User Authentication in Elements

Elements provides multiple ways to create and authenticate users, depending on your needs. You can use simple username/email + password logins, or integrate with third-party identity providers like Google or Steam via OIDC and OAuth2.

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Authentication Methods #

1. Password Users #

The most straightforward approach: create an account with a username/email and a password.

There are two ways to create password-based users:

• Admin creation (requires SUPERUSER Session token):
  • POST /api/REST/users
  • Used by administrators to manually create users.
  • Must include a valid Session token with SUPERUSER privileges.
• Public signup (no authentication required):
  • POST /api/REST/signup/
    • Alternatively – POST /api/REST/signup/Session to create a Session when signing up so that you don’t need to make a second request to sign in (Elements 3.7+)
  • End users can sign up themselves with just a username/email and password.
  • No prior authentication required.
  • Can create a Profile within the same request.

Once created, users can log in with their credentials and receive a Session token.

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2. OIDC (OpenID Connect) with JWTs #

OIDC lets users authenticate with external providers (like Google) using JWTs (JSON Web Tokens).

Setup steps:

1. Create an Auth Scheme for the provider:
   • Give it a name (e.g. Google).
   • Provide the JWK URL (JSON Web Key Set) from the provider.
2. When a User tries to log in:
   • The client sends the JWT obtained from the provider to Elements.
   • Elements uses the JWK to verify the token’s signature.
   • If valid:
     • A User account is created automatically if one doesn’t already exist.
     • A Session token is returned.

Key point: OIDC login requires no password handling on your end. Elements verifies identity using the provider’s JWT.

(Elements 3.9+) Rather than passing an explicit profileId or profileSelector, username/password and OAuth2 Session requests can instead pass applicationNameOrId to have Elements attach the User’s primary Profile for that Application automatically — see Sessions for details.

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3. OAuth2 (Customizable) #

OAuth2 is a flexible alternative to OIDC, useful for providers like Steam that don’t offer standard OIDC.

Setup steps:

1. Create an Auth Scheme:
   • name (e.g. Steam).
   • Validation URL (where Elements verifies the token).
   • User id property (the field in the validation response that maps to a User id, e.g. steamid).
   • Custom headers or query parameters (if the provider requires them).
   • Specify whether parameters are:
     • Sent by the frontend (dynamic, provided per login request), or
     • Pre-set in the auth scheme (static, stored securely).
2. Login flow:
   • The frontend collects the OAuth2 token from the provider.
   • Sends it to Elements along with the scheme name.
   • Elements calls the validation URL, passes required headers/params, and checks the response.
   • If valid:
     • A User is created if needed.
     • A Session token is returned.

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Quick Comparison #

Method	When to Use	Requirements	Flow
Password	Simple accounts with username/email + password	Admin token (for manual creation) OR none (for signup)	POST request to Elements; returns Session token
OIDC	Standard identity providers (Google, Apple, etc.)	Create Auth Scheme with JWK URL	Client provides JWT → Elements verifies → returns Session token
OAuth2	Providers without OIDC (Steam, custom services)	Create Auth Scheme with validation URL, User id mapping, headers/params	Client provides token → Elements validates → returns Session token

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Best Practices #

• Use OIDC when possible — it’s simpler and more standardized than custom OAuth2.
• For password users, prefer the public signup endpoint to avoid handling SUPERUSER tokens unnecessarily.
• Keep Auth Scheme configs secure. Only expose parameters the frontend needs to send dynamically.
• Treat Session tokens like sensitive credentials — they grant access to the User’s account.

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See Also #

• Elements API Reference: /api/users
• Elements API Reference: /api/signup
• Auth Scheme Configuration