Relying party

A relying party (RP) is an entity that needs to control access to a resource and, to do so, needs to {{glossary("authentication", "authenticate")}} other entities that are trying to access that resource. On the web, a relying party is usually a website that allows users to sign in and needs to authenticate users (for example by checking a password) before deciding whether to grant them access.

The RP website relies on the validity of the credentials the browser presents when it grants access to its resources. The authentication and credentials are often provided by a third-party {{glossary("Identity provider", "identity provider")}} (IdP).

See also

• Related glossary terms:
  • {{glossary("Federated identity")}}
  • {{glossary("Identity provider")}}