OpenID Connect Flow Definition

OpenID Connect Flow is more commonly referred to as OpenID Connect, and it’s a form on an online verification system that uses a unique “Identity Provider” (IdP), such as Google or Facebook, to verify a user’s identity. It is built on top of the OAuth 2.0 protocol and allows the collection of basic profile information about the end user.

How OpenID Connect Flow Works

The OpenID Connect Flow process consists of the following steps:

• Client Registration
• Authorization Request
• User Authentication
• Authorization Grant
• Token Request
• ID Token Issuance
• Token Usage
• Token Refresh (Optional)

Some of the most well-known OpenID Connect providers include:

• Google
• Facebook
• Microsoft
• Amazon
• Okta

Advantages of OpenID Connect Flow

OpenID Connect Flow provides various advantages over the traditional authentication methods, and they include:

• OpenID Connect Flow improves users’ experience by allowing them to sign in to applications using their existing accounts, thus eliminating the need to create new accounts and memorize separate passwords.
• OpenID Connect Flow reduces development effort by providing a standard way to implement authentication and authorization.
• OpenID Connect Flow improves security by using secure protocols and tokens to protect user credentials and data from unauthorized access.

OpenID Connect Flow is used to authenticate users for a wide variety of applications that include:

• Web applications
• Mobile applications
• APIs
• Desktop applications
• IoT devices