Integrate Okta/Auth0 with Strapi

Securely manage user authentication and access control in Strapi using Okta’s identity platform.

These integration guides are not official documentation and the Strapi Support Team will not provide assistance with them.

What Is Okta?

Okta is a leading identity and access management platform that handles authentication and authorization for modern applications. Its enterprise-grade security and smooth integration make it perfect for content management systems like Strapi.

The platform gives you three essential tools for your development workflow: single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and centralized user management. These authentication methods in Strapi help you build rock-solid security while keeping things simple for users.

Okta uses industry-standard protocols including Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) and OpenID Connect (OIDC). When working with Strapi, you can pick either protocol based on what you need, though OIDC is usually better for new integrations because of its modern design and simpler setup.

Using OpenID Connect (OIDC) protocol to integrate Okta with Strapi v4 is the recommended standard for new Okta integrations.

After a user logs in, Okta issues JSON Web Tokens (JWT) containing user information and claims—understanding JWT vs OAuth in Strapi is essential for secure authentication. These tokens act as secure passes for your Strapi API routes, helping you secure APIs with Okta to ensure that only authenticated users can access your CMS. This JWT approach works perfectly for scalable headless CMS setups where you need to protect both admin access and API endpoints.

Why Use Strapi with Okta

Integrating Okta with Strapi, one of the top authentication tools for developers, solves authentication challenges that often appear in modern development workflows. This combination creates a solid foundation for enterprise-grade content management with seamless user access.

The primary benefit is enhanced security through standardized authentication. Okta provides multi-factor authentication, adaptive security policies, and standard protocols like SAML and OIDC that integrate naturally with Strapi's permission system. With Strapi user roles and permissions, you don't need to build custom authentication logic, yet you still get enterprise-grade security.

Centralized user management transforms how teams handle multiple applications. Instead of managing separate user databases, you can administer users in one place and automatically sync access across all your Strapi instances. This simplifies onboarding new team members and maintains consistent access control.

For example, when a new content editor joins your organization, the IT team can create their account in Okta, assign appropriate group memberships, and automatically grant them access to all relevant Strapi instances without touching each CMS individually. Similarly, when an employee leaves, a single deactivation in Okta immediately revokes access across your entire content infrastructure.

The integration also reduces support requests. Users can log in with their existing corporate credentials, and IT teams can leverage Okta's self-service password reset and automated user provisioning. In practice, organizations implementing this integration typically report a 60-70% reduction in password-related support tickets and significantly faster onboarding times.

For enterprise scenarios, this setup can boost security with Strapi Enterprise, delivering tremendous value in several specific contexts:

Multi-regional publishing teams: Organizations with content teams across different geographic regions can maintain consistent access controls while respecting regional data sovereignty requirements. For instance, a global retail company might use multiple Strapi instances for different markets while maintaining centralized identity management through Okta.
Highly regulated industries: Healthcare organizations handling patient data can implement strict HIPAA compliance across their content infrastructure by leveraging Okta's detailed audit logs and Strapi's permission system. Similarly, financial institutions can satisfy SOX compliance with comprehensive access tracking across their customer-facing content.
Acquisition integration: When companies merge or acquire others, IT teams often face the challenge of integrating disparate content systems. By using Okta as the identity bridge, organizations can gradually migrate content between systems while maintaining seamless user access throughout the transition.
Hybrid cloud/on-premise deployments: Organizations with mixed infrastructure can use Okta to provide consistent authentication whether Strapi is deployed in the cloud or on-premise. A media company might have on-premise Strapi instances for sensitive content production and cloud instances for public-facing content, all secured through a single Okta implementation.
DevOps-oriented teams: Development teams using CI/CD pipelines benefit from automated user provisioning between staging and production environments. When a developer tests features on a staging Strapi instance, they maintain the same permissions and access patterns in production, reducing configuration errors.

Integrating Okta with Strapi supports both Strapi Cloud and version 5, ensuring it remains future-proof for long-term implementations. Now let's explore how to set everything up.

How to Integrate Okta with Strapi

Integrating Okta with Strapi requires careful configuration on both platforms. Let's walk through a step-by-step process to achieve a production-ready Single Sign-On implementation.

Prerequisites

Before starting, you'll need:

Node.js: Version 18 or higher installed
Strapi Enterprise Edition Gold: Version 4.0.1 or newer (SSO requires Enterprise plan or the add-on)
Administrative Access: Admin privileges in both Okta and Strapi
Network Access: Ability to configure redirect URIs and secure connections between platforms

We'll use OpenID Connect (OIDC) protocol, which is the recommended standard for new Okta integrations. Your Strapi instance must be able to communicate with Okta's authentication servers over HTTPS.

Step 1: Configure Okta

First, set up an OIDC application in your Okta admin dashboard.

Create the OIDC Application:

Go to Applications > Applications in your Okta admin console and click "Create App Integration." Choose "OIDC - OpenID Connect" as the sign-in method and "Web Application" as the application type.

Set up your application with these key settings:

Application Name: Something descriptive like "Strapi CMS"
Sign-in redirect URIs: Your Strapi admin callback URL (typically https://your-strapi-domain.com/admin/connect/okta/callback)
Sign-out redirect URIs: Your Strapi logout URL
Controlled access: Select which users or groups can access this application

Configure Scopes and Claims:

In the application's configuration, enable these scopes:

openid (required for OIDC)
profile (for user profile information)
email (for email addresses)
groups (if using group-based role mapping)

For better role mapping, set up custom claims by going to Security > API > Authorization Servers. Create custom claims that include role or group information to pass during authentication.

Obtain Configuration Details:

Note these important values from your Okta application:

Client ID
Client Secret
Issuer URL (typically https://your-okta-domain.okta.com)
Authorization endpoint
Token endpoint

Step 2: Configure Strapi

With Okta ready, set up the Strapi side.

Install Required Dependencies:

Ensure your Strapi project has the necessary authentication packages. The core SSO functionality comes with Strapi Enterprise Edition, but you might need extra packages for enhanced OIDC support.

Configure the SSO Provider:

Find your Strapi project's /config/admin.js (or admin.ts for TypeScript) file. Add the Okta provider to the auth.providers array.

For JavaScript:

module.exports = ({ env }) => ({
  auth: {
    secret: env('ADMIN_JWT_SECRET'),
    providers: [
      {
        uid: 'okta',
        displayName: 'Okta',
        icon: 'https://cdn.okta.com/logos/okta-logo.svg',
        createStrategy: strapi => require('@strapi/provider-audit-logs-local'),
        config: {
          clientID: env('OKTA_CLIENT_ID'),
          clientSecret: env('OKTA_CLIENT_SECRET'),
          subdomain: env('OKTA_SUBDOMAIN'),
          audience: env('OKTA_AUDIENCE'),
          scope: ['openid', 'profile', 'email', 'groups'],
          callback: '/admin/connect/okta/callback',
          grantType: 'authorization_code',
        },
      },
    ],
  },
});

For TypeScript:

export default ({ env }) => ({
  auth: {
    secret: env('ADMIN_JWT_SECRET'),
    providers: [
      {
        uid: 'okta',
        displayName: 'Okta',
        icon: 'https://cdn.okta.com/logos/okta-logo.svg',
        createStrategy: (strapi: any) => require('@strapi/provider-audit-logs-local'),
        config: {
          clientID: env('OKTA_CLIENT_ID'),
          clientSecret: env('OKTA_CLIENT_SECRET'),
          subdomain: env('OKTA_SUBDOMAIN'),
          audience: env('OKTA_AUDIENCE'),
          scope: ['openid', 'profile', 'email', 'groups'],
          callback: '/admin/connect/okta/callback',
          grantType: 'authorization_code',
        },
      },
    ],
  },
});

Environment Variable Configuration:

Create or update your .env file with the Okta values:

OKTA_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here
OKTA_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret_here
OKTA_SUBDOMAIN=your-okta-domain
OKTA_AUDIENCE=api://default
ADMIN_JWT_SECRET=your_admin_jwt_secret

Step 3: Set Up Role Mapping

Effective role mapping, such as when you implement RBAC in Strapi, ensures users receive appropriate permissions based on their Okta groups or claims.

Configure Okta Groups:

In your Okta admin dashboard, go to Directory > Groups and create groups that match your Strapi roles:

strapi-super-admin for full admin access
strapi-editor for content management
strapi-author for content creation

Assign users to these groups based on the access they need in Strapi.

Implement Role Mapping Logic:

Set up custom claims to pass group information during authentication. In Strapi, add logic to process these claims and assign roles.

Create a custom service for role mapping:

// api/auth/services/role-mapper.js
module.exports = {
  mapOktaRolesToStrapi(oktaGroups) {
    const roleMapping = {
      'strapi-super-admin': 'Super Admin',
      'strapi-editor': 'Editor',
      'strapi-author': 'Author',
    };
    
    return oktaGroups
      .map(group => roleMapping[group])
      .filter(Boolean);
  },
};

Step 4: Test and Validate

Thorough testing ensures everything works across different scenarios.

Initial Authentication Test:

Restart your Strapi application to apply the changes. Go to your Strapi admin login page and check that the Okta SSO option appears. Click it and complete the login flow.

User Role Verification:

After logging in, verify that users get the correct roles based on their Okta group memberships. Test different user accounts with various group assignments.

Session Management Testing:

Test session behaviors including login persistence across browser sessions, logout from both Strapi and Okta, and token refresh for long sessions.

Performance and Security Testing:

Monitor authentication performance, especially token validation and role assignment time. Consider caching frequently accessed user data to improve performance.

Ensure all communications use HTTPS and tokens are properly validated. Test edge cases like expired tokens, invalid signatures, and network issues during authentication.

Project Example: Configure Role-Based Permissions with Strapi and Okta

See how a digital media company solved access control challenges by integrating Okta with Strapi for role-based permissions.

Business Context:

MediaPulse, a growing digital publishing company, needed to manage 50+ content creators across different departments with varying access requirements:

Senior editors required full content management capabilities
Department editors needed access to specific content categories
Freelance writers needed limited publishing privileges
Admin staff required system access without content modification rights

The company faced challenges with their previous manual permission system, including security inconsistencies, onboarding delays, and access management overhead.

Project Structure:

my-strapi-okta/
├── config/
│   ├── admin.js
│   └── plugins.js
├── src/
│   └── plugins/
│       └── okta-auth/
└── package.json

Complete Configuration Example:

The config/admin.js file handles the core SSO configuration:

module.exports = ({ env }) => ({
  auth: {
    providers: [
      {
        name: 'okta',
        type: 'saml',
        enabled: true,
        config: {
          entryPoint: env('OKTA_SSO_URL'),
          issuer: env('OKTA_ENTITY_ID'),
          cert: env('OKTA_X509_CERTIFICATE'),
          attributeMapping: {
            email: 'email',
            username: 'username',
            role: 'department'
          }
        }
      }
    ],
  },
});

Role Mapping Implementation:

Custom role mapping logic processes Okta groups to assign appropriate Strapi permissions:

const processOktaRoles = (oktaGroups) => {
  const roleMapping = {
    'content-admin': 'Super Admin',
    'content-editor': 'Editor',
    'content-author': 'Author'
  };
  
  return oktaGroups.map(group => roleMapping[group]).filter(Boolean)[0] || 'Author';
};

In MediaPulse's implementation, they extended this basic mapping to accommodate their complex organizational structure:

const departmentContentMapping = {
  'news': ['breaking_news', 'politics', 'world_events'],
  'lifestyle': ['health', 'travel', 'food'],
  'entertainment': ['movies', 'music', 'celebrity']
};

// Apply department-specific content permissions
const applyDepartmentRestrictions = (user, oktaGroups) => {
  const department = oktaGroups.find(g => Object.keys(departmentContentMapping).includes(g));
  if (department) {
    user.allowedContentTypes = departmentContentMapping[department];
  }
  return user;
};

Implementation Results:

After implementing the Okta-Strapi integration, MediaPulse experienced:

85% reduction in time spent on access management
Elimination of unauthorized content modifications
Streamlined onboarding process (from 2 days to 10 minutes)
Improved content workflow with proper role enforcement
Enhanced security compliance for sensitive content

Strapi Open Office Hours

If you have any questions about Strapi 5 or just would like to stop by and say hi, you can join us at Strapi's Discord Open Office Hours Monday through Friday at 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm CST.

For more details, visit the Strapi documentation and Okta.