SimpleSAMLphp turns a PHP application into a SAML 2.0 service provider (SP). Install the PHP package behind Apache or Nginx, expose only its public directory, set an HTTPS baseurlpath, define a saml:SP authentication source, exchange metadata with your identity provider (IdP), and test both the login response and returned attributes before protecting production routes.
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The exact PHP extensions, operating-system packages, and supported versions depend on the SimpleSAMLphp release you select. The project reported SimpleSAMLphp 2.5.3.1 on 2026-08-09; treat that as a dated reference, not a permanent requirement, and check the official release and prerequisite pages immediately before deployment.
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What SimpleSAMLphp does in a SAML login
SimpleSAMLphp is server-side PHP software. Your application sends an unauthenticated visitor to an IdP through the SP, the IdP authenticates the person, and the browser returns a SAML response to the SP’s assertion consumer service (ACS) endpoint. SimpleSAMLphp validates the response, creates an authenticated session, and exposes attributes such as a user identifier, email address, or group membership to your PHP code.
The package is not normally served as the document root of your whole website. Its web-facing public directory is the part that should be mapped by the web server. Configuration, keys, and metadata remain outside that public path. This separation prevents private configuration files from being downloaded and makes upgrades safer.
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Plan the deployment before installing
Decide these items first:
- The canonical HTTPS URL at which the SimpleSAMLphp interface and endpoints will be reachable.
- The hostname and path your IdP administrator will register for your SP.
- A stable SP entity ID. It should not change when you move servers or deploy a new application release.
- Whether one IdP is sufficient or users must choose among several IdPs.
- Where configuration will live during upgrades and how sessions will be stored when more than one web server is used.
Use a dedicated virtual host or location for SimpleSAMLphp. Keep the application source tree, the package’s configuration directory, private keys, and logs protected from direct web access. The web server needs PHP integration, and the selected SimpleSAMLphp release may require particular PHP extensions or external packages. The installation guide and the administration interface’s environment checks are the authority for those prerequisites.
Choose Apache or Nginx
| Deployment | How it serves SimpleSAMLphp | PHP integration and cautions |
|---|---|---|
| Apache | Set the virtual host’s document root to the package’s public directory, or create an equivalent alias that maps requests there. |
Use the PHP handler supported by your server build. Confirm that requests to PHP files are executed by PHP rather than downloaded, and deny access to configuration and data directories. |
| Nginx | Set the site root or location to public and pass PHP requests to your configured PHP-FPM service. |
Configure the FastCGI parameters and ensure the front controller and static files resolve under the same public path. Do not point the root at the package directory above public. |
In either model, make the external URL and the server’s internal filesystem mapping agree. A reverse proxy may terminate TLS before the request reaches PHP; SimpleSAMLphp still needs to generate HTTPS links, so its canonical base URL must explicitly use https://.
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Install the selected release
- Check the release page and prerequisites. Confirm the supported PHP runtime, required extensions, and platform-specific package names for the release you will deploy. Do this again if the release changes between staging and production.
- Obtain the stable archive or repository version. Keep the downloaded version recorded with your deployment so an upgrade can be reproduced.
- Extract it outside the application source tree where practical. A layout such as
/srv/simplesamlphp/<release>keeps the identity service separate from your application and allows a controlled switch between releases. - Expose only
public. Configure Apache’s document root or Nginx’s root/location to the extracted package’spublicdirectory. Do not expose the parent directory. - Set ownership and permissions. The PHP process must read the package and write only to directories that the release documentation identifies as writable. Private keys and configuration should not be writable by the web server unless the documented setup requires it.
- Open the administration interface. Use the URL created by your virtual host and verify that the interface loads over HTTPS. Run its environment checks before attempting federation.
Do not proceed to SAML troubleshooting while environment checks show missing PHP extensions or external packages. A red prerequisite indicator is a local runtime problem, not an assertion-validation problem.
Set the canonical URL and configuration location
HTTPS baseurlpath
Set baseurlpath to the complete canonical HTTPS URL of the SimpleSAMLphp deployment, including the deployment path if it is installed below the hostname root. This setting controls links, ACS addresses, metadata URLs, and redirects generated by the software.
For a TLS-terminating reverse proxy, use the public HTTPS URL even when the connection from the proxy to PHP is HTTP. Otherwise SimpleSAMLphp can generate HTTP metadata or redirect targets, leading to mixed-content warnings, incorrect ACS registration, or redirect loops. Also configure the proxy to forward the original host and scheme in the manner supported by your web-server and PHP setup.
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In-package versus external configuration
| Configuration model | When it fits | Operational consequence |
|---|---|---|
Package config directory |
Small or single-instance deployments where configuration is managed with the installation. | Upgrades require a deliberate comparison with the new distribution’s templates so local settings are not overwritten or silently left obsolete. |
External SIMPLESAMLPHP_CONFIG_DIR |
Packaging, immutable images, or several release directories that must share one controlled configuration. | Configuration can survive a release switch, but the runtime environment, permissions, and deployment process must point every instance to the same intended directory. |
Whichever model you choose, keep secrets and private keys out of source control, back up the configuration and metadata, and document which release template each file was based on.
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Define an authentication source
In config/authsources.php, add an authentication-source entry with the saml:SP type. The entry needs a stable entity ID and the settings required by your federation. The exact array keys and defaults are release-specific, so start from the sample supplied with your installed release rather than copying a configuration from an older major version.
A conceptual entry looks like this; replace the example values with your deployment’s real identifiers and key paths:
'default-sp' => [
'saml:SP',
'entityID' => 'https://sso.example.invalid/sp',
// certificate, private key, and IdP metadata settings as required
],The name default-sp is only an example. Your application will refer to the source by the name you actually create. Keep that name stable because changing it requires corresponding application changes.
Certificates and private keys
SAML signatures and encryption are negotiated between the SP and IdP. Provide an SP certificate and private key when your IdP or federation requires signed authentication requests, signed metadata, encrypted assertions, or another certificate-backed operation. Store the private key outside the public directory, restrict filesystem access, and give the IdP administrator the public certificate or metadata—not the private key.
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Do not assume that every federation requires the same signing behavior. Confirm whether the IdP expects signed requests, whether it signs responses or assertions, and whether encryption is mandatory. Configure only the features your trust relationship requires, using the release’s SP reference for the exact option names.
Exchange and load SAML metadata
Give SP metadata to the IdP
SimpleSAMLphp publishes SP metadata through its federation or metadata page. Provide that metadata to the IdP administrator so the IdP can register your entity ID, ACS endpoint, logout settings where applicable, and SP certificate. Supplying the generated metadata avoids transcription errors in long URLs and certificate values.
Load IdP metadata into SimpleSAMLphp
Obtain the IdP’s signed or administrator-approved metadata and add it through the documented metadata configuration. A file-based metadata source is straightforward for a single, stable IdP: store the metadata in the protected configuration area and reference it using the format supported by your release.
Automated metadata management can reduce manual updates when a federation publishes rotating certificates or changing endpoints, but it adds an availability and trust dependency. Validate the retrieval method, protect the update path, and understand how stale or unavailable metadata affects login before using it in production. Do not mix an unverified metadata file with production trust settings simply because it is convenient.
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Single IdP or several IdPs
For one IdP, configure one authentication source and make it the explicit source your application calls. For several IdPs, add additional authentication-source entries and configure a discovery service or an explicit default according to your user journey. Discovery is useful when users select their organization; an explicit default is simpler when nearly everyone belongs to one IdP.
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Every additional IdP needs its own metadata, entity and endpoint validation, attribute expectations, and testing. A user selecting the wrong IdP should receive a clear recovery path rather than an opaque assertion error.
Connect a PHP application
The official quickstart uses the SimpleSAMLphp authentication API. The application should call the configured authentication source by name, redirect unauthenticated users to the IdP, and read the resulting authenticated state and attributes after the browser returns.
- Load the SimpleSAMLphp bootstrap or client integration recommended for your release.
- Instantiate or obtain the authentication object for your configured source, such as the source named
default-sp. - At the protected route, check whether the user is authenticated. If not, invoke the API’s login method so the browser is sent to the IdP.
- After the callback, retrieve the authenticated session and inspect the returned attribute set.
- Map only the attributes your application needs to a local account or session. Treat an absent, duplicated, or unexpectedly formatted identifier as a login failure that requires operator attention.
Keep application authorization separate from SAML authentication. A valid SAML response proves that the IdP authenticated the subject; it does not automatically grant an administrator role in your application.
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Run local environment checks
Use the administration interface’s environment checks first. Resolve every missing-extension or missing-package warning, then retest. This establishes that PHP can load the software and that the web server is reaching the intended installation.
Test the authentication source
- Open the SimpleSAMLphp test function for the configured authentication source.
- Confirm that the browser remains on the expected HTTPS host and path when redirected.
- Authenticate at the IdP and allow the browser to return to the SP’s ACS endpoint.
- Verify that the response is accepted and that the resulting session is visible in the test interface.
- Inspect the attributes returned by the IdP. Confirm that the stable identifier, email, display name, and group or role attributes expected by your application are present and correctly formatted.
Test with a normal user and, where roles matter, with representative users from each relevant group. Remove test accounts and temporary diagnostic exposure before production.
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Register the exact SP values at the IdP
If the IdP rejects the request, compare the registered entity ID, ACS URL, protocol binding, certificate, and any requested signing or encryption settings with the values in the SP metadata. Differences in hostname, path, trailing slash, or HTTP-versus-HTTPS scheme are common causes of failure.
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| Symptom | Likely area | Checks and corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| Environment check is red | PHP runtime or external package | Install the extension or package named by the check, restart the relevant PHP service if needed, and rerun the check before changing SAML settings. |
| Redirect uses HTTP or loops through the proxy | Canonical URL or forwarded scheme | Set baseurlpath to the public HTTPS URL and verify that the reverse proxy forwards host and scheme information correctly. |
| IdP says the SP is unknown | Metadata registration | Give the IdP administrator the current SP metadata and confirm that the entity ID exactly matches the configured value. |
| ACS or recipient mismatch | Endpoint or path mapping | Compare the ACS URL in the IdP registration with the URL generated from baseurlpath and the public-server mapping. Correct the mismatch on the side that is wrong. |
| Certificate or signature error | Key material or trust metadata | Check that the public certificate registered at the IdP matches the private key used by the SP, that the certificate is not expired, and that the expected party is signing the response or request. |
| Login succeeds but the application rejects the user | Attribute contract | Inspect the returned attributes, then update the application’s mapping or the IdP’s release policy. Do not guess an attribute name or silently authorize a missing value. |
| Session disappears between requests | Session handler or multi-node routing | Confirm that the selected session handler is supported and writable, that cookies use the correct HTTPS settings, and that multiple nodes share the required session state or use a consistent session store. |
Choose a session-storage strategy
PHP session storage is adequate for a single server when its filesystem permissions and cleanup behavior are reliable. A multi-server deployment generally needs a shared handler such as a database or Redis, or another handler supported by the selected release, so the request that receives the SAML response and the next application request can see the same session.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchChanging session handlers is an operational change, not merely a performance tweak. Confirm support in the release documentation, configure expiration and cleanup, protect the storage credentials, and test failover. Do not place session data in a publicly readable directory.
Security and production checklist
- Serve the entire login flow and administration interface over HTTPS.
- Expose only the package’s
publicdirectory. - Keep
config, metadata files, logs, and private keys outside the public path. - Use a stable entity ID and maintain an inventory of every IdP that trusts it.
- Verify certificates, signing requirements, and metadata provenance with the IdP administrator.
- Limit administrative access and remove temporary test settings.
- Log authentication failures without recording private keys, passwords, or unnecessary assertion contents.
- Test attribute mapping and authorization separately; never treat any arbitrary returned group string as an administrator grant.
- Back up configuration and metadata before upgrades, and rehearse restoration.
Upgrade and maintenance procedure
Release numbers and prerequisites change. The project reported version 2.5.3.1 on 2026-08-09, but you should verify the current stable release at deployment time. Before upgrading, read the release notes, stage the new package, and compare your existing config.php with the new distribution template. Review every authentication source, metadata format, module setting, certificate, and session option for changes.
- Record the currently running release, PHP version, enabled extensions, configuration location, and metadata sources.
- Back up configuration, private keys, metadata, and any session-store settings.
- Install the new release in a separate directory rather than overwriting the live package.
- Point the staged instance at the intended configuration directory, or migrate settings carefully if configuration remains in-package.
- Run environment checks and the complete IdP authentication test.
- Verify entity ID, ACS URL, attributes, logout behavior if used, and application authorization.
- Switch the web-server mapping during a controlled deployment window and retain the previous release for rollback.
Do not copy an old configuration wholesale over a new template without reviewing changed defaults and option names. A successful PHP page load does not prove that federation behavior remained compatible.
End-to-end readiness checklist
- Selected release and PHP prerequisites are verified.
- Apache or Nginx serves only
publicand executes PHP correctly. baseurlpathis the canonical HTTPS URL, including behind a TLS-terminating proxy.- Environment checks are clear.
- A
saml:SPsource with a stable entity ID is present inconfig/authsources.php. - Required certificate and private-key settings are present and protected.
- SP metadata has been registered by the IdP administrator.
- IdP metadata is loaded and trusted by SimpleSAMLphp.
- The authentication source test completes successfully.
- Expected attributes are present and mapped to application identities.
- Session persistence works across the deployment topology.
- Production routes are protected only after all of the above pass.
With those checks complete, SimpleSAMLphp is functioning as a properly registered SAML SP rather than merely displaying its administration page. Keep the metadata, certificates, PHP prerequisites, and release notes under regular review because each can change independently of your application code.
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