ShengaelS
ZITADEL•4mo ago
Shengael

Issue linking existing user with SAML IdP (External User Not Found)

Hi 👋,
I’m having an issue with SAML login and automatically linking an external user to an existing Zitadel user.

Problem

When logging in through a SAML IdP:
  • We are correctly redirected to the IdP login page.
  • Authentication succeeds.
  • But when redirected back to Zitadel, we get the error: External User Not Found.
What we tried

  • Tested all possible IdP configurations in the console.
  • Tried linking the external user to the Zitadel user via email (both automatically and manually).
Our goal

  • Create a user via the API.
  • Send them an invitation code via the API.
  • The user completes their account setup.
  • When they log in via the SAML IdP, their external account should be automatically linked to their Zitadel account.
👉 This works correctly with OpenID Connect, but not with SAML.

Is this the expected behavior with SAML? Or is there a specific configuration needed to make the linking by email work?
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