and user data stay intact.

WordPress site owners sharing logins with their academy

Members log in on the WordPress site and move into the LearnWorlds school without a second account, through the WordPress SSO plugin.

Product teams with their own login page

Developers build an external authentication page with custom SSO. Users sign in there and return to the school as logged-in users.

FAQs

SSO is available on the Learning Center plan and above. Learning Center schools can add three more SSO setups with the Scale package.

Yes. SAML and OpenID Connect are set up in your LearnWorlds authentication settings, with no Zapier or Make step involved. For your own login page, see the Custom SSO integration.

No. LearnWorlds sign-up and password reset only work with the default LearnWorlds authentication, so your SSO provider handles both.

Users created through SSO need a new password. They can set one with the forgot password link, or an admin can reset or update it for them.

No. Registrations through custom SSO implementations aren’t tracked, so they don’t trigger affiliate commissions. Registrations through OpenID Connect, SAML, and social logins are tracked.

Yes, if your learners already have a login on your website or with an identity provider. Once SSO is connected, every sign-in goes through that provider and user data stays intact. Your team stops managing a second set of passwords, and you can see more LearnWorlds integrations.

Published:

Last Update: