Keycloak

Keycloak is an open-source Identity and Access Management solution aimed at modern applications and services. It makes it easy to secure applications and services with little to no code.

When to Use

• Self-Hosted IAM: You want Auth0 features but deployed on your own infrastructure (GDPR/Compliance).
• Enterprise Integration: Connecting to legacy LDAP/Active Directory user federations.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): One login for your internal wiki, chat, and cloud apps.

Quick Start (Docker)

docker run -p 8080:8080 -e KEYCLOAK_ADMIN=admin -e KEYCLOAK_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin quay.io/keycloak/keycloak:latest start-dev

Core Concepts

Realm

A space where you manage objects (users, apps, roles). You usually create a dedicated realm for your app (e.g.,

my-app-realm

) and leave

master

for admin tasks.

Clients

Applications (Web, Mobile, Service) that can request login.

Identity Brokering

Keycloak can act as a broker: User clicks "Login with GitHub" -> Keycloak talks to GitHub -> Keycloak issues its own token to your app.

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Use the Operator: On Kubernetes, use the Keycloak Operator for upgrades and scaling.
• Production Mode:

  start-dev

  is for local only. Use an external DB (Postgres) and proper HTTPS for production.
• Theme It: Don't use the default login page. Extend the theme to match your brand.

Don't:

• Don't Modify Core: Use the SPI (Service Provider Interface) to write plugins if you need custom logic.
• Don't expose Admin Console: Block

  /admin

  and

  /master

  access from the public internet.

References

• Keycloak Documentation