What is Application permissions in Azure AD?

 

Application permissions in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) are a way to authorize an application to act on behalf of a user or the application itself to access Azure AD resources. Unlike delegated permissions, which are typically scoped to a specific user and require user consent, application permissions are granted to the application itself and are not tied to a specific user.

Here are the key points about application permissions:

1. Application-Centric: Application permissions are granted to an Azure AD application rather than a specific user. This means that the application can perform actions or access resources independently of any specific user.

2. Admin Consent: To grant application permissions, an Azure AD administrator typically needs to provide consent on behalf of the entire organization. This ensures that the organization is aware of and approves the level of access the application will have.

3. Scopes: Application permissions are often defined using OAuth 2.0 scopes, which specify the level of access the application is requesting. These scopes can range from read-only access to full control over certain resources.

4. Resource Access: Once granted, application permissions allow the application to access Azure AD resources, such as user profiles, groups, or other application-specific data, without requiring individual user consent for each access request.

5. Client Credentials Flow: Applications that use application permissions typically authenticate using the client credentials flow, where the application presents its own credentials (such as a client ID and client secret) to Azure AD to obtain an access token. This token is then used to access Azure AD resources on behalf of the application.

Application permissions are commonly used in scenarios where an application needs to perform tasks or access resources independently of any specific user, such as automated processes or background tasks. They provide a way for applications to integrate with Azure AD and access the resources they need to fulfill their functionality.