Userfront core JS library
The Userfront core JavaScript library is intended for use in frontend applications.
It can be used for the following:
-
Authentication: useful for building your own custom forms and auth flows.
-
User: read or update information about a logged in user.
-
Tokens: read the user's access or ID token.
The following libraries each implement all of the core JS methods:
#Setup
The core library must always be initialized with an account or tenant ID using the init() method.
#init (tenantId, options)
Initializes the Userfront core library with your account or tenant ID.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| domain | The domain to use for all requests. Defaults to api.userfront.com. |
#addInitCallback (function)
Calls the supplied callback whenever Userfront.init() is called. A JSON object with the tenantId is supplied to the callback.
If addInitCallback is called more than once, callbacks are called in the order they were added (first added = first called).
Once Userfront.init() is called, the callbacks are reset and are not called on subsequent Userfront.init() calls.
#Authentication
#signup (options)
Registers a new user with one of the available methods.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| method | The method for registering. Options are: password, passwordless, azure, facebook, github,google,linkedin. See below for more info on methods. |
The user's email address, which is required for the password and passwordless methods. | |
| username | The user's username (optional). Used only with the password and passwordless methods. |
| name | The user's name (optional). Used only with the password and passwordless methods. |
| data | The user's custom data object (optional). Used only with the password and passwordless methods. |
| password | The user's password. Used only with the password. |
| redirect | Manually set the path to redirect to, or false to prevent redirection. |
#Signup via password method
Submits an email and password to create a user.
Upon success, receives the JWT access token and adds it to the browser's cookies, then redirects the browser to the After-signup path.
#Signup via passwordless method
Creates a user and sends them an email with a link to log in. This link works with the Login via link method.
If a user with the given email address already exists, sends them an email to log in.
#Signup via azure, facebook, github,google, or linkedin methods
Initiates the sign-on flow for a given SSO provider.
When using SSO, there is no difference between the signup and login methods.
Both methods initiate the sign-on flow:
- New users are ultimately redirected to your After-signup path
- Existing users are ultimately redirected to your After-login path.
#login (options)
Initiates a login for a user with one of the available methods.
| option | description |
|---|---|
| method | The method for logging in. Options are: password, passwordless, link, azure, facebook, github, google,linkedin, and saml. See below for more info on methods. |
The user's email. Used with the password and passwordless methods. | |
| username | The user's username. Used only with the password method. |
| emailOrUsername | The user's email or username. Used only with the password method. |
| password | The user's password. Used only with the password method. |
| token | The token= URL parameter sent in a login link. Used only with the link method. |
| uuid | The uuid= URL parameter sent in a login link. Used only with the link method. |
| redirect | Manually set the path to redirect to, or false to prevent redirection. |
#Login via password method
Sends a username or email along with a password in order to receive a JWT access token, then adds the JWT access token to the browser's cookies and redirects the browser to the After-login path.
#Login via passwordless method
Sends the user an email with a link to log in. This link works with the Login via link method.
If no user exists with the given email, this method creates a new user and sends them a login link.
See also: signup via passwordless method.
#Login via link method
This method is used to read the URL query parameters token and uuid that are sent with login link emails, and uses these parameters to log in a user.
Sends the token and uuid in order to receive a JWT access token, then adds the JWT access token to the browser's cookies and redirects the browser to the After-login path.
#Login via azure, facebook, github,google, or linkedin methods
Initiates the sign-on flow for a given SSO provider.
When using SSO, there is no difference between the signup and login methods.
Both methods initiate the sign-on flow:
- New users are ultimately redirected to your After-signup path
- Existing users are ultimately redirected to your After-login path.
#Login via saml method
Completes the sign-on flow for a SAML service provider.
Obtains a SAML token and redirects the browser to the Userfront API SAML login endpoint where the login response will be sent to the service provider who initiated the SAML login request.
When a user clicks a link to log in to a service provider, the service provider sends a SAML login request to the Userfront API which will then redirect the browser to your After-logout path(opens new window) where this method should be called.
When using the saml method, there is no difference between signing the user in and signing the user up.
Both cases are handled by the service provider during the sign-on flow:
- New users are redirected to the service provider's signup process.
- Existing users will be redirected to the service provider's path after logging in.
#logout (options)
Initiates logout for a user.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| redirect | Manually set the path to redirect to, or false to prevent redirection. |
| method | The method for logging out. Currently only used for SAML. |
#Default logout()
Logs a user out by invalidating their session, removes auth tokens from the browser, and then redirects the browser to the After-logout path.
#Log out of SAML service provider
Completes the SAML logout process.
Obtains a SAML token and redirects the browser to the SAML logout endpoint where the logout response will be sent to the service provider who initiated the SAML logout request.
When a user wants to log out of a service provider, the service provider sends a SAML logout request to the Userfront API which will then redirect the browser to your After-logout path(opens new window) where this method should be called.
Upon successful logout, the user will be logged out of the service provider yet remain logged in to your tenant's application.
#redirectIfLoggedIn ()
Checks if the user is logged in and, if so, redirects the browser to the After-login path.
#resetPassword (options)
Alias of updatePassword().
#updatePassword (options)
Updates a user's password with one of the following methods:
- The reset link credentials (
tokenanduuid); or - The user's JWT access token (when logged in)
If the user does not have a password yet, then their password is created.
| Option | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| password | ? | The new password to set for the user. |
| existingPassword | The user's existing password. Only used with the jwt method. | |
| method | Optionally specify the link or jwt method. When not defined, updatePassword checks for the reset link credentials (token and uuid) first, followed by the user's JWT access token. | |
| token | The token= URL parameter sent in the password reset link. Used only with the link method. | |
| uuid | The uuid= URL parameter sent in the password reset link. Used only with the link method. | |
| redirect | Manually set the path to redirect to, or false to prevent redirection. Used only with the link method. |
#Password reset via the link method
Uses the reset link credentials (token and uuid) to reset the user's password, then logs the user in by adding their JWT access token to the browser's cookies, and finally redirects the browser to the After-login path.
#Password update via jwt method
Updates a user's password while they are logged in.
If the user has a password already, the existingPassword field must be correct.
If the user does not have a password yet (e.g. if they signed up with SSO), the existingPassword field is ignored, and the password field is set directly.
#sendLoginLink (email)
Sends an email containing a login link. This link directs the user to the After-logout path, where the login form should be located.
The user in question must exist already.
#sendResetLink (email)
Sends an email containing a password reset link. This link directs the user to the Password reset path.
The password reset link contains the token and uuid credentials, which can be used with the updatePassword method.
The user in question must exist already.
#User
#user
Returns information about the currently logged in user.
Userfront.user is intended for frontend use only, to help you display information about the user.
| Property | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
mode | String | live or test mode |
tenantId | String | The tenant that the user record is in. |
userId | Integer | The user's numerical ID. |
userUuid | String (UUID) | The user's UUID. |
email | String | Email address |
name | String | Full name |
image | String | Image URL |
data | Object | Custom JSON data object |
username | String | Username |
confirmedAt | String | When the user confirmed their email |
isConfirmed | Boolean | Whether the user has confirmed their email |
createdAt | String | When the user record was created |
updatedAt | String | When the user record was last updated |
#user.update (options)
Sends a request to update the currently logged in user.
The following user attributes are editable:
| Property | Type |
|---|---|
name | String |
image | String |
username | String |
data | Object |
#user.hasRole (roleName, options)
Helper method to determine if the logged in user has a given role in the authorization object of their JWT access token.
Returns true if the role is present, or false if not present.
user.hasRole() should only be used to show or hide public elements like buttons or badges.
Sensitive information should always rely on server-side checks.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| tenantId | The tenant to check against. Defaults to the tenantId from Userfront.init(tenantId) |
#Tokens
#tokens.accessToken
Returns the JWT access token.
Your frontend application can send the access token to your server in order to authenticate a user and provide information about their access levels. For more information, see Tokens & Access.
#tokens.accessTokenName
Returns the name of the cookie that holds the JWT access token.
#tokens.idToken
The ID token is not intended for authentication or access control.
It is used client-side as a verifiable copy of the user's data. Typically it is easier to reference the user object instead.
Returns the JWT ID token.
#tokens.idTokenName
Returns the name of the cookie that holds the JWT ID token.