Before you begin the SSO setup process, make sure the right people are involved. SSO configuration touches two systems, and you may need coordination between your MarketScale admin and your IT team.
Best practice: The simplest way to handle SSO setup is to add your IT administrator as an admin in your MarketScale channel before starting. This way, one person has access to both systems and can complete the entire process themselves, without needing to share time-sensitive links.
Two Roles Are Needed
Setting up SSO for MarketScale requires access to two systems. Depending on your organization, this might be one person or two people coordinating together.
1. MarketScale Channel Admin
You need Admin permissions in the MarketScale channel where SSO will be configured. This is the person who requests the setup link and initiates the process.
How to check: If you are unsure whether you have Admin permissions, open your profile menu in the top right on MarketScale. You will see a section for Admin Actions. If you do not see these admin-level options, you may need to ask your organization's Admin to upgrade your permissions.
2. Identity Provider Administrator
Someone needs administrative access to your organization's identity provider (Azure AD, Okta, Google Workspace, etc.) to complete the SSO configuration. This person will:
Create or configure a SAML/OIDC application for MarketScale
Enter the SSO URLs, Entity ID, and certificates from the setup portal
Assign users or groups to the MarketScale application
Optionally configure directory sync (SCIM)
This is typically someone on your IT team.
Common Scenarios
How setup works depends on who in your organization holds each role. Here are the most common situations, listed from most to least streamlined.
Your IT admin is also an admin in the MarketScale channel (recommended). This is the ideal scenario. One person has access to both systems and can complete the entire setup in a single session. If your IT admin is not already a MarketScale channel admin, add them to your channel as an admin.
You are the MarketScale admin but not the IT admin. You will need to coordinate with your IT administrator. The setup portal link expires 5 minutes after it is generated, so you will need to be in sync on timing. The easiest approach is to be on a call together so you can generate the link and have them click through immediately. Alternatively, consider adding your IT admin as a MarketScale channel admin so they can generate the link themselves.
You are the IT admin but not the MarketScale admin. Ask your organization's MarketScale admin to either add you as a channel admin (recommended) or generate a setup link and share it with you. If they share a link, you will need to click through within 5 minutes.
What If I Do Not Have the Right Access?
If you want to set up SSO but do not have Admin permissions in MarketScale, contact your organization's MarketScale point of contact or reach out to us and we can help identify who has admin access on your channel.
If you have MarketScale Admin access but your organization does not have a dedicated IT team or identity provider administrator, let us know. We can discuss your options and help determine the best path forward.
Plan Requirements
SSO is available on Business and Enterprise plans. If your organization is on a different plan and you are interested in SSO, reach out to us to learn about upgrading.