# How to configure SAML authentication settings in Central Server for AD FS?

**Last Updated On**: 22 Jul 2026  
**4 minutes read**

## Description

This document will walk you through the steps required to configure SAML Authentication settings in Central Server for AD FS.

## Installation Steps

- Open **AD FS management**. Click on **Add Relying Party Trust**.

![ADfs Add Relying Party Trust](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-1.webp)

- Click on **Start**.

![Add Relying Party Trust start button](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-2.webp)

- Choose **Enter data about the relying party manually**. Click on **Next**.

![Enter data about the relying party manually Next button](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-3.webp)

- Enter an appropriate **Display name**.

![Enter an appropriate Display name page](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-4.webp)

- Click on **Next**.

![configure certificate next button](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-5.webp)

- In **Central Server**, navigate to **Admin** tab and select **SAML Authentication**. Choose **Certificate against Configuration** by downloading. Copy the **Assertion Consumer URL**.

![Central Server Saml page](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/assertion-consumer-url.webp)

- Choose **Enable support for the SAML 2.0 WebSSO protocol**. Paste the **Assertion Consumer URL** here. Click on **Next**.

![add assertion url page](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-7.webp)

- Again in **Central Server**, navigate to **Admin** tab and select **SAML Authentication**. Choose **Certificate against Configuration** by downloading. Copy **Entity ID**.

![copy endity id form central server](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-10-entity-id-copy.webp)

- In **AD FS management**, paste the **Entity ID** in the **Relying party trust identifier**. Click on **Add**.

![paste entity id in adfs page](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-9.webp)

- Click on **Next**.

![click on next after paste entity id](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-10.webp)

- Choose **Permit everyone**. Click on **Next**.

![permit everyone and next page](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-11.webp)

- Click on **Next**.

![ready to add trust click on next](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-12.webp)

- Click on **Close**.

![after finish close button](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-13.webp)

- Select the added **Relying Party Trust** (Endpoint Central_SAML) and click on **Edit Claim Issuance Policy**.

![edit clalim inssuance policy](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-14.webp)

- Click on **Add Rule**.

![click on add rule](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-15.webp)

- In the drop-down list under Claim rule template, choose **Transform an Incoming Claim**. Click on **Next**.

![next choose transform and incomain claim](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-16.webp)

- Enter appropriate **Claim rule name**.  
  Choose **Windows account name** as **Incoming claim type**.  
  Select **Name ID** as **Outgoing claim type**.  
  Choose **Transient Identifier** as **Outgoing name ID format**.  
  Select **Pass through all claim values**.  
  Click on **Finish**.

![claimrule,select name Id, other and finsh](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-17.webp)

- Click on **Apply** and then click **OK**.

![select apply click ok](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-18.webp)

- The next step is to download the **Federation Metadata** XML file from ADFS. The XML can be downloaded by appending: **FederationMetadata/2007-06/FederationMetadata.xml** to the root URL of the **ADFS** server.  

  For example, if the FQDN of the ADFS server is `ec.com`, then the complete URL would be:  
  https://ec.com/federationmetadata/2007-06/FederationMetadata.xml

- In the **Central Server** console, navigate to **Admin** -> **SAML Authentication**.  
  Select the IdP as **ADFS** and choose the **Name ID** as **Username**.  
  Beside Configuration by uploading, choose **Metadata** and upload the Metadata XML file.  
  Click on **Save**.

![Central server Identity provider details](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-endpoint-central.webp)

- Open Central Server console. Click on **Login with ADFS**. Enter the credentials.

![ADFS login page](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/access-management/adfs-20.webp)