Integrations > Security > Survey Authentication

Use survey authentication to add authentication to selected programs in a Medallia Experience Cloud instance. Typically, this is used as a Survey distribution when measuring Employee experience.

Survey authentication verifies respondents via a third-party system, ensuring only legitimate users can take the survey. This method prevents unwanted responses and allows tracking of respondents, even when the survey link is used directly. It provides additional security for confidential surveys accessed via an Invitation email or Live link. Authenticated users can access confidential information not available to external audiences. For more information, see Authenticated surveys.

When a user attempts to reach a survey, the identity provider (IdP) needs to verify the user's account. The IdP requires the user to first sign in to the IdP application.

When a survey program is associated with more than one IDP, Experience Cloud shows a screen where users must select with which IDP they want to sign in.

Once Experience Cloud receives confirmation from the IDP that the user account is valid, the user is permitted to access the survey.

When a user is authenticated, the Survey engine creates a ballot — a temporary record — with its own survey link for that user. If someone else who has an account in the IdP clicks that link, they are denied access to the survey ballot: users cannot access another user's survey.

Experience Cloud supports SAML and OpenID Connect as identity providers for survey authentication.

These topics explain how to configure IdPs and enable survey authentication: