Unlocking the Power of Azure Active Directory B2C with Custom Policies
Azure Active Directory B2C (AAD B2C) is a cloud-based identity management service provided by Microsoft that enables developers to add authentication and authorization to their applications. AAD B2C allows users to sign in with their existing social media accounts, such as Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, or create a new local account. While AAD B2C provides a robust set of built-in features for authentication and authorization, sometimes the needs of an application go beyond what is provided out-of-the-box. That is where AAD B2C custom policies come in.
Custom policies are an advanced feature of AAD B2C that allows developers to customize and extend the built-in authentication and authorization capabilities of AAD B2C. These custom policies can be used to add new user flows, such as password less authentication or social account linking, or to modify the behavior of existing user flows.
Custom policies are written in XML and are composed of several different elements that define the behavior of the policy, such as claims, technical profiles, and user journeys. Claims define the information that is passed between the application and AAD B2C, such as the user’s name or email address. Technical profiles define the interactions between AAD B2C and external identity providers, such as social media accounts or enterprise directories. User journeys define the flow of the authentication and authorization process, including the prompts and pages that the user will see.
Creating a custom policy requires an understanding of XML, as well as the different elements that make up a custom policy. Once the policy is created, it needs to be uploaded to AAD B2C, and then associated with an application. From there, the policy can be used to authenticate and authorize users.
Custom policies give developers a high degree of flexibility and customization, making it easy for them to tailor the authentication and authorization experience to their specific needs. For example, developers can create custom policies that include multi-factor authentication, conditional access, or even create custom claims that will be passed to the application. Additionally, custom policies allow for integration with external identity providers, such as social media accounts or enterprise directories.
The Azure AD B2C custom policy starter pack is a set of sample XML files that demonstrates how to create custom policies for AAD B2C. It is a useful resource for developers who are new to creating custom policies, as it provides a starting point and examples of how to create different types of policies.
In conclusion, AAD B2C custom policies provide developers with a powerful tool for creating custom authentication and authorization experiences that meet the specific needs of their applications and users. With the ability to customize claims, technical profiles, and user journeys, developers have the flexibility to create a user experience that is tailored to their specific needs and requirements.
