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Embedded apps

Learn about embedding Retool apps in your existing web applications with support for authentication.

You can embed Retool apps within your existing web applications with support for user authentication. Your users can then access these Retool apps directly in the applications they use already and seamlessly authenticate.

Use cases​

Retool enables you to build apps that can add new features or tools faster while keeping data access secure. Building additional CRUD functionality, like forms, settings pages, or onboarding flows, can take weeks with only code, but takes far less time with Retool.

SDKs​

You embed apps using Retool's React or JavaScript SDKs.

Authentication​

There are two authentication processes for embedded apps that provide a seamless experience: SSO and custom authentication with Retool API.

SSO​

If your parent application uses SSO with an identity provider (idP) that Retool supports, you can configure your Retool organization to use the same idP will allow users to seamlessly authenticate with embedded apps. Since authentication is handled by the idP, both the parent application and Retool organization share the same authentication state.

Custom authentication with Retool API​

Custom authentication with Retool API lets you use any authentication solution to give users access to embedded apps. This means users don't have to go through Retool’s login flow. Instead, users log in through your product using your in-house solution (or with another mechanism like SMS, AWS Cognito, or Firebase), and seamlessly interact with data through embedded Retool apps. Your product's backend makes an API call to complete authentication with Retool, so the user doesn't have to go through Retool's login flow.

When your web application authenticates a user, using your preferred authentication method, your backend must make a request to Retool to generate an embed URL. This embed URL is a secure, single-use link that can be used anywhere in your product. To generate and use the embed URL to securely embed Retool apps inside your web app, you need to make some small updates to the frontend and backend parts of your codebase. The following diagram illustrates the authentication flow.