Real-world examples of OpenID Connect authentication

Concrete examples of OpenID Connect authentication example flows in 2024

When people ask for examples of examples of OpenID Connect authentication example patterns, they usually want to see what real companies are doing, not just the spec. So let’s start there and walk through realistic, battle-tested scenarios.

Think about any SaaS product that lets you click “Sign in with Google” or “Sign in with Microsoft”. Under the hood, that button is almost always an OpenID Connect authentication example.

Here’s how it typically plays out in a production SaaS dashboard:

The front-end app redirects the user to Google’s OIDC authorization endpoint with scopes like openid, email, and profile.
Google shows a consent screen and, if the user agrees, redirects back with an authorization code.
The SaaS backend exchanges that code for tokens: an ID token (JWT), an access token, and sometimes a refresh token.
The backend verifies the ID token signature against Google’s JWKS endpoint, checks the aud, iss, and exp claims, and then creates or updates the user in its own database.

This is one of the best examples of a user-facing OIDC flow: simple UX, standards-based, and easy to plug into frameworks like ASP.NET Core, Spring Security, or NextAuth.

Example of OIDC for enterprise SSO with Azure AD or Okta

In the enterprise world, examples include SSO portals where employees sign in once with Azure AD, Okta, or another identity provider (IdP), then access a dozen internal and external apps. Here’s a typical example of OpenID Connect authentication example usage inside a medium-to-large organization:

The company standardizes on Azure AD as the central IdP.
Internal apps (React front ends, Java/Spring backends, .NET APIs) are registered as OIDC clients in Azure AD.
Employees visit an internal app; the app redirects them to Azure AD’s OIDC endpoint.
After sign-in, Azure AD issues an ID token with group or role claims and an access token scoped to the API.
The app reads the ID token to build the user’s session and uses the access token for downstream API calls.

This pattern has become common enough that Microsoft and others provide detailed OIDC documentation and code samples. While not health-related, it’s the same standards-based mindset you see in public guidance from agencies like NIST on identity and access management.

In practice, these enterprise deployments are some of the best examples of OIDC in the wild: multi-tenant, policy-driven, and heavily audited.

Example of OIDC in mobile banking apps

Mobile banking apps are a good example of how OIDC can be adapted to native clients without leaking secrets:

The mobile app acts as a public OIDC client and uses the Authorization Code flow with PKCE.
When the user taps “Log in,” the app opens a system browser or secure web view to the bank’s OIDC authorization endpoint.
After authentication and multi-factor verification, the bank’s IdP sends an authorization code back through a custom URL scheme or app link.
The app exchanges the code for tokens (ID token + access token) directly with the IdP.
The ID token identifies the customer; the access token is used for API calls to view balances, pay bills, or transfer funds.

This is a textbook OpenID Connect authentication example that balances security with usability. Real examples from large banks often layer in device binding, risk-based authentication, and additional claims in ID tokens for fraud detection.

Example of OIDC for B2B partner portals

Another set of examples of examples of OpenID Connect authentication example patterns shows up in B2B partner portals. Picture a manufacturer that wants distributors to access inventory and order APIs without managing passwords for every partner employee.

A realistic pattern looks like this:

The manufacturer exposes a partner portal and an API.
Each partner either uses their own IdP (Azure AD, Okta, Ping) or a shared multi-tenant IdP hosted by the manufacturer.
Partners authenticate their users and issue OIDC tokens to the manufacturer’s portal.
The portal trusts the partner’s IdP via OIDC federation, validates ID tokens, and maps partner claims (like partner_id, role, region) to internal authorization rules.

These real examples reduce operational overhead: the manufacturer doesn’t reset passwords, doesn’t onboard every user manually, and can terminate access simply by removing the trust or revoking client credentials.

Example of OIDC for microservices and API gateways

OIDC is not just for browser logins. One of the best examples of modern architecture is using OIDC tokens as the glue between a front-end, an API gateway, and dozens of microservices.

A typical pattern in 2024–2025:

The front-end SPA or mobile app performs an OIDC login with the central IdP and receives ID and access tokens.
The API gateway (Kong, Apigee, NGINX, AWS API Gateway) validates the access token signature and claims.
The gateway forwards the request to microservices with the validated JWT or a short-lived internal token.
Microservices trust the gateway (or the IdP’s public keys) and perform fine-grained authorization based on claims like scope, role, and tenant.

This is a very practical OpenID Connect authentication example that supports:

Distributed systems
Zero-trust architectures
Fine-grained, claim-based authorization

It also lines up with broader security guidance around token-based authentication and least privilege that you’ll see echoed in federal security recommendations from sources like CISA.gov.

Example of OIDC for machine-to-machine and service accounts

People often think OIDC is only for human users, but examples include service accounts and automated jobs. This is where the line between OAuth 2.0 and OIDC gets fuzzy.

A realistic example of OpenID Connect authentication example usage for machines:

A data processing service needs to call a protected API on a schedule.
Instead of storing long-lived API keys, the service uses a confidential OIDC client with client credentials or JWT-based client authentication.
The service requests an access token with an audience claim set to the target API and may receive an ID token representing the service identity.
The API validates the token and authorizes calls based on claims like client_id, scope, or custom fields such as service_tier.

While not every implementation uses an ID token here, many organizations standardize on OIDC for both human and non-human identities because it gives them one consistent token format and validation logic.

Hybrid example: Mixing OIDC with legacy SAML and custom JWTs

Real-world environments are messy. One of the more interesting examples of examples of OpenID Connect authentication example patterns is a hybrid setup:

Older apps still use SAML 2.0 for SSO.
Newer apps use OIDC with the same IdP.
An API gateway or identity broker converts SAML assertions to OIDC tokens (or vice versa) so that everything downstream sees a JWT.
Some internal services issue short-lived internal JWTs derived from the original OIDC token, adding internal-only claims.

This hybrid approach is common in large institutions, including universities and hospitals. While the health-specific content lives elsewhere, the identity plumbing often follows the same standards mindset you see in resources from organizations like Harvard University when they talk about modernizing IT infrastructure.

Best examples of OpenID Connect authentication design patterns

Now that we’ve walked through several concrete scenarios, let’s talk about the best examples of design patterns you actually want to copy in your own systems.

Using the Authorization Code flow with PKCE by default

If you’re looking for safe, modern examples of OIDC usage, the Authorization Code flow with PKCE should be the default for:

Single-page applications (React, Vue, Angular)
Native mobile apps (iOS, Android)
Desktop apps (Electron, .NET MAUI, etc.)

Real examples from 2024–2025 show that most modern IdPs now strongly recommend or even enforce PKCE for public clients. This protects against code interception attacks and avoids putting client secrets in front-end code.

Short-lived tokens and refresh token rotation

The best examples of OpenID Connect authentication example deployments in production use:

Short-lived access tokens (5–15 minutes)
Short-lived ID tokens
Refresh token rotation with automatic revocation on reuse

This is consistent with modern security guidance around token lifetimes and session management. While not directly health-related, the same security culture you see in medical guidance from sources like Mayo Clinic around risk reduction and layered defenses applies conceptually here: minimize exposure windows, detect anomalies, and fail safely.

Claim-based authorization instead of hard-coded roles

Real examples of mature OIDC deployments avoid hard-coding roles in application code. Instead, they:

Use claims like roles, groups, permissions, or entitlements from the ID token or access token.
Centralize policy in the IdP or a policy engine (such as Open Policy Agent) rather than scattering it across microservices.

This pattern makes it far easier to audit access, respond to compliance requirements, and integrate with HR systems or external partners.

Tenant-aware multi-tenant architectures

If you’re building a multi-tenant SaaS, some of the best examples of OIDC usage include a tenant_id or similar claim in ID and access tokens. This lets you:

Enforce data isolation per tenant
Implement per-tenant configuration and feature flags
Integrate with external IdPs per tenant (B2B scenarios)

These examples of examples of OpenID Connect authentication example patterns are especially common in 2024–2025 as more SaaS vendors move to fine-grained multi-tenant security models.

Trends shaping OpenID Connect authentication in 2024–2025

OpenID Connect is not standing still. A few trends are shaping how modern examples include and implement OIDC:

Phasing out implicit flow

New guidance and real-world implementations are moving away from the implicit flow in favor of Authorization Code with PKCE. If you still have SPAs using implicit flow, current best examples from major IdPs show migration plans toward more secure flows.

Stronger device and risk signals

Modern IdPs increasingly enrich OIDC tokens with signals about:

Device posture
Geo-location or IP range
Risk level based on recent behavior

While the deeper analytics often stay outside the token, ID tokens and access tokens increasingly carry hints that downstream services can use for adaptive authorization.

Federation across organizations

As more organizations standardize on OIDC, federation becomes easier. Real examples:

Universities federating access to research portals.
Healthcare organizations federating with partners for data exchange, guided by regulatory and security frameworks.

Even though the clinical guidance lives on sites like CDC.gov and NIH.gov, the identity layer often follows the same security-first mindset, using OIDC and related standards.

Putting it together: choosing the right OpenID Connect authentication example for your stack

When you’re evaluating examples of examples of OpenID Connect authentication example patterns for your own project, think in terms of:

Who is authenticating? (human users, services, partners)
What kind of client? (browser, mobile, server, CLI)
What are the regulatory and audit requirements?
How many identity providers do you need to support?

Real examples from successful engineering teams show a few consistent choices:

Browser and mobile apps: Authorization Code + PKCE, short-lived tokens, refresh token rotation.
Server-side web apps: Authorization Code flow, confidential clients with stored secrets.
Machine-to-machine: OAuth 2.0 client credentials, sometimes wrapped in an OIDC layer for consistent token formats.
Federation: OIDC between organizations, sometimes bridged from SAML for legacy systems.

If a design pattern you’re considering doesn’t look similar to these best examples, it’s worth asking why.

FAQ: examples of OpenID Connect authentication in practice

Q: What are some real examples of OpenID Connect authentication in modern apps?
A: Real examples include “Sign in with Google” on SaaS dashboards, enterprise SSO with Azure AD or Okta, mobile banking logins using Authorization Code + PKCE, B2B partner portals that trust external IdPs, microservice architectures using OIDC tokens at the API gateway, and machine-to-machine scenarios where services authenticate with short-lived tokens.

Q: Can you give an example of using OIDC in a React single-page application?
A: A React SPA typically uses an OIDC client library to trigger the Authorization Code flow with PKCE. The app redirects the user to the IdP, receives the authorization code in a redirect callback, exchanges it (usually via a backend or secure proxy) for ID and access tokens, stores tokens in memory or secure storage, and attaches the access token as a Bearer token in API requests.

Q: What is an example of mixing OpenID Connect with legacy SAML?
A: A common example is an organization that has older apps using SAML 2.0 and newer apps using OIDC. An identity broker or gateway sits in the middle, accepting SAML assertions from the corporate IdP and issuing OIDC tokens to modern apps, so everything downstream can validate JWTs instead of dealing with multiple protocols.

Q: Are there examples of OpenID Connect authentication for public APIs?
A: Yes. Many public APIs require developers to register an OIDC client, obtain tokens from the provider’s authorization server, and present those tokens as Bearer tokens. The provider validates token signatures and claims before allowing access. This pattern is common for APIs offered by cloud providers, financial institutions, and large SaaS vendors.

Q: How do I decide which OpenID Connect flow to use?
A: Look at the client type and security requirements. For SPAs and native apps, Authorization Code with PKCE is the current standard. For traditional server-side web apps, Authorization Code without PKCE is still common for confidential clients. For machine-to-machine, client credentials are typical, sometimes combined with OIDC so you can use the same token validation pipeline everywhere.

Real-world examples of OpenID Connect authentication example patterns