Setting Up Single Sign-On for Squarespace Enterprise Sites

Setting Up SSO for Squarespace Enterprise Sites

TL;DR:

• SSO setup is exclusive to Squarespace Enterprise plans
• Works with Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, ClassLink, or Google authentication
• Secure internal sites or department-specific content with SSO
• Customise your SSO login screen to match your company branding
• Apply SSO protection at site level or individual page level
• Requires coordination with your IT team for proper setup

Single Sign-On (SSO) on Squarespace Enterprise lets you restrict access to your site or specific pages to authenticated users only. This is particularly useful for internal company sites, department resources, or any content that needs controlled access.

Getting Started with SSO Setup

You'll need a Squarespace Enterprise plan to use SSO functionality. Once you have that sorted, the setup process involves choosing your authentication provider and configuring the credentials.

Choose Your Authentication Provider

Pick from one of these supported providers based on what your organisation already uses:

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• Okta
• Microsoft Entra ID
• ClassLink
• Google

Your IT team will likely have a preference based on your existing security infrastructure.

Add Your SSO Credentials

Here's how to get your credentials set up:

1. Go to the SSO Credentials panel in your account settings
2. Click 'Add SSO Credentials'
3. Select your provider from the dropdown menu
4. Enter the required credentials (this varies by provider but typically includes client ID, client secret, or X.509 certificate)
5. Input the single sign-on URL provided by your authentication service
6. Add a nickname for these credentials to help identify them later

The exact details you need will depend on your chosen provider. Work with your IT team to ensure you have the correct information before starting this step.

Applying SSO Protection

Once your credentials are configured, you can apply SSO protection either to your entire site or to individual pages.

Site-Level SSO Protection

To protect your entire site:

1. Navigate to the Site Availability panel
2. Set your site to 'SSO protected'
3. Choose your SSO credentials from the list
4. Customise the login button text if needed

Page-Level SSO Protection

For protecting specific pages:

1. In the Pages panel, hover over the page you want to protect
2. Access the page settings
3. Enable SSO protection for that page
4. Select the appropriate SSO credentials

You can use different credentials for different pages, which is handy if different departments need access to different sections of your site.

Customising Your SSO Login Screen

The default SSO login screen works fine, but you'll probably want to brand it to match your company's visual identity.

Design Customisation

1. Go to the Design panel and select SSO Login Screen
2. Modify the content, background, fonts, and overall styling
3. For logos, use the Branding & Text panel to upload and position your company logo

Keep the design clean and professional. Remember, this is often the first thing users see when accessing your internal resources.

FAQs

Can I use SSO with any Squarespace plan?
No, SSO is only available on Enterprise plans.

Do I need technical expertise to set up SSO?
Basic technical knowledge helps, but you'll definitely want to work with your IT team to ensure everything is configured correctly.

Can I customize the SSO login page?
Yes, you have extensive customisation options to match your organisation's branding.

What happens if someone without access tries to view a protected page?
They'll be redirected to the SSO login screen and won't be able to access the content without proper authentication.

Can I have different SSO credentials for different pages?
Yes, you can assign different credentials to different pages, which is useful for department-specific access control.

Jargon Buster

Single Sign-On (SSO): A system where users log in once and gain access to multiple applications without needing to authenticate again for each one.

Authentication Provider: The service that verifies user identities before granting access to your protected content.

Client ID and Client Secret: Unique codes provided by authentication services that identify and secure the connection between your Squarespace site and the authentication provider.

X.509 Certificate: A digital certificate that uses public key infrastructure to verify the identity of the certificate holder.

Wrap-up

SSO setup is straightforward once you have the right credentials and support from your IT team. The key is getting the initial configuration right and testing thoroughly before rolling it out to your users.

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Remember to double-check all configurations and test access with a few users before going live. SSO problems can lock people out of important resources, so it's worth taking the time to get it right from the start.

If you need help with advanced Squarespace Enterprise features like SSO, check out our comprehensive training resources.