Configure SSO With Google

  • Published on Nov 26, 2025
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Introduction

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for setting up Single Sign-On (SSO) with Branch using Google as your Identity Provider (IdP).

This guide will:

  1. Help you get your configuration details from Branch.

  2. Show you how to create and configure a SAML 2.0 application in Google Workspace.

  3. Link you back to the main Configure SSO guide to complete the setup.

Configure SSO

To configure SSO, you’ll need to get your unique URLs from Branch, configure Google, and then finish the setup in Branch.

Before you begin

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • Admin access to your Branch account.

  • Admin access to the Google Admin console.

  • SSO enabled for your Branch account.

    • Access to SSO requires a premium Branch plan. Please contact our Sales team to learn more about pricing and availability.

Step 1: Get configuration details from Branch

  1. In Branch, navigate to Account → Settings → SSO.

  2. Click the Setup SSO button.

  3. You will be taken to a new browser tab. In this tab, click Get Started.

  4. In the Select Your Identity Provider section, select Custom SAML. Then click Next.

  5. You will land on the Configure Custom SAML page. Keep this browser tab open and copy the following two values, as you will need them for step 5 below:

    • Single Sign-On URL (also known as Assertion Consumer Service URL)

    • Service Provider Entity ID (also known as Audience URI)

  6. Select Next.

Branch configuration settings for SAML application including Single Sign-On URL and Entity ID.

Step 2: Configure Google SAML

In a different tab, log in to your Google Admin console to create the Branch application.

  1. In Google Admin, navigate to Apps → Web and mobile apps.

  2. Select Add app → Add custom SAML app.

  3. On the App details page, enter an app name (e.g., "Branch") and optionally add a description or upload an app icon. Select Continue.

Set up a SAML app in Google Admin for Branch SSO configuration.

Step 3: Download Google IdP details

On the Google Identity Provider details page in Google Admin, there is configuration information that you'll need for Branch.

Keep this page open - you'll need to copy the SSO URL and download the Certificate in the next step.

Configure SAML app in Google with SSO URL, entity ID, and certificate details for Branch SSO.

Step 4: Configure connection in Branch

Before completing the Google configuration, you need to provide Google's IdP details to Branch.

  1. Go back to your Branch Configure Custom SAML browser tab (from Step 1).

  2. On the Configure connection page, select Manual.

  3. Copy the SSO URL from Google (from Step 3) and paste it into Branch's Single Sign-On Login URL field.

  4. Select Download Certificate in Google's setup page to download the certificate file.

  5. Upload this certificate file to Branch's Signing Certificate field.

  6. Keep the Branch tab open - you'll complete the connection after finishing the Google setup.

Step 5: Configure service provider details in Google

Return to the Google Admin console to complete the SAML app configuration.

  1. On the Service provider details page, fill in the fields using the values from the Branch tab you kept open from Step 1:

    1. ACS URL: Paste the Single Sign-On URL from Branch.

    2. Entity ID: Paste the Service Provider Entity ID from Branch.

    3. Start URL (optional): Leave blank.

    4. Signed response: Leave unchecked.

  2. Configure the Name ID settings:

    1. Name ID format: Set to UNSPECIFIED

    2. Name ID: Set to Basic Information > Primary email

  3. Select Continue.

Step 6: Map attributes in Google

Branch requires three attributes to be sent in the SAML response to provision and identify users.

Warning

To set up a successful mapping, you must use the attribute names firstName, lastName, and email exactly as they are capitalized and spelled here. Do not use URN or OID formats.

Google Directory attributes

App attributes

Primary email

email

First name

firstName

Last name

lastName

  1. On Google’s Attribute mapping page, use Add mapping to add each attribute from the table above.

  2. Make sure you enter the app attribute names exactly as spelled and cased here: email, firstName, lastName

  3. Select Finish to save your Google Workspace application.

Step 7: Test SSO

Use step 2.4 from our main SSO guide to test the connection between Google and Branch.

More information

For more complete information about configuring SSO for Branch, visit our Configure SSO (General SAML) guide.