Configure LinkedIn Single Sign-On (SSO) with OAuth for WordPress

Overview

OAuth & OpenID Connect Single Sign-On (SSO) plugin for WordPress enables secure login into WordPress using LinkedIn as OAuth and OpenID Connect provider. You can also configure the plugin using different custom providers and standard IdPs. It supports advanced Single Sign-On (SSO) features such as user profile Attribute mapping, Role mapping, etc. Here we will go through a guide to configure SSO between WordPress and LinkedIn. By the end of this guide, users should be able to login to WordPress from LinkedIn. To know more about other features we provide in the OAuth Single Sign-On (OAuth & OpenID Connect Client) plugin for WP, you can click here.

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Pre-requisites : Download And Installation

• Log into your WordPress instance as an admin.
• Go to the WordPress Dashboard -> Plugins and click on Add New.
• Search for a OAuth Single Sign On (SSO) Plugin for WordPress and click on Install Now.
• Once installed click on Activate.

Steps to configure LinkedIn Single Sign-On (SSO) Login into WordPress

1. Setup LinkedIn as OAuth Provider

• First of all, go to https://www.linkedin.com/secure/developer?newapp= in order to create a new application. Click on Create Application button to create a new application.

• Enter the required details and click on the Create app button to save your changes.

• Copy the Client Id and the Client Secret and save it in your miniOrange OAuth Client plugin under the Client Id and the Client Secret text fields respectively.

• Copy the Redirect/Callback URL from the miniOrange OAuth Client plugin and enter it under OAuth 2.0 -> Authorized Redirect URLs textbox. Click on the Add button adjacent to the text box to save it. Finally, click on the Update button to save your configurations.

• Select the Products as shown in the image below as these are necessary in order to set permissions.

• You will see the permissions as shown in the image below.

You have successfully configured LinkedIn as OAuth Provider for achieving LinkedIn SSO login into your WordPress Site.

Step 2: Setup WordPress as OAuth Client

• Free
• Premium

• Go to Configure OAuth tab and click Add New Application to add a new client application into your website.

• Choose your Application from the list of OAuth / OpenID Connect Providers, Here LinkedIn.

• After selecting the provider copy the Callback URL which needs to be configured in OAuth Provider's SSO application Configuration.
• Then, configure App Name, Client ID, Client Secret and Endpoints.
• Please refer to the table below for details and configure the Scope & Endpoints for LinkedIn in the plugin.

Note: You can add only one scope (r_liteprofile or r_emailaddress) with the free plugin. If you want to fetch all the user attributes under both the scopes from LinkedIn then you need to purchase our premium plan.

Client ID :	from step 1 above
Client Secret :	from step 1 above
Scope:	r_emailaddress r_liteprofile
Authorize Endpoint:	https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/authorization
Access Token Endpoint:	https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken
Get User Info Endpoint:	https://api.linkedin.com/v2/me
Custom redirect URL after logout: [optional]	https://YOUR_DOMAIN/v2/logout?client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&returnTo=LOGOUT_URL

• Click on the Next button.

• Verify the configuration details and click on Finish to save the configuration.

You have successfully configured WordPress as OAuth Client for achieving LinkedIn with WordPress for user authentication.

• Go to Configure OAuth tab and search your application name to add a new client application into your website, Here LinkedIn.

• Configure App Name, Client ID, Client Secret from LinkedIn application.
• Please refer the below table for configuring the Scope & Endpoints for LinkedIn in the plugin, and click on the Save Settings button.

Client ID :	from step 1 above
Client Secret :	from step 1 above
Scope:	r_emailaddress r_liteprofile
Authorize Endpoint:	https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/authorization
Access Token Endpoint:	https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken
Get User Info Endpoint:	https://api.linkedin.com/v2/me
Custom redirect URL after logout: [optional]	https://YOUR_DOMAIN/v2/logout?client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&returnTo=LOGOUT_URL

• Choose your Grant Type from the list of options & Click on Save Settings to save the configuration.

You have successfully configured WordPress as OAuth Client for achieving LinkedIn with WordPress for user authentication.

Step 3: User Attribute Mapping

• User Attribute Mapping is mandatory for enabling users to successfully login into WordPress. We will be setting up user profile attributes for WordPress using below settings.

Finding user attributes:

• Go to Configure OAuth tab. Scroll down and click on Test Configuration.

• You will see all the values returned by your OAuth Provider to WordPress in a table. If you don't see value for First Name, Last Name, Email or Username, make the required settings in your OAuth Provider to return this information.

• Once you see all the values in Test Configuration, go to Attribute / Role Mapping tab, you will get the list of attributes in the dropdowns.

4. Role Mapping [Premium]

• Click on "Test Configuration" and you will get the list of Attribute Names and Attribute Values that are sent by your OAuth provider.
• From the Test Configuration window, map the Attribute Names in the Attribute Mapping section of the plugin. Refer to the screenshot for more details.

• Enable Role Mapping: To enable Role Mapping, you need to map Group Name Attribute. Select the attribute name from the list of attributes which returns the roles from your provider application.
  Eg: Role

• Assign WordPress role to the Provider role: Based on your provider application, you can allocate the WordPress role to your provider roles. It can be a student, teacher, administrator or any other role depending on your application. Add the provider roles under Group Attribute Value and assign the required WordPress role in front of it under WordPress Role.
  
  For example, in the below image, Teacher has been assigned the role of Administrator & Student is assigned the role of Subscriber.

• Once you save the mapping, the provider role will be assigned the WordPress administrator role after SSO.
  Example: As per the given example, Users with role 'teacher' will be added as Administrator in WordPress and 'student' will be added as Subscriber.

5: Login Settings / Sign In Settings

• The settings in the Single Sign-On (SSO) Settings tab define the user experience for Single Sign-On (SSO). To add a LinkedIn login widget on your WordPress page, you need to follow the below steps.

• WordPress 5.7 and below
• WordPress 5.8
• WordPress 5.9 and above

• Go to WordPress Left Panel > Appearances > Widgets.
• Select miniOrange OAuth. Drag and drop to your favourite location and save.

• Go to WordPress Left Panel > Appearances > Widgets.
• Select miniOrange OAuth. Drag and drop to your favourite location and save.

• Open your WordPress page and you can see the LinkedIn SSO login button there. You can test the LinkedIn Single Sign-On (SSO) now.

• Make sure the "Show on login page" option is enabled for your application. (Refer to the below image)

• Now, go to your WordPress Login page. (Eg. https://< your-wordpress-domain >/wp-login.php)
• You will see an LinkedIn SSO login button there. Once you click the login button, you will be able to test the LinkedIn Single Sign-On (SSO).

In this Guide, you have successfully configured LinkedIn Single Sign-On (SSO) by configuring LinkedIn as OAuth Provider and WordPress as OAuth Client using our OAuth Single Sign-On (OAuth & OpenID Connect Client) plugin for WP. This solution ensures that you are ready to roll out secure access to your WordPress site using LinkedIn SSO login credentials within minutes.

Related Articles

• What is OAuth 2.0?
• Authenticating with OAuth 2.0 Overview
• Single Sign-On (SSO) OAuth / OpenID Connect / JWT for WordPress
• What is OAuth 2.0 and how does it work?
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)