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Authentication

1. Why It Exists

Security Foundation: Every other feature in Beet requires knowing who the user is. Without authentication, we can't protect user data or provide personalized experiences.

User Trust: Professional authentication builds confidence that Beet is a legitimate, secure platform users can trust with their data.

Personalization: Once users are authenticated, we can save their preferences, show their specific data, and customize their experience.

Legal Requirements: Many privacy and data protection laws require secure user authentication to protect personal information.

2. Scope

MVP (Current Phase)

  • New user registration with email and password
  • Email verification to confirm accounts are real
  • Secure login and logout
  • Password reset for forgotten passwords
  • Session management to keep users logged in

Future Phases

  • Phase 2: Social Login (Google, Facebook, Apple sign-in), Two-Factor Authentication
  • Phase 3: Single Sign-On (Enterprise SSO), Advanced Roles and Permissions

3. Design Considerations

Security Approach

  • Email/password only for MVP (no social login initially)
  • Password requirements balance security and usability
  • 24-hour session duration
  • Email verification required before first login

User Experience

  • Registration completion target: 2 minutes
  • Login success rate target: 95%+ on first attempt
  • Email verification within 5 minutes
  • Password reset completion without support contact

Technical Architecture

  • Database design with secure password hashing
  • JWT-based session management
  • Reliable email service integration
  • Performance targets: registration <10s, login <5s

4. Validation

Success Metrics

  • Registration completion rate: 85%+ (industry average is 70%)
  • Email verification rate: 75%+ within 24 hours
  • Login success rate: 95%+ on first attempt
  • Password reset completion: 70%+ complete the process
  • User retention: 80%+ of registered users return within 7 days
  • Support tickets: Less than 5% of users need authentication help

Technical Validation

  • Unit + integration tests for all flows
  • Performance testing under load
  • Security penetration testing
  • Email delivery reliability testing

5. Risks & Edge Cases

High Risk

  • Email delivery problems: If verification emails don't arrive, users can't complete registration
  • Mitigation: Use reliable email service, provide "resend email" option
  • Security vulnerabilities: Authentication is a common target for attacks
  • Mitigation: Follow security best practices, regular security reviews

Medium Risk

  • User experience friction: Complicated registration could reduce sign-ups
  • Mitigation: Keep process simple, test with real users
  • Performance under load: Slow authentication frustrates users
  • Mitigation: Performance testing before launch

Edge Cases

  • Password requirements too strict: Might frustrate some users
  • Mitigation: Clear password guidelines, helpful error messages
  • Email verification delays: Users may not receive emails immediately
  • Mitigation: Resend functionality, clear messaging about delays

Key User Flows

New User Registration

  1. User visits Beet website
  2. Clicks "Sign Up" button
  3. Enters email and creates password
  4. Receives welcome email with verification link
  5. Clicks verification link
  6. Account is activated and user sees dashboard

Returning User Login

  1. User visits Beet login page
  2. Enters email and password
  3. Clicks "Log In" button
  4. Immediately redirected to their dashboard
  5. Stays logged in for 24 hours (or until they log out)

Password Recovery

  1. User clicks "Forgot Password" on login page
  2. Enters their email address
  3. Receives password reset email within 5 minutes
  4. Clicks reset link and creates new password
  5. Can immediately log in with new password

Status: 🔄 In Progress (65% Complete) Priority: High Target Release: Sprint 5 - February 15, 2024