How Educator SSO Works

Xello Admin Time

5 minutes

Single sign-on (SSO) is a time-saving tool that allows users to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials.

About SSO

With Xello SSO, students and educators can log in to a portal, such as Google, a Learning Management System (LMS), or a Management Information System (MIS), and then access their Xello account without a separate login. In the background, Xello receives data to verify the identity of the user and securely authenticate their access.

Watch the video below for a high-level overview of what SSO is and how it works:

Single Sign-On with Xello 1:37

Once SSO is Set Up

Once SSO is set up, you’ll receive a unique URL to send to educators, which they can use to confirm or request Xello SSO access.

If the educator doesn’t have a Xello username or password - in other words, if they haven’t received or accepted an email invite from an administrator - they can visit the URL and click Register to create a profile and send a request to Xello administrators at their school for approval. Once the account request is approved, the educator will be able to log in to Xello through the SSO URL.

If the educator has already created a Xello account through an email invite from an administrator and the unique identifier is the email address, educators will be able to automatically log in with the SSO URL.

If the educator has already created a Xello account through an invite from an administrator and their unique identifier isn’t email, a “portfolio linking” process will begin when they try to log in through the SSO URL. The educator will be prompted to log in with their username and password. After they enter their credentials, they’ll be able to use SSO moving forward.

Set up SSO with one of our partner options

Xello has partnered with many SSO providers to make implementation of SSO in Xello as simple as possible. Click the name of your identity provider or LMS in the below list to find Xello SSO setup instructions for IT staff:

Xello Resource

Xello ResourceGoogle SSO
Xello Resource

Xello ResourceGoogle Workspace SSO
Xello Resource

Xello ResourceMicrosoft Azure SSO
Xello Resource

Xello ResourceSAML 2.0 SSO

If you do not see the name of your SSO provider here, please let your Xello onboarding manager know and we'll be more than happy to arrange a time to discuss your unique SSO implementation.