Using the SAML 2.0 standard, you can configure single sign-on (SSO) for a number of cloud apps. After you set up SSO, your users can use their Google Workspace credentials to sign in to an app using SSO.
Use SAML to set up SSO for Box
You must be signed in as a super administrator for this task.
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Sign in with a super administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using a super administrator account, you can’t complete these steps.
- In the Set up single sign-on (SSO) with Google as SAML identity provider (IdP) section, download the identity provider metadata.
- Leave the Admin console open. You'll continue with the configuration in the Admin console after the setup steps in the app.
- Go to the Box support site and complete the SSO Setup Support Form.
- For Attachments, click Add file and select the identity provider metadata file that you downloaded in Step 1.
- After Box completes SSO setup, go to the next step.
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Sign in with a super administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using a super administrator account, you can’t complete these steps.
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Click Add app
Search for apps.
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For Enter app name, enter Box.
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In the search results, point to Box and click Select.
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In the Google Identity Provider details window, click Continue.
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On the Service provider details page, for Start URL, replace {your-box-subdomain} with your Box subdomain.
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Click Continue.
- In the Attribute Mapping window, click Select field and map the following Google directory attribute to its corresponding Box attribute. The SAML_SUBJECT attribute is required.
Google directory attribute Box attribute Basic Information > Primary Email SAML_SUBJECT -
(Optional) To add additional mappings, click Add Mapping and select the fields that you need to map.
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(Optional) To enter group names that are relevant for this app:
- For Group membership (optional), click Search for a group, enter one or more letters of the group name, and select the group name.
- Add additional groups as needed (maximum of 75 groups).
- For App attribute, enter the corresponding groups attribute name of the service provider.
Regardless of how many group names you enter, the SAML response includes only groups that a user is a member of (directly or indirectly). For more information, go to About group membership mapping.
- Click Finish.
Before you begin: To turn a service on or off for certain users, put their accounts in an organizational unit (to control access by department) or add them to an access group (to allow access for users across or within departments).
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Sign in with a super administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using a super administrator account, you can’t complete these steps.
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- Click Box.
- Click User access.
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To turn a service on or off for everyone in your organization, click On for everyone or Off for everyone, and then click Save.
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(Optional) To turn a service on or off for an organizational unit:
- At the left, select the organizational unit.
- To change the Service status, select On or Off.
- Choose one:
- If the Service status is set to Inherited and you want to keep the updated setting, even if the parent setting changes, click Override.
- If the Service status is set to Overridden, either click Inherit to revert to the same setting as its parent, or click Save to keep the new setting, even if the parent setting changes.
Learn more about organizational structure.
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(Optional) To turn on a service for a set of users across or within organizational units, select an access group. For details, go to Use groups to customize service access.
- Ensure that your Box user account email domains match the primary domain of your organization’s managed Google Account.
Box supports both identity provider-initiated and service provider-initiated SSO.
Verify identity provider-initiated SSO
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Sign in with a super administrator account to the Google Admin console.
If you aren’t using a super administrator account, you can’t complete these steps.
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- Click Box.
- In the Box section, click Test SAML Login.
The app should open in a separate tab. If it doesn’t, troubleshoot the error message and try again. For details on troubleshooting, go to SAML app error messages.
Verify service provider-initiated SSO
- Close all browser windows.
- Go to https://{your-box-subdomain}.box.com, replace {your-box-subdomain} with your Box subdomain, and sign in with your Box administrator account.
You should be redirected to the Google sign-in page. - Select your account and enter your password
After your credentials are authenticated, the app should open.
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