Unified Login Implementation

Overview

Implemented a unified login flow that checks if a user exists before presenting authentication options, as requested.

Changes Made

Frontend

1. Created UnifiedLogin Component (frontend/src/components/auth/UnifiedLogin.jsx)

   • Email-first approach where users enter their email address
   • Checks if user exists via /api/auth/check-user endpoint
   • Presents appropriate authentication methods based on user configuration
   • Shows registration prompt if user doesn’t exist
   • Supports multiple authentication methods (password, passkey, etc.)

2. Updated Routes (frontend/src/auth/AuthenticationWrapper.jsx)

   • Changed /login route to use UnifiedLogin component instead of Login component
   • Maintains backward compatibility with other auth routes

Backend

3. Added Check User Endpoint (app/routes/auth_routes.py)
   • New endpoint: POST /api/auth/check-user
   • Accepts email address in request body
   • Returns whether user exists and available authentication methods
   • Currently checks local User database and PasskeyCredential table

API Endpoint Details

POST /api/auth/check-user

Request:

{
  "email": "user@example.com"
}

Response (user exists):

{
  "exists": true,
  "authMethods": ["password", "passkey"]
}

Response (user doesn’t exist):

{
  "exists": false,
  "authMethods": []
}

User Flow

1. User visits /login
2. User enters email address
3. System checks if user exists
4. If user exists:
   • With passkey only: Directly initiates passkey authentication
   • With multiple methods: Shows method selection screen
   • With password only: Shows password entry screen
5. If user doesn’t exist:
   • Shows friendly message with option to create account
   • Provides link to registration page

Testing

Use the test script to verify the implementation:

./scripts/troubleshooting/test_unified_login.sh

Or manually test:

1. Visit https://localhost:8443/login
2. Try with existing and non-existing email addresses
3. Verify appropriate flows are presented