Integrate with Zendesk

Use JumpCloud SAML Single Sign On (SSO) to give your users convenient but secure access to all their web applications with a single set of credentials.

Read this article to learn how to configure the Zendesk connector.

Prerequisites

  • A JumpCloud administrator account.
  • JumpCloud SSO Package or higher or SSO add-on feature.
  • A Zendesk administrator account on a Zendesk Plus or Enterprise plan.

Creating a new JumpCloud Application Integration

  1. Log in to the JumpCloud Admin Portal.
  2. Navigate to USER AUTHENTICATION SSO Applications.
  3. Click + Add New Application.
  4. Type the name of the application in the Search field and select it.
  5. Click Next.
  6. In the Display Label, type your name for the application. Optionally, you can enter a Description, adjust the User Portal Image and choose to hide or Show in User Portal.

Note:

If this is a Bookmark Application, enter your sign-in URL in the Bookmark URL field.

  1. Optionally, expand Advanced Settings to specify a value for the SSO IdP URL. If no value is entered, it will default to https://sso.jumpcloud.com/saml2/<applicationname>.

Warning:

The SSO IdP URL is not editable after the application is created. You will have to delete and recreate the connector if you need to edit this field at a later time.

  1. Click Save Application.
  2. If successful, click:
    • Configure Application and go to the next section.
    • Close to configure your new application at a later time.

Configuring the SSO Integration

To configure JumpCloud

  1. Create a new application or select it from the Configured Applications list.
  2. Select the SSO tab.
  3. Replace any instances of ACCOUNTNAME with your Zendesk organization name.
  4. When the Public Certificate has been created message appears, click Download Certificate.
  5. Click save.

Download the certificate

  1. Find your application in the Configured Applications list and click anywhere in the row to reopen its configuration window.
  2. Select the SSO tab and click IDP Certificate Valid > Download certificate.

Tip:

The certificate.pem will download to your local Downloads folder.

To configure Zendesk

  1. Log into Zendesk.
  2. In Admin Center, click Account in the sidebar, then select Security > Single sign-on.
  3. Click Create SSO configuration then select SAML.
  4. Enter a unique Configuration name.
  5. For SAML SSO URL, enter the JumpCloud IDP URL.
  6. Enter the SHA-256 Certificate fingerprint from the certificate you downloaded in the previous section.
  7. (Optional) For Remote logout URL, enter a logout URL where users should be redirected after they sign out of Zendesk.
  8. (Optional) For IP ranges, enter a list of IP ranges if you want to redirect users to the appropriate sign-in option.
  9. Click Save.

Note:
  • You can only select one external authentication option for end users. When you select SAML for Single Sign On for end users, it automatically deselects Zendesk Authentication if it’s enabled.  
  • Staff members can have multiple external authentication options. If SSO and Zendesk Authentication are enabled for Staff members, they can use both. 
  • Deselect the Zendesk Authentication option to make SSO the only authentication method for end users and staff members. This permanently deletes all Zendesk passwords within 24 hours. 
  • If Zendesk passwords are disabled or deleted, consider allowing an account owner or admin to bypass SSO with a password in the event the identity pr
    • To set these permissions:
      • Go to Advanced > Authentication, then select an SSO bypass option.  

To assign the SSO connector to end users and team members

  1. In the Zendesk Admin portal, go to Team member authentication or End user authentication, and select External authentication.
  2. Click Single sign-on (SSO) and then select the name(s) of the SSO configuration(s) you want to use.
  3. Click Save.  

Authorizing User SSO Access

Users are implicitly denied access to applications. After you connect an application to JumpCloud, you need to authorize user access to that application. You can authorize user access from the Application Configuration panel or from the Groups Configuration panel. 

To authorize user access from the Application Configuration panel

  1. Log in to the JumpCloud Admin Portal.
  2. Go to USER AUTHENTICATION > SSO Applications, then select the application to which you want to authorize user access.
  3. Select the User Groups tab. If you need to create a new group of users, see Get Started: User Groups.
  4. Select the check box next to the group of users you want to give access.
  5. Click save

To learn how to authorize user access from the Groups Configuration panel, see Authorize Users to an SSO Application.

Validating SSO authentication workflow(s)

IdP Initiated

  • Access the JumpCloud User Console.
  • Select the application’s tile.
  • The application will launch and login the user.

SP Initiated

  • Navigate to your Service Provider application URL.
  • You will be redirected to log in to the JumpCloud User Portal.
  • The browser will be redirected back to the application and be automatically logged in.

Using JIT Provisioning

Additional attributes are required to use JIT provisioning. JIT required attributes are prepopulated and are on by default to enable JIT provisioning. You can’t edit the JIT required service provider attributes. You can customize the JumpCloud attribute name and the constant value for JIT required attributes. Toggle off the attributes to opt out of sending the attributes in the SAML assertion

To complete the provisioning process

  1. Authorize a user’s access to the application in JumpCloud.  
  2. Have the user log in to the application using SSO. The SAML assertion passes from JumpCloud to the service provider, and gives the service provider the information it needs to create the user account.

Removing the SSO Integration

Important:

These are steps for removing the integration in JumpCloud. Consult your SP's documentation for any additional steps needed to remove the integration in the SP. Failure to remove the integration successfully for both the SP and JumpCloud may result in users losing access to the application.

To deactivate the SSO Integration

  1. Log in to the JumpCloud Admin Portal.
  2. Go to USER AUTHENTICATION > SSO Applications.
  3. Search for the application that you’d like to deactivate and click to open its details panel. 
  4. Select the SSO tab.
  5. Scroll to the bottom of the configuration.
  6. Click Deactivate SSO
  7. Click save
  8. If successful, you will receive a confirmation message.

To delete the application

  1. Log in to the JumpCloud Admin Portal.
  2. Go to USER AUTHENTICATION > SSO Applications.
  3. Search for the application that you’d like to delete.
  4. Check the box next to the application to select it.
  5. Click Delete.
  6. Enter the number of the applications you are deleting
  7. Click Delete Application.
  8. If successful, you will see an application deletion confirmation notification.

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