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Understand the Authentication Status for External Credentials
The Authentication Status field tells you when you’ve completed all of the required steps to configure an external credential. If your external credential shows a Not Configured status, there’s more work to do before you can use your external credential to make authenticated callouts with a named credential. Learn how to reach a Configured status for each authentication protocol.
Required Editions
| Available in: both Salesforce Classic (not available in all orgs) and Lightning Experience |
| Available in: all editions |
These fields represent external credentials in metadata and are required for all external credentials, but they’re not included in the runtime callout to the external system.
| Object | Field |
|---|---|
| External Credential |
|
| External Credential Principal |
|
Use these tables to understand the additional fields to populate and the actions to take to configure external credentials fully.
AWS Signature Version 4
The AWS Signature Version 4 authentication protocol supports only the Named Principal identity type. A named principal applies the same credential or authentication configuration for an entire org.
| AWS Signature Version 4 Variant | External Credential Fields | External Credential Principal Fields | Additional Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access Key and Secret |
|
|
— |
| STS |
|
IAM Role ARN | — |
| IAM Roles Anywhere |
|
IAM Role ARN | — |
Basic Authentication
| Identity Type | External Credential Fields | External Credential Principal Fields | Additional Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named Principal | — |
|
— |
| Per User Principal | — | Identity Type | Enable the external credential principal on a permission set or user profile. Then, at least one user must authenticate to the external system from the External Credentials page in their personal settings. |
Custom Authentication
The Custom authentication protocol supports only the Named Principal identity type. A named principal applies the same credential or authentication configuration for an entire org.
When you create a principal on an external credential that uses the Custom authentication protocol, the authentication status is always Unknown. Because an admin defines the Custom authentication protocol, Salesforce can’t verify when external credentials that use this protocol are configured fully.
JWT
| Identity Type | External Credential Fields | External Credential Principal Fields | Additional Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named Principal |
|
Identity Type | Review the JWT body claims that Salesforce created when you saved the external credential. You can modify some default claims or create your own custom claims. |
| Per User Principal |
|
Identity Type | Review the JWT body claims that Salesforce created when you saved the external credential. You can modify some default claims or create your own custom claims. Then, enable the external credential principal on a permission set or user profile. Assign that permission set or profile to at least one user. |
No Authentication
The No Authentication protocol supports only the Named Principal identity type. A named principal applies the same credential or authentication configuration for an entire org.
If your external credential uses the No Authentication protocol, no additional fields are required on the external credential or its principal. External credentials have a Configured authentication status as soon as you create and save the principal.
OAuth 2.0
In addition to the fields required for all external credentials, external credentials that use an OAuth 2.0 authentication protocol also require the Authentication Flow Type field. The other fields that are required to fully configure an OAuth 2.0 external credential depend on the OAuth variant and the identity type of the external credential’s principal.
| OAuth 2.0 Variant | Identity Type | External Credential Fields | External Credential Principal Fields | Additional Steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser Flow | Named Principal | Authentication Provider | Identity Type | Authenticate to the external system on behalf of all users in your Salesforce organization. On the External Credential page, select Authenticate from the principal’s Actions menu. Then, authenticate to the system. |
| Per User Principal | Authentication Provider | Identity Type | Enable the external credential principal on a permission set or user profile. Then, at least one user must authenticate to the external system from the External Credentials page in their personal settings. |
|
| Client Credentials with Client Secret Flow | Named Principal | Identity Provider URL |
|
— |
| Client Credentials with JWT Assertion Flow | Named Principal |
|
Client ID | Review the JWT body claims that Salesforce created when you saved the external credential. You can modify some default claims or create your own custom claims. |
| JWT Bearer Flow | Named Principal |
|
Identity Type | Review the JWT body claims that Salesforce created when you saved the external credential. You can modify some default claims or create your own custom claims. |
| Per User Principal |
|
Identity Type | Review the JWT body claims that Salesforce created when you saved the external credential. You can modify some default claims or create your own custom claims. Then, enable the external credential principal on a permission set or user profile. Assign that permission set or profile to at least one user. |
