Using the Cato SCIM API for Custom SCIM Apps

This article describes how to use Cato's SCIM API for user and user group provisioning with an identity provider (IdP).

For more information about custom SCIM apps in the IdP tenant, see Creating a Custom SCIM App for an IdP.

Custom Cato SCIM App

To use a custom SCIM app to provision users and user groups to your Cato account, create the app in the Cato Management Application (CMA). In addition, you need to map the Cato SCIM attributes to the attributes for your IdP.

Create a Custom SCIM App in the CMA

To use the SCIM API, you must first create a custom SCIM app in the CMA. This app allows you to integrate your identity provider (IdP) with the Cato platform.

To create a custom SCIM app in the CMA:

  1. From the navigation menu, select Access > Directory Services.

  2. Under the SCIM tab, click New.

  3. Enter a name for the app.
  4. Under Provider, select Custom.
  5. Click Generate Token and copy the value; it will not be available after you save and you'll need to create a new token. 

  6. Click Save.

  7. When calling the SCIM API endpoints described below, you'll need the following values to authenticate:

    • SCIM Base URL: Used as the base path for API requests

    • Bearer Token: Used for authenticating API requests

Cato SCIM Attributes

These are the SCIM attributes for Cato users and user groups that you need to map to the corresponding IdP attributes.

Cato User Attribute

Description

userName

User name for authentication

user.firstName

First name of user

user.lastName

Last name of user

user.email

Email address

user.displayName

Display name for user

phoneNumbers[type eq "work"].value

Work phone number for the user (including prefix)

externalId

ID for user (used in events)

Cato User Group Attribute

Description

active

User is assigned and active in the SCIM app

displayName

Name of user group

members

Users who belong to the user group

externalId

ID for user group (used in events)

Understanding the Cato SCIM API

Authenticating to the Cato SCIM API

Clients authenticate to the SCIM API using bearer token authentication, as defined by RFC 6750. All API requests must include the following HTTP headers:

Authorization: Bearer <access_token>
Content-Type: application/json

You can obtain the access token from the Cato Management Application.

Base Path for SCIM Endpoints

All SCIM API endpoints use the following base path:

/scim/v2/{accountId}/{sourceId}

Path Parameters: 

  • accountId (string): Unique identifier of your Cato tenant account

  • sourceId (integer): An identifier assigned by Cato to uniquely represent a specific IdP integration

These parameters are required in all requests but are omitted from individual endpoint paths in this article for brevity.

Managing Users

This section describes how to create, update, delete, and retrieve SCIM user entities using the Cato SCIM API.

Create a User

HTTP Method: POST /Users 

Required Fields: 

  • userName (string): Unique username (e.g., email address)

  • externalId (string): External identifier from the IdP

  • active (boolean): Must be true to activate the user

Note: id is returned by the SCIM service and must be used in subsequent API calls. externalId is optional and cannot be used in API paths.

Response: 

  • Status: 201 Created

Errors: 

  • 400 Bad Request: Invalid schema

  • 401 Unauthorized 

  • 409 Conflict: Duplicate userName or externalId

Update a User

PUT

HTTP Method: PUT /Users/{id} 

Required Field: 

  • id: Internal SCIM ID from Cato

Response: 

  • Status: 200 OK

Errors: 

  • 401 Unauthorized 

  • 404 Not Found 

  • 409 Conflict: Duplicate userName or externalId

PATCH

HTTP Method: PATCH /Users/{id} 

Response: 

  • Status: 200 OK

Errors: 

  • 400 Bad Request: Invalid schema or patch syntax

  • 401 Unauthorized 

  • 404 Not Found 

  • 409 Conflict: Duplicate identifiers

Delete a User

HTTP Method:DELETE /Users/{id}

Response:

  • Status: 204 No Content

This is a soft delete. The user remains in the system but is not returned in searches.

Get a User by ID

HTTP Method:GET /Users/{id}

Response:

  • Status: 200 OK

Errors:

  • 401 Unauthorized

  • 404 Not Found

Search Users

HTTP Method:GET /Users

Query Parameters:

  • filter: Query to filter users (e.g., userName eq "user@domain.com")

  • count (optional)

  • startIndex (optional)

Supported Filters:

  • Only eq is supported

  • Supported attributes: userName, email, givenName, familyName

  • Compound filters are supported only in this format:

    filter=emails[type eq "work"] and email eq "bob@cato.com"

Response:

  • Status: 200 OK

Errors:

  • 401 Unauthorized

Managing Groups

This section explains how to use the SCIM API to create, update, delete, and retrieve group entities in your Cato environment.

Create a Group

HTTP Method:POST /Groups

Response:

  • Status: 201 Created

Errors:

  • 401 Unauthorized

  • 409 Conflict: Duplicate displayName or object ID

Update a Group

PUT

HTTP Method:PUT /Groups/{id}

Response:

  • Status: 200 OK

Errors:

  • 401 Unauthorized

  • 404 Not Found

  • 409 Conflict

PATCH

HTTP Method:PATCH /Groups/{id}

Supported Patch Paths:

  • displayName

  • members

Response:

  • Status: 200 OK

Errors:

  • 400 Bad Request: Invalid schema or patch syntax

  • 401 Unauthorized

  • 404 Not Found

  • 409 Conflict

Delete a Group

HTTP Method:DELETE /Groups/{id}

Response:

  • Status: 204 No Content

Note

Important: This is a hard delete. The group is permanently removed.

Get a Group by ID

HTTP Method:GET /Groups/{id}

Optional Query Parameters:

  • excludeAttributes (e.g., members)

Response:

  • Status: 200 OK

Errors:

  • 401 Unauthorized

  • 404 Not Found

Search Groups

HTTP Method:GET /Groups

Query Parameters:

  • filter: Only displayName eq "Group Name" is supported

  • count (optional)

  • startIndex (optional)

Compound filters or unsupported operators return all groups without filtering.

Response:

  • Status: 200 OK

Errors:

  • 401 Unauthorized

Notes

Behavior of the id Field on Create

  • The id field is optional in user and group creation requests.

  • If omitted, the SCIM service generates a unique id.

  • Always use the returned id value in subsequent API calls.

Note

Important: Avoid using client-generated IDs unless required. The SCIM id is the authoritative identifier.

Deletion Behavior

  • User deletion via DELETE /Users/{id} performs a soft delete by setting the active field to false. The user is retrievable via GET /Users/{id} but excluded from GET /Users results.

  • Group deletion via DELETE /Groups/{id} performs a hard delete. The group is permanently removed.

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