What does "identity provider" mean in programming?
identity provider is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.
Definition
A system that creates, manages, and authenticates user identities, and asserts those identities to other services. Companies use identity providers (IdP) so employees log in once and access all internal tools. Common IdPs: Okta, Auth0, Azure AD, Google Workspace.
Example
"Okta is our identity provider. When a user logs into GitHub or Jira, they authenticate through Okta rather than managing separate passwords."
Related terms
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