---
title: Google Workspace
description: Walks Google Workspace super admins through SAML single sign-on between Google Admin and Cube Cloud.
---

Cube Cloud supports authenticating users through Google Workspace, which is
useful when you want your users to access Cube Cloud using single sign on. This
guide will walk you through the steps of configuring SAML authentication in Cube
Cloud with Google Workspace. You **must** be a super administrator in your
Google Workspace to access the Admin Console and create a SAML integration.

<Note>

Available on [Enterprise plan](https://cube.dev/pricing).

</Note>

## Enable SAML in Cube Cloud

First, we'll enable SAML authentication in Cube Cloud. To do this, log in to
Cube Cloud and

1. Navigate to **Admin → Settings**.
2. On the **Authentication & SSO** tab, enable **SAML**.
3. For a new integration, replace any prefilled **Audience (SP Entity ID)**
   value with the **Single Sign-On URL** shown directly above it.

Take note of the **Single Sign-On URL** and **Audience (SP Entity ID)**
values. You will need them when you configure the SAML integration in Google
Workspace.

## Create a SAML Integration in Google Workspace

Next, we'll create a [SAML app integration for Cube Cloud in Google
Workspace][google-docs-create-saml-app].

1. Log in to [admin.google.com](https://admin.google.com) as an administrator,
   then navigate to

   **Apps → Web and Mobile Apps** from the left sidebar.

2. Click **Add App**, then click **Add custom SAML app**:

<Frame>
  <img src="https://ucarecdn.com/5898f666-a2b4-44b5-ae9e-03832d9966bc/" />
</Frame>

3. Enter a name for your application and click **Next**. You can
   optionally add a description and upload a logo for the application, but this
   is not required. Click **Continue** to go to the next screen.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://ucarecdn.com/b8fe1ad6-6f31-42ed-908c-3e1b72a3d2f1/" />
</Frame>

4. Take note of the **SSO URL**, **Entity ID** and
   **Certificate** values here, as we will need them when we finalize the
   SAML integration in Cube Cloud. Click **Continue** to go to the next screen.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://ucarecdn.com/3f046773-d2d1-424f-a8f8-b023e4896eb1/" />
</Frame>

5. Enter the following values for the **Service provider details**
   section and click **Continue**.

| Name      | Description |
| --------- | ----------- |
| ACS URL   | Use the **Single Sign-On URL** value from Cube Cloud. |
| Entity ID | Use the **Audience (SP Entity ID)** value from Cube Cloud. |

6. On the final screen, click **Finish**.

7. From the app details page, click **User access** and ensure the app is
   **ON for everyone**:

<Frame>
  <img src="https://ucarecdn.com/8e1696fa-828c-4be5-a1d8-81c7b054dadb/" />
</Frame>

## Complete SAML configuration in Cube Cloud

In this step, we'll finalise the configuration by entering the values from our
SAML integration in Google into Cube Cloud.

1. Return to **Admin → Settings → Authentication & SSO → SAML**.
2. Confirm that **Audience (SP Entity ID)** still matches the **Single
   Sign-On URL** exactly.
3. Enter the following values in the **SAML Settings** section:

| Name | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Entity ID / Issuer | Use the **Entity ID** value from Google Workspace. |
| SSO (Sign on) URL | Use the **SSO URL** value from Google Workspace. |
| Certificate | Use the **Certificate** value from Google Workspace. |

4. Enable **Auto-provision new users** if you want users to be automatically
   created in Cube on their first login via this SAML provider. New users
   are assigned the Viewer role by default — see
   [Default role for new users](#default-role-for-new-users) to choose a
   different role. Enable this if you are not using SCIM provisioning.

5. Click **Apply** to save the changes.

<Note>

Existing working Google Workspace integrations with a blank Audience do not
need to change immediately. A blank Audience disables audience validation. To
enable validation, update the Google **Entity ID** and Cube **Audience (SP
Entity ID)** together, keep another authentication method enabled, and test
SAML sign-in before you disable the fallback method.

</Note>

## Default role for new users

By default, users auto-provisioned via SAML receive the **Viewer** role.
To assign a different role, expand the **Advanced** section of the SAML
configuration form and pick from **Default role for new users**:

- **Developer**, **Explorer**, or **Viewer** — Cube Cloud's [default
  roles][ref-roles].
- Any [custom role][ref-custom-roles] defined in your account, listed
  below the divider.

The selected role applies **only when a user is first created**. Existing
users are not modified on subsequent SSO logins. It is applied **in
addition to** any roles your identity provider sends via the role
attribute (subject to the `rolesMap`).

<Info>

Admin status is not assignable through this picker — Admin is controlled
separately. To grant admin permissions, update the user's role manually
under [Admin → Users][ref-manage-users].

</Info>

<Warning>

If the selected role is later renamed or deleted, new users will fall
back to the **Viewer** role until you pick a valid role here. The Viewer
fallback applies whenever the configured default cannot be resolved —
whether that's because no default is set or the configured role no longer
exists.

</Warning>

## Test SAML authentication

To start using SAML authentication, use the
[single sign-on URL provided by Cube Cloud](#enable-saml-in-cube-cloud)
(typically `<YOUR_CUBE_CLOUD_URL>/sso/saml`) to log in to Cube Cloud.

[google-docs-create-saml-app]: https://support.google.com/a/answer/6087519?hl=en
[ref-roles]: /admin/users-and-permissions/roles-and-permissions
[ref-custom-roles]: /admin/users-and-permissions/custom-roles
[ref-manage-users]: /admin/users-and-permissions/manage-users
