Abstract
SAML metadata is the data that describes the information needed to communicate with a SAML endpoint. For example, if Identity Provider (IdP) X wanted to allow Service Provider (SP) Y to request SAML responses, IdP X would share its metadata with SP Y and vice-versa.
Some of these pieces of information include -
The services that are available at each end point
The addresses to use to access the end point services
Any certificate, and/or signature information
Metadata is implemented in XML and does not contain any sensitive material, so signing metadata is optional.
Refer to the metadata from various environments to use for SSO implementations in the How to Configure Inbound SSO section of the Self-Service Single Sign On (SSO) Guide.