How to Add Google Workspace Users as Azure AD B2B Guests
Question details
The user needs to properly authenticate Google Workspace users as Azure AD B2B guest users.
- Product
- Azure Active Directory
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Inviting Google Workspace users to access resources as Azure AD B2B guests.
- Observed behavior
- Authentication fails to redirect guests to Google without the correct external identity provider configuration, and embedded web views cause sign-in errors.
Ensure you have External Identity Provider Administrator or Global Administrator privileges in your Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) tenant before configuring federation settings.
Add Google as an External Identity Provider
Set up Google federation so users can sign in to your tenant using their existing Google Workspace credentials.
By configuring Google as an external identity provider, guest users invited to your Azure AD environment will be automatically redirected to the Google sign-in page, providing a seamless authentication experience.
Sign in to the Azure portal, navigate to Microsoft Entra ID, and select 'External Identities' from the left-hand menu.
Click on 'All identity providers', select 'Google', and enter the Client ID and Client Secret generated from your Google Developer Console.
Click 'Save' to apply the Google federation settings to your Azure AD B2B configuration.
Configure a Self-Service Sign-Up User Flow
Enable external users to request access and create their own guest accounts if direct invitation is not feasible.
Resolve Embedded Web View Authentication Failures
Fix sign-in blocks caused by Google's deprecation of web-view sign-in support.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Google Workspace guests not being redirected to the Google sign-in page?
This happens if Google is not configured as an external identity provider in your Azure AD External Identities settings. You must set up Google federation with the correct Client ID and Secret to ensure proper redirection.
Can guests create their own accounts instead of being invited manually?
Yes, you can set up a self-service sign-up user flow in Azure AD B2B, which allows external users to request access and securely create guest accounts on their own.
Why do Gmail users get an error when signing in via embedded web views?
Google has deprecated web-view sign-in support for security reasons. Applications must be updated to use the native system browser instead of embedded web views to authenticate Google users successfully.
Does Azure AD B2B support SAML or WS-Fed direct federation?
Yes, Azure AD B2B supports direct federation with identity providers that use the SAML 2.0 or WS-Fed protocols, offering another robust way to authenticate external guest users.
