# Encoded entities like + in SAML response

**URL:** <https://devforum.okta.com/t/encoded-entities-like-x2b-in-saml-response/5328>\
**Category:** SAML\
**Created:** [June 7, 2019, 12:50pm UTC](https://devforum.okta.com/t/encoded-entities-like-x2b-in-saml-response/5328 "2019-06-07T12:50:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![theloshackers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@theloshackers](https://devforum.okta.com/u/theloshackers)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 12:50pm UTC](https://devforum.okta.com/t/encoded-entities-like-x2b-in-saml-response/5328/1 "2019-06-07T12:50:27Z")

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I am trying to use okta as IDP for my SAML SSO login.

However, when clicking “Login via okta SAML” on my SP, it generates error like “External authentication returned an invalid message”. When checking the SAML response message from okta, I can see that in the response, there are characters like “+”, which is encoded format of character “+”. I have to manually decode the characters, and then get the correct XML strings of the SAML response.

Any ideas why this is happening?

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**Author:** ![theloshackers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@theloshackers](https://devforum.okta.com/u/theloshackers)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://devforum.okta.com/t/encoded-entities-like-x2b-in-saml-response/5328/2 "2019-06-07T23:14:31Z")

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Just to clarify, character like “+”, “=” were encoded to strings like � in the SAML response.

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**Author:** ![dragos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/oktadev/user_avatar/devforum.okta.com/dragos/32/1313_2.png) [@dragos](https://devforum.okta.com/u/dragos)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 8:30am UTC](https://devforum.okta.com/t/encoded-entities-like-x2b-in-saml-response/5328/3 "2019-06-10T08:30:37Z")

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Hi @theloshackers

Can you please open a support ticket with us by sending an email to [support@okta.com](mailto:support@okta.com) in order to have this issue further investigated?

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/oktadev/original/1X/589c4c5f80de422d01f47cee7185a7fb8227835c.png) [@system](https://devforum.okta.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://devforum.okta.com/t/encoded-entities-like-x2b-in-saml-response/5328/4 "2024-01-23T19:12:31Z")

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