Single sign-on (SSO) lets people log in to Reviewr with your organization's own login instead of a Reviewr password. The Reviewr team sets SSO up for you, one program at a time, and can turn it on for submitters, reviewers and admins separately. New programs, including copied ones, don't use SSO until you ask the Reviewr team to add them. Once a program is added, applicants who start from that program's microsite are sent to your SSO login automatically.
This applies to admins at organizations that use SSO with Reviewr, or want to start.
How do we set up SSO for the first time?
SSO is optional. To start, download the SSO Setup Guide (PDF) attached at the bottom of this article. Page 1 explains what the Reviewr team needs from you; page 2 is a form to fill in and return to your Reviewr onboarding specialist. Setup is scheduled once every field on the form is complete.
In short, you'll need:
Your configuration, for SAML 2.0 (for example Okta, Entra ID or Google) or OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect (common for membership systems). The guide lists exactly what to send for each.
A sandbox or staging environment. All setup and testing happens there before production.
3 to 5 test accounts in your own system, including at least one user who should be denied. Send usernames on the form and passwords separately through a secure link, never by plain email.
The Reviewr team configures and tests the connection first. Then your team tests sign-in with your own users and confirms in writing that it works. SSO goes live only after your sign-off.
How is SSO set up for a program?
SSO is set up by the Reviewr team, per program and per user role. Each program must be added to your organization's SSO configuration.
New programs aren't added automatically, whether you create them from scratch or copy an existing one. Tell the Reviewr team through chat which new programs should use SSO, for which roles, and which reviewers and admins will log in with it.
Several programs can use the same SSO connection at the same time.
Nothing needs to change in your own login or membership system when the Reviewr team adds another program.
Submitters: once the Reviewr team has set up the program for SSO, submitters just need the right link, the program's microsite link. They're set up automatically, unless SSO was added after submissions had already started.
Reviewers and admins: the Reviewr team sets up SSO for each reviewer or admin who will log in with it. After that, they just need the right login link.
What link should applicants use?
Always send applicants to the program's microsite link, which is different for every program. The Login or Signup button on the microsite sends each applicant to the right login page for that program.
If SSO is set up for the program, the microsite link starts with https://my.reviewr.com/sso/site/ followed by the program URL you chose.
If it isn't, the microsite link starts with https://my.reviewr.com/s2/site/ followed by the program URL.
Don't share a general SSO login address with applicants. It only works when it carries the program's ID, which it gets when the applicant clicks Login or Signup on the microsite.
How do reviewers log in?
The link in the Reviewer Invite Email decides how reviewers log in:
With SSO: use your organization's SSO login link (https://my.reviewr.com/login/ followed by your organization's name). Reviewers who open it must log in through your SSO, so each of them must first be set up for SSO by the Reviewr team.
Without SSO: use the Reviewer Invite Link variable. Each reviewer gets their own link, sets a Reviewr password, and from then on logs in at https://my.reviewr.com.
Any admin can change this in the program's Reviewer Invite Email template under Email › Email Templates. If you switch a program's reviewers from SSO to a password, update the template and send the invite again. Reviewers keep their judging assignments.
Important: If you copy a program that used SSO, check its email templates and instructions before you invite anyone. They may still point people to the SSO login.
Before your program opens
Test the reviewer invite and login on each real program that uses SSO. Testing one program doesn't affect your other programs.
If that didn't work
Reviewers get an error when they log in with the SSO link
The reviewer may not be set up for SSO yet. Contact the Reviewr team through chat with the program name and each reviewer's name and email address. If you don't need SSO for reviewers, change the Reviewer Invite Email to use the Reviewer Invite Link variable and send the invite again.
Applicants in a new program aren't sent to our SSO login
The new program hasn't been added to your SSO configuration yet. Ask the Reviewr team through chat to add it, and give them the program name.
A reviewer received an invite link but we wanted them to use SSO
Replace the Reviewer Invite Link variable in the Reviewer Invite Email with your organization's SSO login link, then send the invite again.
Someone who logs in with SSO forgot their password
Their password belongs to your organization, not to Reviewr, so Forgot Password? in Reviewr won't reset it. They need to reset it through your organization's IT team.
We need to change the name or email of someone who logs in with SSO
Logging in with SSO doesn't lock a person's name or email address. You can still change them in Reviewr.