SAML is defined in terms of assertions, protocols, bindings, and profiles.

Generally, a profile of SAML defines constraints and/or extensions in support of the usage of SAML for a particular application – the goal being to enhance interoperability by removing some of the flexibility inevitable in a general-use standard. For instance, the Web Browser SSO Profile specifies how SAML authentication assertions are communicated between an identity provider and service provider to enable single sign-on for a browser user.

The Web SSO Profile details how to use the SAML Authentication Request/Response protocol in conjunction with different combinations of the HTTP Redirect, HTTP POST, HTTP Artifact, and SOAP bindings.

Another type of SAML profile is an attribute profile. SAML defines a series of attribute profiles to provide specific rules for interpretation of attributes in SAML attribute assertions. An example is the X.500/LDAP profile, describing how to carry X.500/LDAP attributes within SAML attribute assertions.