User-level vs org-level auth in API integrations

When building API integrations in SaaS or AI products, especially when connecting to platforms like Salesforce or Slack, a critical decision involves choosing the identity model for API authentication, which affects permissions, audit trails, and onboarding processes. There are five common identity models: user-level authentication, where each user authenticates individually; org-level authentication, where a single admin connects once for all users; delegated access, offering a hybrid model with org-wide admin approval but per-user tokens; bot or app identity, where the application acts on its own behalf; and project or workspace-level authentication, where connections are tied to specific projects or teams. Each model presents unique advantages and trade-offs, such as user-level authentication's high permission enforcement but onboarding complexity, or org-level authentication's simplicity but potential over-privileged access. Delegated access provides a balance by enforcing per-user permissions without individual OAuth flows, but not all APIs support it. Nango, an open-source integration platform, supports various authentication models, offering flexibility in API integration strategies by handling token lifecycle management and different integration patterns, allowing for a tailored approach to each integration's unique requirements.

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