What Is Identity Platform?
Identity Platform is Google Cloud’s authentication service for your own applications. It provides backend services, SDKs, and UI libraries for sign-up, sign-in, and user management, so you do not have to build and operate those building blocks yourself.
The typical use case is customer identity and access management (CIAM): applications with external users who should be able to sign in through a range of methods. For multi-tenant applications, Identity Platform additionally offers multi-tenancy.
Core Capabilities
- Sign-in methods: email/password sign-in, SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), and OIDC (OpenID Connect)
- Multi-factor authentication for end-user accounts
- Multi-tenancy with dedicated guides for configuration and cross-tenant authentication
- SDKs and UI libraries for integration into client applications
- REST API and Admin SDK for programmatic user management
- Custom claims to drive authorization decisions inside your application
Typical Use Cases
CIAM for customer portals: External users sign in to a portal, either with email and password or through a connected SAML or OIDC provider.
Multi-tenant SaaS applications: Multi-tenancy separates user pools and sign-in configuration per tenant.
Connecting enterprise identity providers: SAML and OIDC let you federate the existing identity providers of your business customers.
Securing internal applications: Combined with Identity-Aware Proxy, Identity Platform serves as the authentication method ahead of IAM-based authorization.
Benefits
- No custom-built sign-in and user management logic
- Broad protocol support with SAML and OIDC
- Multi-tenancy without a separate instance per tenant
- Programmatic administration through REST API and Admin SDK
- Integration point for Identity-Aware Proxy
Working with innFactory
As a certified Google Cloud Partner, innFactory supports you with Identity Platform:
- CIAM design: selecting sign-in methods and designing the user lifecycle
- Federation: connecting the SAML and OIDC identity providers of your business customers
- Multi-tenancy: building tenant-aware authentication for SaaS products
- Integration: connecting Identity Platform with Identity-Aware Proxy and IAM-based authorization models
Get in touch for a consultation on Identity Platform and authentication architectures on Google Cloud.
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Identity Platform?
Identity Platform provides backend services, SDKs, and UI libraries that let you implement authentication in your own applications. You do not have to build sign-in flows or user management yourself.
Which sign-in methods does Identity Platform support?
Supported methods include email/password sign-in, SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language), OIDC (OpenID Connect), and multi-factor authentication. The complete provider list is in the official documentation.
Does Identity Platform support multi-tenant applications?
Yes. Identity Platform includes multi-tenancy capabilities, with dedicated guides for configuring tenants and for authenticating across multiple tenant environments.
How do I manage users programmatically?
Identity Platform offers a REST API and an Admin SDK. Both let you manage users and set custom claims that your application can then use for authorization decisions.
How does Identity Platform relate to Identity-Aware Proxy?
Identity-Aware Proxy can use Identity Platform as an authentication method. Users sign in through the providers configured in Identity Platform, and IAP then checks authorization against the IAM policy.
Where do I find quotas and limits?
Google documents quotas and limits for Identity Platform on a dedicated page in the product documentation. Those figures are authoritative; do not rely on third-party numbers.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Google Cloud (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Google Cloud.
