MFA for Community users in Salesforce

MFA Options for Community Users

1. Platform-Enforced MFA (Recommended)

• Available in Winter '22 and later
• Applies to all users including Community users
• Setup: Setup → Identity → MFA Settings

2. Permission Set-Enforced MFA

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Setup → Users → Permission Sets

• Assign MFA permission sets to Community user profiles
• Requires "Multi-Factor Authentication for User Interface Logins" permission

Implementation Methods

Method 1: Salesforce Authenticator (Recommended)

1. Enable in Setup:

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   Setup → Identity → MFA Settings

   • Check "Require MFA for all direct UI logins"

   • Select "Salesforce Authenticator" as method

2. Community Configuration:

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   Experience Workspace → Administration → Login & Registration

   • Enable "Multi-Factor Authentication"

Method 2: Custom MFA Implementation

For more control, you can build custom MFA:

apex

// Custom MFA verification class
public class CommunityMFAHandler {
    
    @AuraEnabled
    public static Boolean verifyMFACode(String communityUserId, String code) {
        // Implement your MFA verification logic
        // Integrate with Twilio, Authy, Google Authenticator, etc.
        return true;
    }
    
    @AuraEnabled
    public static void sendMFACode(String communityUserId) {
        // Send MFA code via SMS, email, or authenticator app
    }
}

Important Limitations & Considerations

1. Licensing Limitations

• Customer Community/Customer Community Plus: MFA supported
• Partner Community: MFA supported
• External identities using Site.login(): Limited MFA support

2. Authentication Methods

• ✅ Salesforce Authenticator (Recommended)
• ✅ Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP)
• ✅ WebAuthn (Security keys/biometrics)
• ❌ SMS/SMS Text Message - Not available for Community users

3. Implementation Steps

Step 1: Enable MFA in Org

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Setup → Identity → MFA Settings
- Require MFA for all direct UI logins: ON
- Select permitted methods

Step 2: Configure Community

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Experience Workspace → Administration → Login & Registration
- Multi-Factor Authentication: ON
- Configure registration and login flows

Step 3: Assign Permission Sets

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Setup → Users → Permission Sets
- Create/assign MFA permission set
- Include "Multi-Factor Authentication for UI Logins"

Best Practices

1. User Communication

• Inform users about MFA requirements
• Provide setup instructions
• Offer support for MFA issues

2. Graceful Rollout

1. Phase 1: Optional MFA
2. Phase 2: MFA for high-risk users
3. Phase 3: Mandatory MFA for all

3. Backup Options

• Provide backup codes
• Alternative verification methods
• Admin override procedures

Custom Implementation Example

apex

// Custom MFA component controller
public with sharing class CommunityMFAController {
    
    @AuraEnabled
    public static Boolean validateUserMFA(String username, String mfaCode) {
        try {
            // Verify MFA code against stored secret
            // Update user MFA status
            return true;
        } catch (Exception e) {
            throw new AuraHandledException(e.getMessage());
        }
    }
    
    @AuraEnabled
    public static void setupMFA(String userId) {
        // Generate MFA secret
        // Send setup instructions to user
    }
}

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. MFA Not Enforcing

• Check permission set assignments
• Verify MFA settings in org
• Confirm community configuration

2. User Access Issues

• Ensure proper community profiles
• Check user licensing
• Verify MFA method compatibility

3. Mobile App Access

• Salesforce Mobile supports MFA
• Community mobile templates work with MFA
• Test on multiple devices

Important Notes

• API Users: MFA doesn't affect API integrations using session IDs
• Guest Users: MFA doesn't apply to guest user access
• Performance: MFA adds minimal overhead to login process
• User Experience: Plan for MFA setup during user registration

MFA for Community users is fully supported and recommended for enhanced security!

How "Login As" Works with MFA

Standard Behavior:

• "Login As" bypasses MFA for the target user
• The admin/user performing "Login As" must have MFA enabled
• The experience user being logged into does not need MFA during this process

Requirements & Setup

1. Admin/User Performing "Login As"

• Must have MFA enabled on their account
• Must complete MFA during their own login
• Requires "Manage Users" and "Login As" permissions

2. Permission Requirements

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Setup → Users → Permission Sets

Required permissions:

• "Log in as Any User" or "Log in as Experience Cloud User"
• "Manage Users"
• MFA enabled for the admin user

Step-by-Step Process

1. Admin Login:

• Admin logs in with MFA
• Completes MFA verification

2. Navigate to Experience User:

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Setup → Users → Users

• Find the experience user
• Click "Log in As" dropdown

3. Login Process:

• No MFA required for the experience user during "Login As"
• Direct access to community as that user

Important Limitations

1. MFA Bypass Considerations

• ✅ "Login As" bypasses MFA for target user
• ✅ Useful for troubleshooting user issues
• ⚠️ Security consideration: This creates an MFA bypass path

2. License Restrictions

• Available for users with "Login As" permission
• Limited by your Salesforce edition
• Experience Cloud site must be active

3. Session Limitations

• "Login As" sessions have time limits
• Typically expires after several hours
• Admin can return to their own session via header

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Enable MFA for Admins

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Setup → Identity → MFA Settings
- Require MFA for all direct UI logins: ON

Step 2: Assign "Login As" Permissions

xml

<!-- Permission Set XML -->
<userPermissions>
    <enabled>true</enabled>
    <name>LoginAsAnyUser</name>
</userPermissions>
<userPermissions>
    <enabled>true</enabled>
    <name>ManageUsers</name>
</userPermissions>

Step 3: Test the Flow

1. Admin with MFA logs in
2. Navigates to target experience user
3. Clicks "Login As Experience User"
4. Should access community without MFA prompt

Security Considerations

1. Audit Trail

• "Login As" activities are logged
• View in Setup → Monitoring → Login History
• Shows both admin and impersonated user

2. Best Practices

• Use "Login As" sparingly for troubleshooting
• Implement strict permission controls
• Monitor "Login As" usage regularly
• Educate admins about security implications

3. Alternative Approaches

For regular testing, consider:

• Test Community Users with known credentials
• Separate testing environments without MFA
• Automated testing with API users

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: "Login As" Button Missing

Solution:

• Check "Login As" permissions
• Verify user has community access
• Confirm experience site is active

Issue: MFA Still Required During "Login As"

Solution:

• This shouldn't happen with proper configuration
• Check MFA settings for the community
• Verify the admin user has MFA enabled

Issue: Access Denied Errors

Solution:

• Check target user's community membership
• Verify community profile assignments
• Confirm experience site is published

Example Permission Set Setup 

apex

// Create permission set for "Login As" capability
PermissionSet ps = new PermissionSet();
ps.Name = 'ExperienceCloudLoginAs';
ps.Label = 'Experience Cloud Login As Access';
insert ps;

// Assign permissions
SetupEntityAccess sea = new SetupEntityAccess();
sea.ParentId = ps.Id;
sea.SetupEntityId = [SELECT Id FROM PermissionSet 
                     WHERE Name = 'LoginAsAnyUser' LIMIT 1].Id;
insert sea;

Key Points Summary

• ✅ "Login As Experience User" works with MFA enabled
• ✅ MFA bypassed for target experience user during "Login As"
• ✅ Admin performing "Login As" must have MFA
• ⚠️ Security audit trails maintained
• ⚠️ Use judiciously due to MFA bypass capability