InCommon Technical Overview

What is InCommon?

InCommon is a trusted network that connects higher education institutions and their partners, making it easier for faculty, students, staff, and researchers to access resources and online services. For Harvard, this means that individuals from participating institutions can sign into select Harvard applications using their own institution's credentials, rather than creating a HarvardKey or Harvard Guest account.

How does it work?

When an individual attempts to access an application that’s part of the InCommon network the user is prompted to select their institution from a list. They are redirected to their institution’s login system, where their identity is verified. Once authenticated, their system sends the user back to your application along with the essential user information (name, NetID, role. etc) needed to authorize access.

What institutions participate?

To see a full list, visit the InCommon Community Organizations page.

How do I register with InCommon?

In order to register with InCommon, your application needs to support the SAML protocol and provide the essential information to the IAM team. See the InCommon Registration Checklist for Service Providers for more details.

Learn more

• InCommon Participant Operational Practices
• incommon.org