What is a client secret?

Question

I would like to register my app with Entra ID but got caught up on the client ID? Is this simply a string of text/ numbers that I make up? Or is it something that Microsoft provides for me?

Answer 1

Are you following this?

The App ID (client ID) will be created automatically.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/quickstart-register-app?tabs=certificate

IF you mean the client secret and ID, you can generate following:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/quickstart-register-app?tabs=client-secret#add-credentials

add a secret

Answer 2

Hi @ Kylee Kasper • 
Thank you for sharing your issue on Microsoft Q&A. 

In addition to the information provided by Andy David - MVP. 
A client secret is a secret known only to your application and the authorization server. It is used to authenticate your application to the authorization server when your application requests an access token. Regarding your question about registering your app with Entra ID, the App ID (client ID) will be created automatically. If you need to add a client secret, it is optional and only needed if your OAuth app will use it to authenticate to Azure.    If your app uses public authentication methods, you may not need a client secret. The app can authenticate users without needing to include a client secret in requests, which is a best practice for security. 

Feel free to reach out if you need further assistance.   

Best Regards. 
Harshitha Eligeti.