Finalsite authentication

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Misty Flowers

By default, Finalsite employs a native authentication method wherein usernames and passwords are stored and managed in Constituent Manager. This guide outlines the login procedures for constituents, differentiating between admin users accessing the back end and portal users accessing the front end of the website.

In this Article

Finalsite authentication FAQs

What is Native Authentication?
This is another way to say Finalsite’s default way of logging in to its products. Usernames and passwords are stored and managed within Finalsite’s system, specifically in a tool called Constituent Manager.
What does it mean to “authenticate against” another authentication?

This means you are verifying a user’s identity using a specific system or service. Authentication confirms that someone is who they say they are, usually done with a username and password but could also include other more protective security measures.

The word “against” refers to the system or service that checks your credentials. If you’re logging into a website, that website’s server is the system you’re authenticating “against.” If you’re accessing a district or SIS network, the company’s authentication system is what is verifying your credentials.

What is a Unified Admin Authentication (e.g. external or SSO)? Is it necessary or optional? 
This is a centralized approach to managing authentication methods across various platforms. It simplifies the administration of authentication methods and makes your login experience more secure. Some clients at Finalsite will add on a third party authentication to work alongside the default Finalsite authentication. Whether it's necessary or optional depends on your school or district's goals and security risks. The most common examples are: 

Step 1: Understand the default Finalsite authentication method

Data requirements

  • a username populated in the Account tab of a Constituent Manager profile
  • an associated email address to set or reset their Finalsite password.

Two ways to log in using Finalsite Authentication

There are two different ways to log in using Finalsite authentication: Admin User Login and Portal User Login.

Admin User Login

Admin Users can log in to manage and edit the website.

  • Steps to confirm setup:
    • Navigate to the Admin Users module in the people icon.
      admin users module.png
    • Click to open the Admin User group whose authentication you’d like to confirm.
    • Ensure the user’s admin group is set to Finalsite Authentication "finalsite" using the admin users panel.
      confirm authorization.png
  • How do admin users log in to the admin site?
    • yoursite.com/admin is where Admin Users can access the admin site to manage and edit the website.

Portal User Login

Portal users can log in to view certain protected content and use the links within the portal.

  • Steps to confirm setup:
    • Navigate to Integrated Services Manager > Authentication > Finalsite > Role Settings.
      navigate to Role Settings in ISM.png
    • View Constituent roles set to authenticate using Finalsite credentials.
      confirm role settings .png
  • How do portal users get in to the site with their portal access?
    • yoursite.com/login is where Portal Users can access the admin site via from the front end.
    • Password resets can be performed through the Forgot Username or Password? link on yoursite.com/fs/admin/recovery.
    • An email will be sent containing their username and a link to set or reset their Finalsite password.
    • After setting their Finalsite password, users will be prompted to log in once more.

Step 2: Consider an external authentication

Are you considering an external authentication?

Check out this section of the Authentication overview article to make sure you understand the difference between Authentication and single sign-on methods.

Once this is clear, consider one of the options or combinations of login methods below. You can use external authentication credentials to log into the password-protected faculty portal.

Step 3: Choose your login method

Option #1: Only Finalsite authentication

Use your Finalsite credentials to log in as an admin or as a portal user.

Option #2: Only external authentication

Important Note

As a best practice, create one Finalsite authentication account for an admin user. It's important to understand that using only an external authentication means that if you are locked out or your external authentication is malfunctioning, that you won't be able to get in to your Finalsite website. 

Set up your admin account to authenticate against your SSO, using the same credentials for both admin and portal logins.

Option #3: External authentication + Finalsite authentication

  • External authentication: Set up external authentication credentials so that constituents can log in to a protected faculty and staff portal.
  • Finalsite Authentication for Admin Users: Use your Finalsite credentials to log in as an admin or as a portal user.

Important Note

As a safeguard, have an extra Finalsite authentication account for an admin user. This way, if your external authentication is down, you can still log in to edit your website.

Step 4: Configure your login method(s)

Update the authentication field for each admin group as needed in the admin user's module.

Step 5: Confirm accuracy of your login method(s)

It’s good to confirm that how you configured this to work is the way your users will expect to login. You can confirm this by "logging in as" or "impersonating" another admin user or portal user.

Impersonate or log in as another admin user 

  • go to Constituent Manager > Account tab
  • click the link log in as this admin user
  • you will see a reminder that you will be logged out of your account

Now you can navigate around the platform and see exactly what this admin user will see when logged in. 
login as a user.png

Important Note

The only admin user group with the ability to impersonate another admin user is the main, highest level Site Administrators group, often labeled in the Admin Users module as "Administrators," though it may have been renamed.

Impersonate or log in as a portal user

  • go to Constituent Manager > Account tab
  • click Log in as this portal user

log in as this portal user.png

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