Behavior of login_hint in OIDC and SAML IDP Connections
Apr 10, 2026
Okta Identity Engine
API Access Management
Overview
This article clarifies the behavior of the login_hint parameter when used in OpenID Connect (OIDC) Identity Provider (IdP) flows compared to Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) connections.
Applies To
- OpenID Connect (OIDC)
- Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)
- Identity Provider (IdP) routing
- Okta Identity Engine (OIE)
Solution
The login_hint parameter behaves differently depending on the connection type:
-
OIDC IdP flow: When the request passes the
login_hint, the flow does not skip the initial username screen. The application displays the initial screen with a pre-populated username.
-
SAML connection: When the request passes the
login_hint, the flow skips the initial screen asking for the username and displays the next screen.
