Shibboleth, "Shibboleth has encountered an error"
This document describes what to do if you receive an "We're sorry. Shibboleth has encountered an error while accessing this service." error.
Problem
When you are attempting to log in to a service or a link that requires NetID authentication, you may see this error for several reasons.
You may see the following error:
"We're sorry. Shibboleth has encountered an error while accessing this service."
Solution
First, make sure you are attempting to use a valid link. If you are using a bookmark, try getting to the site another way as bookmarks can cause this error.
Next, if you are using Safari on a Mac, first to make sure your browser is not blocking all cookies, which can prevent NetID login from functioning properly.
Next, completely restart the browser so that all previous windows and tabs have been closed. In some cases, this alone can fix the issue. If this does not work, then the issue can usually be resolved by clearing your browser's cache and cookies. Click the browser you are using below to find instructions for clearing your browser's cache and cookies.
Desktop Web Browsers
| Browser | Windows Document Link | macOS Document Link |
|---|---|---|
Google Chrome |
Chrome (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies | Chrome (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Firefox |
Firefox 57+ (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies | Firefox 21+ (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Safari |
Safari (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies | Safari 10.0.1+ (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Internet Explorer 9, 10, & 11 |
Internet Explorer 9, 10 and 11 (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies | None |
Microsoft Edge |
Edge (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies | None |
Opera |
Opera (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies | Opera 28.0 (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
New Microsoft Edge |
New Edge (Win 10, 8, 7, MacOS) - Clearing Cache and Cookies | New Edge (Win 10, 8, 7, MacOS) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Mobile Web Browsers
| Operating System | Document Link |
|---|---|
Android |
Android (Jellybean) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
iOS |
iOS - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
webOS |
HP webOS 2.x - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Windows Phone |
Internet Explorer (Windows Phone) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Legacy Versions
Windows
| Browser | Document Link |
|---|---|
Internet Explorer 6 |
Internet Explorer 6 (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Internet Explorer 7 |
Internet Explorer 7 (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
|
Internet Explorer 8 |
Internet Explorer 8 (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Firefox 3.5 |
Firefox 3.5 (Win) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
MacOS
| Browser | Document Link |
|---|---|
Firefox 3.5 - 20 |
Firefox 3.5 - 20 (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
|
Opera 10.50 |
Opera 10.50+ (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Safari 5 |
Safari 5 (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
|
Safari 5.1 - 7.9 |
Safari 5.1 - 7.9 (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
Safari 8.0+ |
Safari 8.0 - 10.0 (Mac) - Clearing Cache and Cookies |
If you are still experiencing issues after completing those steps, contact the Help Desk.