---
title: Identity Management
description: An identity is a unique user resource within PingOne that interacts with the applications and services in the environment to which the user is assigned. The PingOne platform includes numerous services that define and configure a user identity.
component: pingone-api
page_id: pingone-api:platform:identity-management
canonical_url: https://developer.pingidentity.com/pingone-api/platform/identity-management.html
---

# Identity Management

An identity is a unique user resource within PingOne that interacts with the applications and services in the environment to which the user is assigned. The PingOne platform includes numerous services that define and configure a user identity.

* **Users and the user schema**

  The users endpoints enable directory operations to create and manage user accounts, including assigning the user to a population, assigning user roles, managing passwords, managing MFA devices, unlocking a user account, managing user consents, and managing ID verification transaction records. It also supports an import capability that gives privileged applications the ability to create a new user and set the user's password.

  For more information, refer to [Users](users.html).

  For information about user core attributes and about adding custom attributes to the user schema, refer to [Schemas](schemas.html).

* **Credential Issuance**

  The Credentials Issuance API provides endpoints to create custom verifiable credentials for users. The resulting credentials can then be shared with native applications. For more information, refer to [PingOne Credentials](../credentials/introduction.html).

* **Groups**

  The groups API provides endpoints to create collections of users with the same access to applications. For more information, refer to [Groups](groups.html).

* **Identity provider management**

  The identity provider endpoints manage external identity provider configurations. It enables the social login, authoritative login, and inbound SAML login features in PingOne. For more information, refer to [Identity Provider Management](identity-provider-management.html).

* **Identity propagation**

  The identity propagation API provides for configurable and audit-capable propagation of identities and their attributes between identity stores owned or managed by a customer. For more information, refer to [Identity Propagation (Provisioning)](identity-propagation-provisioning.html).