Sign-In & Account Setup Troubleshooting
Diagnostic procedures for SSO authentication failures, access denied errors, account provisioning issues, page loading failures, and session expiration in IAN Think.
Step-by-step fixes for problems signing into IAN Think. Covers SSO failures, access errors, provisioning, page loading, and session expiration.
IAN Think uses Xceedance SSO (Single Sign-On) exclusively. There are no separate usernames, passwords, or sign-up flows — your corporate identity is your IAN identity.
Quick Diagnosis
Start here. Find your symptom, then jump to the detailed fix.
| Symptom | Most likely cause | First step | Section |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO login fails or shows an error | Wrong credentials or browser/cookie issue | Verify you're using your p-number (not email), clear cookies | SSO Sign-In Failure |
| SSO redirect loops endlessly | Stale cookies or cached session | Try an incognito/private window | SSO Sign-In Failure |
| "Access denied" or "Unauthorized" after SSO succeeds | Account not provisioned or SSO group misconfigured | Confirm provisioning with your admin | Access Denied |
| Page won't load / blank screen / timeout | Network, VPN, or service outage | Check internet connection, try a different browser | Page Not Loading |
| Keeps redirecting to SSO login while working | Session cookie stripped or SSO session expired | Clear cookies for IAN and SSO domains | Session Expiration |
1. SSO Sign-In Failure
What you see: You click "Sign In," get redirected to the Xceedance SSO portal, and authentication fails — you see an error page, a redirect loop, or nothing happens.
Common SSO errors
| Symptom | Likely cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Error after entering credentials | Incorrect p-number or password | Double-check your p-number and password at the SSO portal |
| Redirect loop (page keeps reloading) | Stale browser cookies | Clear cookies for think.ian.xceedance.com and the SSO domain, then retry |
| "User not found" | Account not provisioned in IAN Think | Ask your admin to provision your account |
| MFA prompt but no MFA device available | MFA device required for authentication | Retrieve your MFA device, or contact your IT department for a temporary bypass |
| "SSO provider error" | Identity provider outage or configuration change | Wait 30 minutes; if persistent, contact your IT department |
Resolution
Try each step in order. Stop when the issue is resolved.
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verify you're entering your p-number, not your email address | SSO authenticates via p-number |
| 2 | Have your MFA device ready (phone, security key, or authenticator app) | MFA is managed by your corporate SSO provider |
| 3 | Clear browser cookies for the IAN and SSO domains | Removes stale session data that can cause loops or false errors |
| 4 | Try an incognito/private window | Rules out cached credentials or stale sessions |
| 5 | Try a different browser | Rules out browser-specific issues |
| 6 | Check if SSO works for other Xceedance tools | If other tools also fail, the issue is your SSO account or the provider — not IAN Think |
Password or MFA issues
SSO credentials are managed by your company's IT department, not by IAN Think.
| Issue | Where to resolve |
|---|---|
| Forgot password | Your organization's SSO self-service portal, or contact IT |
| Lost MFA device | Contact IT for a reset or temporary bypass |
| Need to change password | Your organization's SSO portal |
For admins: If SSO fails for multiple users simultaneously, check the SAML/OIDC configuration in your identity provider. Verify that the callback URL, client ID, and certificate have not changed.
2. Access Denied
What you see: SSO authentication succeeds (no error at the SSO portal), but IAN Think displays "Access Denied," "Unauthorized," or "Your account is not provisioned."
Common causes
| Cause | When this typically occurs | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Account not yet provisioned | First login attempt | Ask your admin to provision your IAN Think account |
| Organization hasn't enabled IAN Think for you | Any time | Ask your admin to add you to the authorized user list |
| Role or permission misconfiguration | After organizational or team changes | Ask your admin to verify your role assignment |
| License limit reached | When the organization is at capacity | Ask your admin — additional licenses may need to be procured |
| SSO group membership missing | Any time | Ask your IT department to verify you are in the correct SSO group for IAN Think access |
Resolution
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm with your admin that your account has been provisioned in IAN Think |
| 2 | Sign out and sign back in — permission updates sometimes require a fresh session |
| 3 | Clear browser cache and cookies — stale session data can cause false "access denied" errors |
| 4 | Ask your IT department to verify your SSO group memberships include the IAN Think access group |
If unresolved
Contact support with:
- Your Xceedance email address
- The exact error message (a screenshot is ideal)
- Whether you have previously been able to access IAN Think (new issue vs. regression)
Email: gss.sr@xceedance.com
3. Page Not Loading
What you see: https://think.ian.xceedance.com shows a blank page, a connection error, or times out entirely.
Resolution
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check your internet connection — can you reach other websites? | Confirms basic connectivity |
| 2 | Try a different browser | Rules out browser-specific rendering issues |
| 3 | Try an incognito/private window | Rules out extension or cache interference |
| 4 | Connect to (or disconnect from) the corporate VPN | IAN Think may require VPN access, or VPN routing may be interfering |
| 5 | Try from a different network | Identifies whether your current network is blocking the connection |
| 6 | Temporarily disable ad blockers and privacy extensions | Some extensions block required resources |
If the site is down for everyone
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ask a colleague to confirm whether they can access IAN Think |
| 2 | If down for everyone, this is a service outage — wait 30 minutes and retry |
| 3 | If the outage persists beyond 30 minutes - Contact support |
4. Session Expiration
What you see: You're signed in and working, but IAN Think keeps redirecting you back to the SSO login page.
Resolution
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clear browser cookies for think.ian.xceedance.com and the SSO domain |
Removes corrupted or expired session cookies |
| 2 | Try an incognito/private window | Rules out extension interference with session cookies |
| 3 | Re-authenticate through the SSO portal first, then navigate to IAN Think | Your corporate SSO session may have timed out independently |
| 4 | Disable privacy or security browser extensions temporarily | Some extensions strip session cookies on every request |
If it keeps happening
Contact us via email: gss.sr@xceedance.com with:
- Your browser name and version
- How frequently the session expires (every few minutes, once an hour, etc.)
- Whether other Xceedance SSO tools exhibit the same behavior
Related Pages
| Page | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Sign In & Account Setup | Full sign-in procedures and onboarding walkthrough |
| Settings & Preferences Troubleshooting | Fixes for post-sign-in settings issues |
| FAQ | Quick answers to common questions |
| Support & Escalation | How to reach a human for unresolved issues |