> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.overleaf.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.overleaf.com/accounts-and-security/email-address-and-login-options/logging-in-with-institutional-sso/institutional-sso-faqs.md).
# Institutional SSO FAQs
Does my university or organization provide institutional SSO?
If your university or organization supports institutional SSO, entering your institutional email address (an address with a university or organizational domain) at the Overleaf SSO login page will redirect you to your institution’s single sign-on page.
Many [Overleaf Commons subscribers](https://www.overleaf.com/for/institutions-using-overleaf) provide a public portal page. If your institution provides a public portal page, you can use the institutional SSO login link provided there.
How do institutions set up SSO?
Overleaf institutional SSO is an option available to Overleaf Commons subscribers. Overleaf SSO uses a SAML 2.0 standard implementation, and is a registered Service Provider in eduGAIN, InCommon Federation and UK Access Management Federation (UKAMF).
* Learn more about Commons SSO configuration from our [admin documentation pages](https://docs.overleaf.com/commons/).
* If you are an administrator for an existing Overleaf Commons subscription and you would like to know more, please get in touch with the [Overleaf Success Team](mailto:success@overleaf.com).
How do I add an institutional SSO option to my Overleaf account?
One way to add an institutional SSO option to your account is to first log in to your account the way you usually do, visit your [Account Settings](https://www.overleaf.com/user/settings), and add your institutional email address. If your university or organization provides an institutional SSO option, you will be prompted to log in through their SSO portal to authenticate and confirm your affiliation. After that, you can begin logging in with institutional SSO.
How do I join the Commons subscription offered by my institution?
Universities and organizations that provide an institutional SSO login option use this to enroll users in their subscription. When you log in with institutional SSO, if you are eligible to participate in your university or organization’s Overleaf Commons subscription, your account will be automatically enrolled.
Please be sure to continue to log in using institutional SSO to stay on your institution’s subscription. For institutions that provide this login method, users who have not logged in using institutional SSO recently may be (temporarily) removed from the subscription.
If you haven't logged in using SSO for a while, and you have been removed from the subscription, but you believe you are still entitled, please try logging back in via SSO to attempt to re-enroll yourself. If you're still having trouble please reach out to your IT team.
I see "Set up SSO for your Account" when I try to log in with SSO. What should I do?
This message is shown if there is an existing Overleaf account under the email associated with your SSO login, but you have not used SSO to log in to this account in the past.\
\
Because this is your first time accessing your account with SSO, you need to first verify your ownership of that account by logging in using a method you have used previously, or by setting an Overleaf-specific password (which confirms your access to the primary email address on the account).\
\
If you still remember your Overleaf-specific password (not your SSO password), you can follow the prompt that is shown with this message to log in with your primary email address and Overleaf password.
If you have forgotten your Overleaf password, you need to reset that before being able to link your account to SSO. Please follow these steps:
1. Submit your email address to this form:
2. You will receive an email from that will allow you to set your Overleaf-specific password.
3. Log in to your Overleaf account using your email and new password.
4. On your [Account settings page](https://www.overleaf.com/user/settings), follow the prompts to link your Overleaf Account to SSO.
Going forward, please use the SSO option to log in, as this confirms your affiliation with your institution.
I am leaving my institution, what should I do?
It is important to [configure a different login option](/accounts-and-security/email-address-and-login-options.md) if you will soon be unable to log in with your institutional SSO. If you are leaving your institution, please make sure that your primary email address on Overleaf is one that you can access—this will allow you to easily set an Overleaf-specific password and retain access to your Overleaf account.
How does Overleaf use my institutional email?
Overleaf will occasionally send notifications to users to let them know when changes are made to their account settings (see [Keeping your account secure](/accounts-and-security/keeping-your-account-secure.md)). When you register for an Overleaf account using institutional SSO, or link to your existing account, your institution will send an email address to Overleaf to allow these notifications to happen.
Overleaf will send email notifications to your account's primary email address.
Why can’t I confirm my friendly email alias?
Some institutions allow users to create a friendly email alias. For example, the default email may be a something like , but the alias may be the more human-friendly .
Depending on how the institution handles email aliases like these, it can happen that only the default email is available to Overleaf during SSO sign in.
In the process of confirming your friendly email through SSO, you may find that the default email is added to your Overleaf account. In this case, the friendly email may still be unconfirmed. To avoid the prompts to confirm your alias, you will have to remove the alias from your Overleaf account and keep only the default email address.
In this case, you can still accept invites to projects that are sent to your alias email address, but only the default email address sent to us by your institution will be visible in your account settings.
I received an email from Overleaf saying that I could log in with a different email address. What does this mean?
It can sometimes happen that the email provided to Overleaf from your institution looks different than your institutional SSO ID. For example, you may log in through your institution with , but receive an email from Overleaf saying that you can log in with .
Often, the email address provided to Overleaf by your institution will match your SSO ID. In some cases it may be a different address, such as a friendly email alias, or a different address that you have configured as your default email address in your institutional SSO account.
When logging in through institutional SSO, you should continue to use your standard SSO ID. Overleaf also provides the option of configuring an Overleaf-specific password, allowing you to log in with a combination of the primary email of your Overleaf account, and a strong password of your choosing. If you have not set an Overleaf-specific password or forgotten it, you can request that a reset password link be sent to your primary email address here: .
Please note that institutional SSO is the recommended login method for users who are affiliated with an institution that provides this option.
Why can’t I add my SSO login as my email address in Overleaf?
There are a few reasons why you might see a warning or error when you are trying to add your SSO login or default institutional email (something like ).
1. You may have accidentally registered this same address under a different account.
2. Your institution may be returning a different email address to Overleaf when you sign in.
Some institutions allow users to create a friendly email alias. For example, your SSO login id and default email may be a something like , but the alias may be the more human-friendly .
Depending on how the institution handles email aliases like these, it can happen that the alias is sent to Overleaf during SSO sign in. In this case, although you login to SSO using your user id (such as ), your email address in Overleaf will be the alias address (such as ). In this case, you should retain your email alias as your confirmed institutional email. You can verify that your email has been confirmed by checking your [Overleaf Account Settings](https://www.overleaf.com/user/settings).
If you suspect that you have accidentally created two Overleaf accounts and are having trouble accessing one of them, please contact for assistance.
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