Getting Started

SeamlessAccess.org supports a streamlined federated authentication experience when using scholarly collaboration tools, information resources, and shared research infrastructure through one’s home institution while maintaining an environment that protects personal data and privacy. The service aims to enable simple, trusted use of scholarly resources and services anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

SeamlessAccess is built around a SAML federation model. SeamlessAccess is not, itself, a federation, but is intended for organizations that are members of a federation to make the federated authentication workflow easier for their users.

This page outlines the process for those who would like to implement SeamlessAccess.

The Steps

1. Gather information and make a plan

Who does this work? For service providers ready to implement SeamlessAccess for your online services, this information will be gathered from several different people, such as your web developer, your business developer, and/or whoever supports identity management for your services. During this phase of the work, you will be working closely with the SeamlessAccess team who will help you interpret the information you have gathered and what it means to your organization. Based on this information, we will also be able to estimate time and resource requirements to make your site SeamlessAccess enabled.

If you are a librarian, you may need to know more information on if or how your institution is using federated authentication! So, your task will be in determining who in your organization to ask. Often those who handle system security compliance will know, as will those who manage the access control to the resources that are secured by a sign-inprocess.

2. Three Flavors

Limited Integration

Lets you use the SeamlessAccess discovery service for users to find and sign into their preferred Identity Provider, but doesn’t integrate this service into your site.

Standard Integration

Lets you use the SeamlessAccess service to display the button on your site, and use the SeamlessAccess discovery and persistence services as integrated components on your site.

Advanced Integration

Provides you with the SeamlessAccess persistence service while giving you greater control over the appearance of the service on your site, and what Identity Providers (IdPs) you include in your discovery service.

3. Implementing the Service

For Advanced Integrators: Contact us for a design review.
Register and Agree to the Terms of Service
Become a participating service

4. Tell your users

Who does this work? For the service provider, this work is likely done by your communication or marketing team. It’s a great idea to get this group involved early in the project so they are ready to talk about the connection when it is ready to launch!

If you are a librarian, you may want to develop your own plan to inform users as to what they might expect to see as you shift your publisher agreements to support federated identity.

5. Let us know how it’s going

You’ve done the work, so we’d love to hear about how it’s going and how you found your experience. Contact us!

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