Get Going with Cakewalk
To get Cakewalk up and running in your organization, follow these steps. Once completed, you’ll have a connected, automated governance layer running across your apps, people and access.
1️⃣ Connect Your IdP or HRIS
Goal Sync and import your users and group to create a single source of truth in Cakewalk.
Why it matters Your HR or Identity Provider is the backbone of access governance. It’s how Cakewalk knows who your people are, their roles and when they join, move or leave. Once connected, Cakewalk automatically updates access based on these changes.
How to connect
Go to Settings → Data Sources → Users
Select your provider (e.g. Rippling, BambooHR, Gusto, Okta, Entra ID, Google Workspace)
Authenticate and grant Cakewalk read access
💡 After connecting, Cakewalk automatically builds your User Directory.
📘 Learn more: User Management and HRIS & IdP
2️⃣ Import & Govern Apps
Goal Build your app catalog and apply governance.
Why it matters Apps are your attack surface. Governance defines ownership, permissions and lifecycle.
How to import & govern apps
Import apps from Google Workspace or Entra, add from Cakewalk’s template library or create custom apps.
Assign statuses (Managed, Tracked, Restricted, Ignored).
Assign an App Owner
📘 Learn more: App Governance
3️⃣ Set Up Cakewalk for Slack
Goal Enable employees to request, approve and complete tasks directly in Slack.
Why it matters Slack is where your employees already work. With Cakewalk for Slack, users can:
Request access to apps
Approve requests or complete tasks
See request status or cancel requests
Get notified when access is granted or reviews are due
How to connect
Go to Settings → Account → Slack
Click Connect
Authorize Cakewalk in Slack with an admin-level Slack account
💡 No extra user setup is required. Cakewalk automatically recognizes users by email.
📘 Learn more: Cakewalk for Slack
4️⃣ Roll Out the Browser Extension
Goal Discover every app your teams are using and automatically track who has access.
Why it matters The browser extension uncovers shadow IT and dormant accounts by surfacing real-world SaaS usage beyond your IdP/HRIS. It also powers access insights and usage reporting.
How to roll it out
Via Cakewalk Tasks:
Go to Settings → Account → Browser extension → Enforce browser extension rollout
Users get notified in Cakewalk (and Slack if enabled)
Once installed, users need to log in once to activate it.
Via MDM
Use Intune, Jamf or others to enforce install on Chrome, Edge or Firefox
Once rolled out, users need to log in once to activate it.
💡 Monitor coverage and install status in the Analytics Dashboard.
📘 Learn more: App Discovery and Cakewalk Browser Extension
5️⃣ Assign Owners & Build Policies
Goal Ensure accountability and consistent approval workflows.
Why it matters Owners govern apps, and policies make sure requests are always routed to the right people.
How to set up
Assign App Owners in App Governance
Go to Settings → Policies → Create or edit workflows
Define who approves requests (Manager, App Owner, Admin, Groups, etc.)
📘 Learn more: Policies
6️⃣ Run Your First Access Review
Goal Prove compliance and enforce least privilege.
Why it matters Access reviews show auditors you’re in control and help spot dormant or over-permissioned accounts.
How to do it
Go to Reviews → Campaigns → + New
Choose scope (all apps or specific ones)
Assign reviewers (Manager, App Owner or Review Owner)
Launch and track progress via the dashboard
Export CSV for audit logs
📘 Learn more: Access Reviews
7️⃣ Create Custom App Layouts
Goal Tailor Cakewalk to your org’s data needs with custom layouts.
Why it matters Make Cakewalk your single source of truth for app metadata (e.g. finance, compliance, vendor details).
How to do it
Go to Settings → Custom Layouts
Create property groups (e.g. Finance, Security) to organize them thematically
Add properties (text, number, select, currency, person, etc.)
Configure visibility and whether they show in request forms
📘 Learn more: Custom App Layouts & Properties
8️⃣ Automate Provisioning
Goal Enable auto-provisioning and deprovisioning for key apps.
Why it matters Automation ensures timely, consistent onboarding/offboarding without IT bottlenecks.
How to do it
Go to App Governance → Select app → Provisioning
Choose between IdP-based or Agent Cake auto-provisioning
Supported apps can be fully automated by Agent Cake without SCIM setup required
📘 Learn more: Auto Provisioning
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