Learn how to integrate your cloud ebook or library with Okta, for a better user login experience

What is Okta

Okta provides secure SSO (Single Sign-On) on the cloud, linking all your apps, logins, and devices into a unified space. It gives access to many applications with a single login.

After enabling Okta SSO, Okta users will be able to seamlessly log into your library or cloud ebook without entering a password, under one of these two conditions:

  • They are already added as users to your library or cloud ebook manually (e.g. through Kotobee Author)
  • You have your library or cloud ebook enabled for self-registration

Steps to Use Okta SSO

In order to use Okta for Single Sign-On, you need to have an Okta developer account. After logging into your account, you will be able to add users into your organization through Developer Console > Users > People > Add Person. 

To enable SSO for your library or cloud ebook, follow the instructions below.

Create an Okta App

Have your library or ebook app URL ready.

If your library or ebook app is hosted with Kotobee, then the URL will be in the form of https://yoursubdomain.kotobee.com. Otherwise, it will be the URL that you have exported your library or ebook app files to. That URL will be referred to in some of the steps below as YOUR_URL.

  1. Add a new Application from Developer Console > Applications > Add Application
  2. Set Application Type to Single Page App (SPA)
  3. Under Allowed grant types check the following options:
    • Authorization Code 
    • Implicit (Hybrid)
    • Allow ID Token with implicit grant type
    • Allow Access Token with implicit grant type
  4. Under the Login redirect URIs, add the following URLs:

  5. Under Logout redirect URIs, add the following:

  6. Under Log Initiated by select App Only

  7. Under Initiate login URI enter YOUR_URL

Enable CORS

  1. Go to Developer Console > API > Trusted Origins > Add Origin
  2. Set Origin URL to YOUR_URL
  3. Enable both CORS and Redirect types
  4. Add another Origin: http://localhost:8100 and YOUR_URL (reference)

Get Important Fields

You need two fields to identify your Okta developer account: the Client ID, and the Okta Domain. These values will be entered in Kotobee Author.

Go to Developer Console > Applications and select your application from the list. Go to the General tab.

Scroll down to find the Client ID in the Client Credentials panel. Have that copied for later use.

Go to Developer Console > Dashboard. 

You will find your Okta Domain at the top right corner, next to Org URL. Have that copied for later use.

Enable Okta SSO in Kotobee Author

Open Kotobee Author. Go into your library or cloud ebook settings, and click on the SSO tab.

Click on the Enable button under Okta.

Enter the Client ID and Okta Domain and hit Save Changes at the bottom.

You do not need to re-export your library or ebook app if you enable or disable SSO. The reader will pick up this change automatically,