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Configuring external login for the mobile app

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Introduction

Even if the Go.Learn mobile app supports many different Single Sign On (SSO) protocols (namely SAML, OKTA, Google Apps, Gmail, Auth0 and OpenID Connect), other SSO protocols or some custom implemented SSO schemas may not be supported or may not work as expected in Go.Learn.

That’s why Docebo introduced an advanced support for deep links and JWT tokens and a few customization options on the login page in order to enable all of the clients to implement and secure the login phase in the way they prefer.

Customizing the Go.Learn login

In order to be able to customize the login to your Go.Learn mobile app, follow the following four steps:

  1. Create a new OAuth2 app in your Docebo platform and enable the support for JWT tokens. 
  2. Implement the actual user authentication in a web portal that you control or within any app which is used and developed by your organization. 
  3. Once the user authentication has been completed successfully, redirect the user to the Go.Learn app (or to your branded version of Go.Learn) using a deep link and passing a proper JWT token as a parameter. 
  4. Optimize the app experience to prevent confusion in the users. 

1. Create a new OAuth2 app

First of all, you need a couple of RSA private/public key in .pem format. You are free to create them in the way you prefer, for example using OpenSSL or the Travis Tidwell key generation service (opens in a new tab).

Next, access the Navigation menu of your Docebo platform. Under the Add-ons and integrations (jigsaw icon), select the API via OAuth item. On the page that opens, access the API Credentials tab and press the Add OAuth2 App button. A pop-up box will appear. You will need to fill in its fields according to the instructions provided in the article on the API and SSO app about the API App, and in the article on API authentication.

Please Note: Remember to flag the JWT Bearer option in the advanced settings at the bottom of the pop-up box. Finally, you will be required to upload the public key you created at the beginning of this procedure. Once finished, press Confirm.

2. Implement the login procedure

Feel free to implement the login in a web portal managed by you, or in any app used by your organization.

Sample of web-based login page Sample of app login page

On the login page, your user will type his or her username and password. When the user taps on the Log in button, you can verify his or her credentials using the standard procedures you implemented.

3. Redirect to the app using a JWT token

At the end of the authentication phase, instead of moving your user to any landing page, you now need to create a JWT bearer containing the username and other necessary information. 

Remember to sign the JWT token using the RSA private key you created at the beginning of step 1 Create a New OAuth2 App  in this document. For more info about how to build a proper JWT token to be used in the Docebo platform, please refer to the article on APIs authentication.

Finally, call the Go.Learn deep link to start the app (it can be the Go.Learn app or your own branded app) passing the JWT bearer you just created as a parameter. Read the article on Deep linking for the mobile app for further information about the deep links supported by Go.Learn.

The structure of a Go.Learn deep link is the following: golearn://sso_login_exchange_token={userJWT}

4. Optimize the in-app experience

Given that you now implemented the login procedure outside of the app, it could be misleading for a user to see the login options within the app. For this reason, it is recommended to hide these options within the app and give the correct instructions so that the user is able to login in the proper way.

For example, you can arrange the login page of the app to look like this one:

On this login page, the user doesn’t see any username/password boxes or any links to the SSO logins, but there is only a button (Go to login page) that redirects the user to the actual login page.

In order to configure the login page in this way, access the Navigation menu of your Docebo platform. Under the Customization (shapes icon), select the Branding and design item. On the page that opens, access the Mobile app tab, then reach the Sign In Page section.

In the Sign in page background subsection of the Sign in page section, you can customize the background image of this page. Please note that in order to provide your users with more detailed information, you can also embed any text you want in the background image.

In the Options subsection of the Sign in page section, you can configure the following settings:

Here, you can choose to hide all of the login with SSO buttons by enabling the login to the mobile app only through an external login service. You can also decide to show/hide a button to redirect the user to the proper login page by flagging or unflagging the corresponding option (Show a redirect button), that appears when selecting the Enable login to the mobile app only through an external login service option above. When selecting the redirect button option, you will need to add the URL (or a deep link) to redirect the user to the correct login page in the External login service URL field that appears below.

Finally, remember to switch to the Desktop tab on the Configure branding and look page, open the Sign in page section and activate the Show only SSO buttons and hide login form toggle in the Login form subsection.