OpenID Connect (OIDC)
An identity layer on top of OAuth 2.0 — defined by the OpenID Foundation. OIDC adds an id_token (a JWT with user identity claims) to OAuth 2.0's access-token model, so that an application can verify the user's identity via a single round trip with the Identity Provider rather than calling a separate /userinfo endpoint.
OIDC is the modern federation protocol for new applications — simpler than saml, JSON-native (no XML signatures to validate), and well-supported across IdPs (Okta, Entra ID, PingFederate, Auth0, Google, Apple Sign-In). AE Guardian supports OIDC as an alternative to SAML for the SSO connectors but most enterprise deployments still standardize on SAML for historical reasons.
Specifications: OpenID Connect Core 1.0 (final), Discovery 1.0, Dynamic Client Registration 1.0.
What other systems call it
Per-vendor / per-standard terminology for this same concept.
| System | Term / Notes |
|---|---|
| STStandards | OpenID Connect Core 1.0 |
| RFRFC | OAuth 2.0 base — RFC 6749 |
| OKOkta | Okta supports OIDC across all SSO scenarios |
| MEMicrosoft Entra ID | Entra ID supports OIDC as primary protocol for new app registrations |
Used by 7 connectors
Connectors in the catalog that reference this concept.