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Expand Up @@ -23,6 +23,43 @@ At Kinde, each user can only have one enterprise identity provider (IdP) connect

We get asked about this regularly, so this document explains our reasoning from a security and architectural perspective.

## Can I enable both SSO and email authentication?

A common question is whether you can enable both SSO (enterprise connections) and email authentication for the same user. The answer depends on how you structure your authentication:

### Users with enterprise identities

Users who authenticate via an enterprise connection (SAML, Microsoft Entra ID, etc.) **cannot also use email authentication**. This is because:

- Users with enterprise identities in Kinde can only have an enterprise identity
- Identity information is sourced from and managed by the identity provider (IdP), not Kinde
- This ensures security, prevents identity conflicts, and maintains clear accountability

### Users with email identities

Users who authenticate via email (with password or passwordless) can have multiple non-enterprise identity types:

- Email identity (password or passwordless)
- Social identities (Google, Apple, GitHub, etc.)
- Phone authentication

These identity types can be combined for the same user, as long as they share a verified email address.

### Setting up both methods for different users

If you need to support both SSO and email authentication in your application, you can enable both methods at the environment level:

1. **Enable email authentication**: Go to **Settings > Environment > Authentication** and configure the **Email** tile in either the **Passwordless** or **Password** section for your applications.
2. **Enable enterprise connections**: Set up your enterprise connection (SAML, Microsoft Entra ID, etc.) by following the relevant guide.

With both methods enabled, different users in your application can authenticate using their preferred method:

- Enterprise users will sign in via SSO through their organization's identity provider
- Regular users will sign in via email (with password or one-time code)

See [Select authentication options](/authenticate/authentication-methods/set-up-user-authentication/) for step-by-step instructions.


## What is an enterprise connection?

An enterprise connection allows users to sign in to your product using their organization’s identity provider — such as Okta, Azure AD, or Google Workspace. This enables Single Sign-On (SSO), centralized user management, and improved security for enterprise customers.
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