API & SDK Integration

What is API & SDK integration in CIAM?

API & SDK integration defines how applications connect to a CIAM platform to authenticate users, manage identity data, and validate access securely. Rather than embedding identity logic directly into applications, CIAM exposes standardized APIs and SDKs that developers use to integrate authentication, authorization, and profile management across web and mobile environments.

In modern architectures, CIAM APIs act as the identity backbone, while SDKs simplify implementation and ensure consistency across platforms.

How do developers integrate CIAM into applications?

Developers integrate CIAM by connecting applications to identity APIs and SDKs provided by the CIAM platform. Authentication requests, token validation, user profile access, and session management are handled through REST APIs or SDK abstractions instead of custom-built logic.

This approach allows applications to remain loosely coupled to identity while relying on a centralized, secure identity layer.

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What types of APIs does a CIAM platform provide?

A CIAM platform typically provides REST-based APIs that support core identity functions, including user registration and authentication, token issuance and validation, profile and attribute management, consent and preference access, and identity lifecycle operations.

These APIs enable consistent consumption of identity services across applications, services, and environments.

What is the role of APIs in CIAM?

APIs serve as the primary interface between applications and the CIAM platform. They abstract identity complexity away from application code and ensure authentication, authorization, and identity data access are handled securely and consistently.

By using APIs, teams avoid duplicating identity logic and can scale identity functionality across products without re-architecting applications.

What is the role of SDKs in CIAM?

SDKs provide developer-friendly wrappers around CIAM APIs. They handle common tasks such as token storage, session handling, redirect flows, and error management, reducing the amount of identity-specific code developers need to write.

SDKs also help ensure best practices are applied consistently across web and mobile applications.

Does CIAM work with mobile applications?

Yes. Modern CIAM platforms are designed to work seamlessly with native and hybrid mobile applications. Mobile SDKs support secure authentication flows, token handling, and session management while aligning with platform-specific security models.

CIAM enables mobile apps to authenticate users without directly handling credentials, reducing risk and improving maintainability.

What is a customer identity token?

A customer identity token is a secure, signed credential issued after successful authentication. It represents the authenticated user and is used by applications to authorize access to protected resources without re-authenticating the user on every request.

Tokens are typically short-lived and validated on each request to maintain security.

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What are identity claims?

Identity claims are attributes embedded within an identity token that describe the authenticated user. These may include user identifiers, roles, permissions, or profile attributes required by the application.

Claims allow applications to make authorization decisions without directly querying identity databases.

How does CIAM handle token validation?

CIAM platforms provide built-in token validation mechanisms to ensure tokens are authentic, unexpired, and unmodified. Applications validate tokens using public keys or introspection endpoints before granting access.

This model supports secure, stateless authentication across distributed systems and APIs.

Why is API-first CIAM important for modern architectures?

Modern applications rely on microservices, mobile clients, and third-party integrations. An API-first CIAM platform, like LoginRadius, allows identity to integrate cleanly into these architectures without tightly coupling identity logic to application code.

This enables faster development, safer integrations, and long-term flexibility as systems evolve.

Does LoginRadius support API & SDK integration?

Yes. LoginRadius is built as an API-first CIAM platform. It provides REST APIs, web and mobile SDKs, token-based authentication, identity claims support, and secure validation mechanisms—allowing developers to integrate identity consistently across applications and platforms.

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