Supabase: Sign Up Users Easily With Phone Number Authentication
Hey guys! Ever wondered how to make user sign-ups a breeze in your Supabase app using just phone numbers? Well, you're in the right place! We're diving deep into setting up phone number authentication with Supabase, making your app more secure and user-friendly. So, grab your coding hats, and let's get started!
Why Phone Number Authentication?
Phone number authentication, or SMS authentication, has become a super popular way to verify users. Think about it: almost everyone has a mobile phone these days. It's a convenient and secure method that adds an extra layer of protection against bots and fake accounts. Plus, it can be a great way to offer passwordless login, which many users prefer. Let's explore why integrating this into your Supabase project is a smart move.
Convenience and Accessibility: Phone numbers are universally accessible. Unlike email addresses, which some users might not have or regularly check, almost everyone owns a mobile phone. This makes phone number authentication a highly convenient option for user verification.
Enhanced Security: SMS verification adds an extra layer of security. By sending a one-time password (OTP) to a user's phone number, you're confirming that the user has access to that phone. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized account access and enhances the overall security of your application.
Passwordless Login: Implementing phone number authentication allows you to offer a passwordless login experience. Users can log in simply by receiving and entering an OTP, eliminating the need to remember and manage passwords. This simplifies the login process and improves user satisfaction.
Account Recovery: Phone numbers can also be used for account recovery. If a user forgets their password or loses access to their account, they can use their phone number to verify their identity and regain access. This adds an extra layer of convenience and security for your users.
Integrating phone number authentication into your Supabase project not only enhances security but also improves the user experience. By making it easier for users to sign up and log in, you can increase user engagement and satisfaction. It's a win-win situation for both you and your users.
Setting Up Supabase
First things first, you'll need a Supabase account. If you don't have one yet, head over to supabase.com and sign up. It's free to get started! Once you're in, create a new project. Give it a cool name, choose a region closest to your users, and set a secure database password. Supabase will handle the rest, provisioning your database and setting up all the necessary services. This process might take a few minutes, so grab a coffee while you wait.
After your project is ready, navigate to the Authentication section in the Supabase dashboard. Here, you'll find various authentication providers. For phone number authentication, you'll need to enable the phone auth option. Supabase uses Twilio for sending SMS messages, so you'll need a Twilio account as well. Don't worry; we'll walk you through setting that up next.
Getting Your Twilio Account Ready
Twilio is the magic behind sending SMS messages. Head over to twilio.com and create an account. You'll need to verify your personal phone number during the sign-up process. Once you're in, you'll get a Twilio account SID and auth token. Keep these safe; you'll need them to configure Supabase.
Next, you'll need to buy a Twilio phone number. This is the number that will be used to send SMS messages to your users. Twilio offers different types of numbers, including local and toll-free options. Choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. Once you've purchased a number, you're ready to connect Twilio to Supabase.
Connecting Twilio to Supabase
Back in your Supabase dashboard, go to the Authentication settings and find the Twilio configuration section. Here, you'll need to enter your Twilio account SID, auth token, and the phone number you purchased. Make sure you enter these details correctly; otherwise, SMS messages won't be sent.
Once you've entered your Twilio credentials, save the settings. Supabase will now be able to use Twilio to send SMS messages for phone number authentication. You can test the connection by triggering a test SMS from the Supabase dashboard. If everything is set up correctly, you should receive a test message on your phone.
With Supabase and Twilio connected, you're now ready to implement phone number authentication in your application. The next step is to add the necessary code to your frontend and backend to handle user sign-ups and logins using phone numbers. This will involve creating forms for users to enter their phone numbers and handling the verification process using OTPs.
Frontend Implementation
Okay, let's dive into the frontend. We'll need to create a simple form where users can enter their phone numbers. You can use any frontend framework you like – React, Vue, Svelte, or even plain old HTML and JavaScript. Here's a basic example using HTML and JavaScript:
<input type="tel" id="phone" placeholder="Enter your phone number">
<button onclick="signUpWithPhone()">Sign Up</button>
In your JavaScript, you'll use the Supabase client library to initiate the sign-up process. Make sure you've installed the Supabase client library in your project. You can do this using npm or yarn:
npm install @supabase/supabase-js
Here's the JavaScript code to handle the sign-up:
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';
const supabaseUrl = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_URL';
const supabaseKey = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY';
const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabaseKey);
async function signUpWithPhone() {
const phone = document.getElementById('phone').value;
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signInWithOtp({
phone: phone,
options: {
shouldCreateUser: true,
}
});
if (error) {
console.error('Error signing up:', error);
alert('Failed to sign up. Please try again.');
} else {
console.log('Check your phone for the verification code!');
alert('Check your phone for the verification code!');
}
}
Replace YOUR_SUPABASE_URL and YOUR_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY with your actual Supabase URL and anon key, which you can find in your Supabase dashboard. This code will send an OTP to the user's phone number. The shouldCreateUser: true option ensures that a new user is created if one doesn't already exist.
After the user submits their phone number, they'll receive an SMS with a verification code. Now, you'll need to create another form where they can enter this code to verify their account. This form will include an input field for the verification code and a button to submit the code.
<input type="text" id="otp" placeholder="Enter verification code">
<button onclick="verifyOTP()">Verify</button>
Here's the JavaScript code to handle the verification:
async function verifyOTP() {
const phone = document.getElementById('phone').value;
const otp = document.getElementById('otp').value;
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.verifyOtp({
phone: phone,
token: otp,
type: 'sms',
});
if (error) {
console.error('Error verifying OTP:', error);
alert('Failed to verify OTP. Please try again.');
} else {
console.log('OTP verified successfully!');
alert('OTP verified successfully!');
}
}
This code sends the phone number and the OTP to Supabase for verification. If the OTP is correct, the user is signed in, and you can redirect them to your app's main page. If there's an error, you can display an error message to the user.
Backend Implementation (if needed)
In most cases, you can handle phone number authentication entirely on the frontend using the Supabase client library. However, if you need to perform additional server-side validation or logic, you can use Supabase's server-side libraries or call the Supabase API from your backend.
For example, you might want to validate the phone number against a list of allowed numbers or perform additional security checks before creating a user. In this case, you can create a serverless function or an API endpoint that handles the sign-up process. This function can use the Supabase admin client to interact with the Supabase API and perform the necessary validations.
Here's an example of how you might use the Supabase admin client to create a user from a serverless function:
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';
const supabaseUrl = process.env.SUPABASE_URL;
const supabaseKey = process.env.SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY;
const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabaseKey, {
auth: {
autoRefreshToken: false,
persistSession: false
}
});
export const createUser = async (phone) => {
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.admin.createUser({
phone: phone,
phone_confirm: true,
});
if (error) {
console.error('Error creating user:', error);
return { error };
} else {
console.log('User created successfully:', data);
return { data };
}
};
This code uses the Supabase admin client to create a new user with the specified phone number. The phone_confirm: true option automatically confirms the phone number, so the user doesn't need to verify it with an OTP. This is useful for cases where you want to pre-approve users or perform additional validations on the server side.
Handling edge cases and security
Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting to prevent abuse. You don't want someone hammering your sign-up endpoint and racking up your Twilio bill.
Input Validation: Always validate phone numbers on both the frontend and backend. Use a library like libphonenumber-js to ensure the phone number is in a valid format.
Error Handling: Handle errors gracefully. Display user-friendly error messages instead of technical jargon. Log errors on the server side for debugging.
Security Best Practices: Follow security best practices for storing and handling user data. Use HTTPS for all communication, and protect your Supabase and Twilio API keys.
Wrapping Up
And there you have it! Setting up phone number authentication with Supabase is a straightforward process that can significantly improve your app's security and user experience. By following these steps, you can easily integrate phone number authentication into your Supabase project and provide a seamless sign-up and login experience for your users. Now go build something awesome!
