Can I use an Alibaba Cloud account to log into Azure

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Can I use an Alibaba Cloud account to log into Azure

凯旋李 0

Can I use an Alibaba Cloud account to log into Azure? For example, is it possible to invite an Alibaba Cloud account as an external user in Azure?

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Answer 1

Jade-T 1,165 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @凯旋李

Thank you for your question. That’s a great one about connecting different cloud identities in Azure. Let me help clarify how Azure typically handles external users.

To our knowledge, Azure does not support signing in directly with an Alibaba Cloud account or inviting it as an external identity in its native form. Azure AD generally supports external users from Microsoft accounts, Azure AD tenants.

Even so, if the Alibaba Cloud user has an associated email address (such as a work or personal email), you can absolutely invite that email as a guest user in Azure AD. In most cases, Azure will use a one-time passcode (OTP) method for authentication. The user will receive a verification code via email to complete the sign-in process.

So, while an Alibaba Cloud account itself isn’t a supported identity provider, you can still bring those users into your Azure environment using their email address.

Please let us know if you’d like assistance setting this up or exploring other identity options.

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凯旋李 0 Reputation points

2025-06-04T06:31:13.4566667+00:00

Azure does not support a method similar to the approach described in this document: https://help.aliyun.com/zh/idaas/eiam/user-guide/bind-microsoft-entra-id-azure-ad?spm=a2c4g.11186623.help-menu-111120.d_2_0_7_1.17fc6f49DJ57QX. In other words, it is like reversing the steps in this article.
凯旋李 0 Reputation points

2025-06-04T08:51:01.06+00:00

How can this be integrated with Alibaba Cloud's IDaaS service? Please kindly provide guidance. Thank you.
Jade-T 1,165 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-05T05:38:57.1733333+00:00
Hi @凯旋李

Thank you for reaching out with your question.

From what I understand, you're looking to integrate Alibaba Cloud IDaaS (EIAM) with Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) by having EIAM synchronize users into Entra ID.

Based on current documentation and available features, direct user provisioning from Alibaba Cloud EIAM into Microsoft Entra ID does not appear to be a standard or supported scenario. Entra ID is typically designed to serve as the central identity provider for Microsoft services.

The typical and supported approach is the reverse: Microsoft Entra ID acts as the Identity Provider (IdP) for Alibaba Cloud EIAM, where users are managed in Entra ID and EIAM relies on it for authentication.

As the Microsoft 365 support team, our primary scope covers Microsoft 365 services. For deep technical guidance on complex identity integrations with third-party providers like Alibaba Cloud IDaaS, the Azure support team is best equipped to assist you.

To ensure you get the most accurate and specialized support for these scenarios, please submit a request directly to the Azure support team via the following link: Azure Support Portal

Here are some references that may help guide you further:

Microsoft Q&A – Azure AD / Entra ID

Microsoft Entra External ID – Cross-tenant access overview

I completely understand this integration can be a bit complex, and I hope the resources above will help point you in the right direction. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything else I can assist with on the Microsoft 365 side.
Jade-T 1,165 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-06-09T03:13:27.4066667+00:00

Hi @凯旋李

Just following up to see if you had a chance to contact Azure Support regarding your question about using an Alibaba Cloud account to sign in.

Let me know if there's anything else I can assist with!

If the issue has been resolved, please mark the helpful replies as answers.

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Can I use an Alibaba Cloud account to log into Azure

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