Access Requests

Directly integrated into an Okta organization, Okta Access Requests automates the process of requesting access to applications and resources. Expanding on Okta's existing self-service offerings, Access Requests delivers a simplified and frictionless approach that automatically routes user requests to one or more approvers for action.

This allows Access Requests to eliminate the challenges common in more traditional workflows:

  • Poor request experience
  • Risk of human error
  • Decreased IT productivity
  • Complex and rigid workflows
  • Audit and compliance deficiencies

Roles

Access Requests meets the needs of several different organizational roles.

Role Description
Requester
  • Requesters want to quickly request access to specific resources using common productivity tools such as chat, email, or web.
Approver
  • Approvers want clear visibility and context for requests, so they understand what to approve and for whom.
  • Approvers want to review approvals using common productivity tools such as chat, email, web to minimize bottlenecks and resolve requests.
Admin
  • Admins want to construct unique, no-code blueprints that ensure that stakeholders take appropriate actions before completing a request.
  • Admins want to orchestrate automated request fulfillment so teams aren’t responsible for managing low-risk access requests.

Components

Access Requests uses a combination of the following components:

Components Description
Access Requests Teams Access Requests Teams are logical groupings of users and Request Types within Access Requests.

Each team can create one or more Request Types and manage any assoicated requests. See Create an Access Requests team.
Request Types Request Types are collections of tasks used to define how to process a request.

Each Request Type is made of one or more tasks that are routed to approvers for review. Request Types are created and owned by a specific Access Requests team. See Request Types.
Audiences Audiences control which users can submit a request with a specific Request Type.

Teams can make Request Types available to everyone, or limited to specific Access Requests teams or Okta groups.
Request assignees Assignees manage a request after it’s submitted and are always members of the Access Requests Team that owns the Request Type.

Assignees are responsible for reassigning individual tasks or approvals to ensure that the request is quickly completed.
Configuration lists Configuration lists are collections of shared resources used within Request Types to specify available options to users or control how automated actions within a Request Type.

For example, one configuration list controls the list of applications available for a user to request, while another list controls what groups are available to assign when an admin creates a Request Type.

By default, Access Requests syncs with the associated Okta org and creates configuration lists for common resources. Additional configuration lists can also be created from the Access Requests console.