SAML Users Still Prompted to Complete Free Trial Registration

Summary

SAML users who initially started a free trial registration (but didn't complete it) are still being prompted to complete the free trial registration flow after authenticating via SAML. This issue was supposedly fixed in #424373 (closed), but the fix is not working correctly.

Steps to reproduce

1. User creates an account by clicking "Get a Free Trial" (in this case, in August) and confirms their email address
2. User abandons the registration process before completion
3. Several months later, user receives SAML link and authenticates via SAML
4. User logs in and when he clicks on any button he is still prompted to complete the free trial registration instead of being recognized as a SAML user

Example Project

N/A - This is an account authentication flow issue, not related to a specific project.

What is the current bug behavior?

After authenticating via SAML, the user is still being prompted to complete the free trial registration process, including being asked for company information. The system doesn't recognize that the SAML authentication should override the incomplete free trial registration.

What is the expected correct behavior?

After authenticating via SAML, the user should be properly recognized as a SAML user and not be prompted to complete the free trial registration process.

Relevant logs and/or screenshots

ZD ticket

Output of checks

This bug happens on GitLab.com

Results of GitLab environment info

Expand for output related to GitLab environment info

(For installations with omnibus-gitlab package run and paste the output of:
`sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info`)

(For installations from source run and paste the output of:
`sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:env:info RAILS_ENV=production`)

Results of GitLab application Check

Expand for output related to the GitLab application check

(For installations with omnibus-gitlab package run and paste the output of:
sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:check SANITIZE=true)
(For installations from source run and paste the output of:
sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:check RAILS_ENV=production SANITIZE=true)
(we will only investigate if the tests are passing)

Possible fixes

added groupacquisition severity3 typebug labels

added devopsgrowth sectiongrowth labels

mentioned in issue #424373 (closed)

@IndiraCA so we are saying that if a user is associated with a SAML provider that we should not expect them to have to finish onboarding?

Due to what associating with SAML normally means, I think that makes sense to me from a user experience perspective, but wanted to confirm that is what was happening.

@p_cordero do you concur with exiting the user from onboarding in this case?

follow-on questions for @IndiraCA or @adil.farrukh :

• Is there a process for a SAML provider for claiming users that you can link me to? I think in the database it would look like user.identities if the user is claimed, but I'd like to find the process where this happens so we can properly consider where we might handle this. I'm also not sure if that is only for SAML identities or not.

Since this came from a customer and they were confused that the user should complete that page, I think we shouldn't ask the SAML user to start their free trial. The URL is gitlab.com/users/sign_up/company/new?jobs_to_be_done_other=&registration_objective=exploring&role=development_team_lead, here is the screenshot .

gotcha - thanks for the confirmation of the case here.

@dstull When a user logs in via their SSO provider, we would setup their SAML identity https://docs.gitlab.com/user/group/saml_sso/#user-access-and-management. First thing to confirm would be if their account is indeed correctly linked with a SAML Id, for this group.

If they have, and as SAML SSO on GitLab is a paid feature only, I agree they should not be asked to complete free trial registration.

Thanks @adil.farrukh - I'll try to figure out what the docs means in the code soon, but in the meantime, do you have a development source I could interface with to help me figure this out in the code if needed?

@dstull As in a groupauthentication team member to confirm things with? (@dblessing and @bdenkovych would be familiar with the area)

yes - thank you.

Hi @dstull sorry for the delay in my response here! I agree that if we identify that a user is a SAML user they should not need to complete onboarding or need to be forced to sign up for a trial. I would love to better understand how a user got to this point in the first place though..

added Next Up workflowsolution validation labels

added priority2 label

changed milestone to %17.11

changed milestone to %Backlog

added workflowrefinement label and removed workflowsolution validation label

Refinement

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/cc @gitlab-org/growth/engineers

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added bugfunctional label

assigned to @dstull

added workflowin dev label and removed workflowrefinement label

changed milestone to %17.10

set weight to 3

mentioned in merge request !183252