What is SSO?
SSO (single sign-on) lets people enter several tools with one company login, often Google or Microsoft. You are not sharing a password with each app. You can often turn access off in one place when someone leaves. It is not the same as OAuth to a single calendar, though the plumbing is related.
Also called: single sign-on
In plain English
The crew signs into the company account, and the AI tool trusts that account. When a recruiter leaves, disabling the company login should close the AI tool too, if you set it up that way. A shared inbox password does none of this. Single sign-on is how you stop the 'who still has a login' spreadsheet. Turn it on for the AI tool if the plan includes it and you already have a company directory. Then a person who leaves loses the tool when they lose email. Shared passwords taped to the monitor are the opposite of SSO. Do not buy SSO and keep the shared password 'just in case.'
How an owner would use it
If you already pay for Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, prefer tools that can use that login. Test a departure: disable a test user and confirm the AI app actually rejects them. Do not keep a backup admin password in a sticky note.
Common mistakes
SSO does not by itself limit what the tool can see. You can sign in cleanly and still grant a huge mailbox scope. It also does not remove data already pasted into a personal account. Pair SSO with the offboarding checklist. Do not assume every AI add-on honors it. Check the vendor's current plan page, because some reserve SSO for higher tiers.
A worked example
A staffing agency
The recruiter's last day closes the AI seat
This is an illustration, not a customer result. The agency requires the company Google login for the writing tool. On a recruiter's last day, the office manager disables that Google user. They confirm the writing tool no longer opens. A personal duplicate login is not allowed by the AI policy.
Related terms
Prompts and guides
Questions owners ask
What is SSO?
Single sign-on lets your team use one company login for multiple apps, so you can grant and remove access centrally.
How do I use SSO with an AI tool?
Connect the tool to the company identity provider if it supports it, then test that a disabled employee actually loses access.
Does SSO replace an API key?
No. SSO is how a person logs in. An API key is how software calls an API. You may need both, and they are revoked in different places.
Product guides are on AI apps for business.