Identity overview

Last updated on Dec 16, 2024

Applies to enterprise & teams.

Adobe’s identity management system helps admins create and manage user's access to applications and services. Adobe offers these identities types or accounts to authenticate and authorize users.

Identity types on Adobe Admin Console

Identity types allow the organization different levels of control over the users' accounts and data. Your choice of identity model has a considerable impact on how your organization stores and shares assets. While Federated ID and Enterprise ID models are created and managed by the organization, Adobe IDs are created and managed by the individual.

The following table guides you in choosing which identity model best suits your organization.

Note

If your organization hasn’t been updated to Adobe's enterprise storage model, and you’re still using Adobe IDs for individuals, see the description in the identity types table.

Identity types	Federated ID	Enterprise ID	Adobe ID
Key offerings	Created, owned, and managed by the organization. The organization manages user-credentials and uses Single Sign-On (SSO) via a SAML2 identity provider (IdP).	Created, owned, and managed by the organization. The organization retains exclusive rights to create user accounts on verified domains.	Created, owned, and managed by the end user. Adobe performs the authentication, and the end user manages the identity. Depending upon the storage model, users or businesses retain control over files and data. Adobe ID accounts are created on unverified, public, or trusted domains².
Account & data ownership	Organization-owned and controlled		Organization-owned for Enterprise storage and user-owned for User storage
Security & monitoring	Audit logs Content logs Sharing restrictions Organization’s authentication settings	Content logs Sharing restrictions Password policy¹
Reset password	Not supported	Reset your account password
Creative Cloud for enterprise & Document Cloud for enterprise	Supported
Creative Cloud for teams & Document Cloud for teams	Not supported		Supported
Experience Cloud	Supported
Recommended for	Organizations already using SSO or SAML Existing directory services, such as Google and Azure AD Require easy integration with non-Adobe services Can demonstrate ownership of domain	Can demonstrate ownership of domain Don’t require SSO	Creative Cloud for teams Organization prefers to use domains they don’t own Public domains, for example, Hotmail, Gmail, and so on Access apps like Adobe Experience Manager Mobile
Get Started	Set up identity	Claim domains	Add User

Note

¹ Password policy for Creative Cloud for teams is the same as that for Creative Cloud for individuals.

² Adobe ID users authenticate with their Adobe ID credentials or by their owning organization's authentication model (SSO, 2FA, etc.) In such scenarios, users are redirected to the owning organization's SSO page. After authentication, users may need to choose a business profile.

Using Personal Adobe IDs

Adobe is updating all teams and enterprise customers to use Adobe's Enterprise storage model. See the following table if your organization has users who are using personal Adobe IDs to access their company or school Adobe apps and services.

Identity type	Personal Adobe ID
Key offerings	Created, owned, and managed by the end user. Adobe performs the authentication, and the end user manages the identity.
Account & data ownership	User-controlled
Security & monitoring	Password policy¹
Reset password	Reset your account password. Learn how.
Creative Cloud for enterprise & Document Cloud for enterprise	Partially supported²
Creative Cloud for teams & Document Cloud for teams	Supported
Experience Cloud	Supported
Only available to enterprise and teams customers on-boarded before ...	Creative Cloud for teams Want control in user's hand Access apps like Digital Publishing Suite³ Users own assets after separation from organization
Get started	Add User

Note

¹ Password policy for Creative Cloud for teams is the same as that for Creative Cloud for individuals.

² For Creative Cloud for enterprise customers using enterprise storage, admins can add Adobe ID users to the Admin Console but can’t add them to product profiles. Admins must migrate Adobe ID users to another identity type.

³ There are some products and services, such as Adobe Licensing Website, that only supports Adobe ID.

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