Okta Comprehensive Cheatsheet

Installation

Okta CLI Installation

Platform	Command
macOS (Homebrew)	`brew install --cask okta` or `brew tap okta/okta && brew install okta-aws-cli`
Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)	`curl -L https://github.com/okta/okta-cli/releases/latest/download/okta-cli-linux-amd64 -o okta && chmod +x okta && sudo mv okta /usr/local/bin/`
Windows (Chocolatey)	`choco install okta`
Windows (Direct)	`Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://github.com/okta/okta-cli/releases/latest/download/okta-cli-windows-amd64.exe" -OutFile "okta.exe"`
Verify Installation	`okta --version`

SDK Installation

Language	Command
Node.js	`npm install @okta/okta-sdk-nodejs @okta/okta-auth-js`
Python	`pip install okta okta-jwt-verifier`
Java (Maven)	Add dependency: `com.okta.sdk:okta-sdk-api:8.2.3`
Go	`go get github.com/okta/okta-sdk-golang/v2`
.NET	`dotnet add package Okta.Sdk`

On-Premises Agent Installation

Component	Command
AD Agent (Windows)	`.\OktaADAgentSetup.exe /silent /log="C:\Temp\okta-install.log"`
Verify AD Service	`Get-Service OktaADAgent`
LDAP Agent (Linux)	`wget https://example.okta.com/downloads/OktaLDAPAgent-latest.tar.gz && tar -xzf OktaLDAPAgent-latest.tar.gz && cd OktaLDAPAgent && sudo ./install.sh`

Basic Commands

CLI Setup and Authentication

Command	Description
`okta login`	Configure Okta CLI with your organization credentials
`okta org set --org-url https://dev-123456.okta.com`	Set default organization URL
`okta session get`	Display current session information
`okta logout`	Logout from current session

User Management

Command	Description
`okta users list`	List all users in the organization
`okta users get user@example.com`	Get details for a specific user
`okta users create --email user@example.com --firstName John --lastName Doe`	Create a new user
`okta users update user@example.com --firstName Jane`	Update user profile information
`okta users deactivate user@example.com`	Deactivate a user account
`okta users delete user@example.com`	Permanently delete a user

Application Management

Command	Description
`okta apps list`	List all applications in the organization
`okta apps get <app-id>`	Get details for a specific application
`okta apps create`	Create a new application (interactive)
`okta apps assign-user <app-id> <user-id>`	Assign user to an application

Group Management

Command	Description
`okta groups list`	List all groups in the organization
`okta groups create --name "Engineering" --description "Engineering Team"`	Create a new group
`okta groups add-user <group-id> <user-id>`	Add user to a group
`okta groups remove-user <group-id> <user-id>`	Remove user from a group

Advanced Usage

API Authentication

Command	Description
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/oauth2/default/v1/token" -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" -d "grant_type=client_credentials&client_id={clientId}&client_secret={clientSecret}&scope=okta.users.read"`	Get OAuth 2.0 access token using client credentials
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/oauth2/default/v1/token" -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" -d "grant_type=authorization_code&code={code}&redirect_uri={redirectUri}&client_id={clientId}&client_secret={clientSecret}"`	Exchange authorization code for access token
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/oauth2/default/v1/token" -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" -d "grant_type=refresh_token&refresh_token={refreshToken}&client_id={clientId}&client_secret={clientSecret}"`	Refresh an expired access token

Advanced User Operations

Command	Description
`curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?filter=status eq \"ACTIVE\"" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Search users by status filter
`curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?search=profile.department eq \"Engineering\"" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Search users by profile attribute
`curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?search=profile.firstName sw \"J\" and status eq \"ACTIVE\"" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Complex user search with multiple conditions
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/suspend" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Suspend a user account
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/unsuspend" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Unsuspend a user account
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/unlock" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Unlock a locked user account
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/expire_password?tempPassword=false" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Force password expiration for user
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/reset_password?sendEmail=true" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Reset user password and send email

User Creation and Updates

Command	Description
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?activate=true" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"profile":{"firstName":"John","lastName":"Doe","email":"john.doe@example.com","login":"john.doe@example.com"},"credentials":{"password":{"value":"TempPass123!"}}}'`	Create new user with password
`curl -X PUT "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"profile":{"firstName":"Jane","lastName":"Doe"}}'`	Update user profile attributes
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" -H "Content-Type: application/json" --data-binary @users.json`	Bulk import users from JSON file

Group and Application Operations

Command	Description
`curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/groups" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	List all groups via API
`curl -X PUT "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/groups/{groupId}/users/{userId}" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	Assign user to group via API
`curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/apps" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	List all applications via API
`curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/apps/{appId}/users" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"id":"{userId}","scope":"USER"}'`	Assign application to user
`curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/sessions" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`	List active sessions for user

Configuration

API Token Configuration

Store your Okta API token securely in environment variables:

# Linux/macOS
export OKTA_API_TOKEN="your_api_token_here"
export OKTA_DOMAIN="https://dev-123456.okta.com"

# Windows PowerShell
$env:OKTA_API_TOKEN="your_api_token_here"
$env:OKTA_DOMAIN="https://dev-123456.okta.com"

Okta CLI Configuration File

Location: ~/.okta/okta.yaml

okta:
  client:
    orgUrl: "https://dev-123456.okta.com"
    token: "your_api_token_here"
    connectionTimeout: 30
    requestTimeout: 0
    rateLimit:
      maxRetries: 4

OAuth 2.0 Application Configuration

{
  "client_id": "0oa2abc3def4GHI5j6k7",
  "client_secret": "your_client_secret",
  "redirect_uris": [
    "https://yourapp.com/callback"
  ],
  "grant_types": [
    "authorization_code",
    "refresh_token"
  ],
  "response_types": [
    "code"
  ],
  "token_endpoint_auth_method": "client_secret_post"
}

LDAP Agent Configuration

Location: /opt/OktaLDAPAgent/conf/OktaLDAPAgent.conf

# Okta Organization Settings
okta.domain=dev-123456.okta.com
okta.apiToken=your_api_token

# LDAP Server Settings
ldap.host=ldap.example.com
ldap.port=389
ldap.baseDN=dc=example,dc=com
ldap.bindDN=cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com
ldap.bindPassword=encrypted_password

# Agent Settings
agent.pollInterval=60
agent.logLevel=INFO

Active Directory Agent Configuration

Location: C:\Program Files\Okta\Okta AD Agent\OktaADAgent.exe.config

<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="OktaDomain" value="dev-123456.okta.com" />
    <add key="ApiToken" value="your_api_token" />
    <add key="ADDomain" value="corp.example.com" />
    <add key="SyncInterval" value="300" />
    <add key="LogLevel" value="Information" />
  </appSettings>
</configuration>

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Onboard New Employee

# Step 1: Create user account
curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?activate=false" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "profile": {
      "firstName": "Alice",
      "lastName": "Johnson",
      "email": "alice.johnson@example.com",
      "login": "alice.johnson@example.com",
      "department": "Engineering",
      "title": "Software Engineer"
    }
  }'

# Step 2: Add to relevant groups
curl -X PUT "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/groups/{engineeringGroupId}/users/{userId}" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"

# Step 3: Assign applications
curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/apps/{slackAppId}/users" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"id":"{userId}","scope":"USER"}'

# Step 4: Activate user and send welcome email
curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/activate?sendEmail=true" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"

Use Case 2: Offboard Employee

# Step 1: Suspend user account immediately
curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/suspend" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"

# Step 2: List user's active sessions
curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/sessions" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"

# Step 3: Clear all sessions
curl -X DELETE "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/sessions" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"

# Step 4: After retention period, deactivate
curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/deactivate" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"

# Step 5: Finally delete user
curl -X DELETE "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"

Use Case 3: Bulk User Import from CSV

# Step 1: Convert CSV to JSON
cat users.csv | jq -R -s -f csv_to_json.jq > users.json

# Step 2: Import users in batch
for user in $(cat users.json | jq -c '.[]'); do
  curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?activate=true" \
    -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "$user"
  sleep 1  # Rate limiting
done

Use Case 4: Implement MFA for High-Risk Users

# Step 1: Search for admin users
curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?search=profile.role eq \"Admin\"" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" > admin_users.json

# Step 2: Enroll users in MFA factor
curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/factors" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "factorType": "token:software:totp",
    "provider": "OKTA"
  }'

# Step 3: Create policy requiring MFA for admins
curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/policies" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "type": "MFA_ENROLL",
    "name": "Admin MFA Policy",
    "status": "ACTIVE",
    "conditions": {
      "people": {
        "groups": {
          "include": ["{adminGroupId}"]
        }
      }
    }
  }'

Use Case 5: Generate Access Report

# Step 1: Get all active users
curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?filter=status eq \"ACTIVE\"&limit=200" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" > active_users.json

# Step 2: For each user, get assigned applications
while read userId; do
  curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/apps?filter=user.id eq \"${userId}\"" \
    -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" >> user_apps_report.json
done < <(jq -r '.[].id' active_users.json)

# Step 3: Get last login information
curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/logs?filter=eventType eq \"user.session.start\"&limit=1000" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}" > login_report.json

# Step 4: Combine and format report
jq -s '.[0] + .[1]' active_users.json login_report.json > complete_access_report.json

Best Practices

Use API Tokens Securely: Store API tokens in environment variables or secure vaults, never hardcode them in scripts or commit to version control
Implement Rate Limiting: Okta enforces rate limits (varies by endpoint). Implement exponential backoff and respect X-Rate-Limit-* headers to avoid throttling
Enable MFA for All Users: Require multi-factor authentication for all users, especially administrators and privileged accounts, to enhance security posture
Use Groups for Access Management: Assign applications and permissions to groups rather than individual users for easier management and consistency
Implement Least Privilege: Grant users only the minimum permissions necessary for their role. Regularly audit and remove unnecessary access
Monitor System Logs: Regularly review Okta system logs for suspicious activities, failed login attempts, and unauthorized access patterns
Automate Lifecycle Management: Use Okta Workflows or APIs to automate user provisioning, deprovisioning, and access reviews to reduce manual errors
Test in Developer Environment: Always test configuration changes, integrations, and scripts in a development Okta org before deploying to production
Document Custom Integrations: Maintain thorough documentation of custom API integrations, webhooks, and automation scripts for team knowledge sharing
Implement Session Policies: Configure appropriate session timeouts and idle timeouts based on security requirements and user experience needs
Regular Security Audits: Conduct quarterly reviews of user access, application assignments, group memberships, and policy configurations

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
401 Unauthorized Error	Verify API token is valid and not expired. Check token has appropriate scopes: `curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/me" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`
429 Rate Limit Exceeded	Implement exponential backoff. Check `X-Rate-Limit-Reset` header for reset time. Reduce request frequency or contact Okta to increase limits
User Cannot Login	Check user status: `okta users get user@example.com`. Verify account is ACTIVE, not SUSPENDED or LOCKED_OUT. Unlock if needed: `curl -X POST "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/lifecycle/unlock" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`
MFA Factor Not Working	Reset MFA factors: `curl -X DELETE "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users/{userId}/factors/{factorId}" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`. User must re-enroll
Application Not Appearing	Verify user is assigned to application: `curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/apps/{appId}/users/{userId}" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`. Check application is ACTIVE
AD/LDAP Agent Not Syncing	Check agent service status. Review logs at `/opt/OktaLDAPAgent/logs/` (Linux) or `C:\Program Files\Okta\Okta AD Agent\logs\` (Windows). Verify network connectivity and credentials
SSO Integration Failing	Verify SAML/OIDC configuration. Check certificate validity, ACS URL, and entity ID. Use Okta’s SAML debugger or browser developer tools to inspect authentication flow
API Returns Empty Results	Check query syntax and filters. Verify pagination with `limit` and `after` parameters: `curl -X GET "https://{yourOktaDomain}/api/v1/users?limit=200" -H "Authorization: SSWS {apiToken}"`
Password Reset Email Not Sent	Verify email settings in Okta admin console. Check user’s email address is valid. Review email server logs and Okta system logs for delivery failures