Secure Your React Application with Magic Links
Authentication Strategies for a Safer App
When it comes to web application security, authentication is a crucial feature to protect against unauthorized access and data theft. In React applications, there are several authentication strategies to choose from, including passwords, two-factor authentication, captchas, tokens, and single sign-on (SSO). In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to set up a basic authentication flow with React using Magic Links.
What are Magic Links?
Magic Links provide a way to authenticate users without the need for passwords. Developed by Fortmatic, Magic Links eliminate the hassle of setting and remembering secure passwords. When a user signs up or logs in, a Magic Link is generated and sent to their email address. Once clicked, the link authenticates the user and redirects them back to the original point of authentication.
The Benefits of Magic Links
Magic Links offer several benefits, including:
- Eliminating the need for users to remember passwords
- Reducing the risk of password-related security breaches
- Simplifying the authentication process
- Using a blockchain-based key management system similar to SSH
Prerequisites
To follow along with this tutorial, you’ll need:
- npm >= v5.2 or yarn
- Knowledge of React and JavaScript
- A code editor
- A Magic account
Creating a React Application
To get started, create a new React project using the following command:
npx create-react-app react-magic-tutorial
Setting up Magic
Before creating the components for our React application, set up the Magic service by logging into Magic, getting your test publishable API key, and copying it. Create a .env file in the root directory of your application and paste the following:
REACT_APP_MAGIC_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY
Building React Components
Next, create the components needed for our application:
- Authenticate: A form component that allows users to sign up or sign in
- Dashboard: A component that displays whether or not authentication was successful
- PrivateRoute: A wrapper component that checks whether the user is authenticated before rendering a component
- App: The main application component that renders either the Authentication component or the Dashboard component
Using React Contexts and React Router
Use React Contexts to pass user data to components rendered based on whether the user is authenticated or not. Also, use React Router to handle routing.
The Final Product
After setting up the Magic service, building the React components, and using React Contexts and React Router, our application is ready. Start it up and test the authentication flow. Input your email address, and a Magic Link will be sent to your email. Click the link, and you’ll be redirected back to the application, which will confirm the validity of the link and redirect you to the dashboard.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we’ve walked through how to secure your React application with Magic Links. Magic offers a viable alternative to popular authentication strategies, and its official documentation provides more information on how to expand your knowledge of Magic Links. You can find the repository for the application we built on GitHub.