Crafting a Better Atmospheric Auth Flow

For the sake of your users !

By @brookie.blog

​

Why Authentication Flow Matters

🧗‍♀️ Authentication acts as a barrier between the user and the features of your application.

🛝 It’s important to reduce friction so users can cross this barrier and start using your app quickly.

😵‍💫 If the process feels too difficult or confusing, users may leave before they even get their foot in the door.

​

​

Friction → Bad

🙅‍♀️

If your authentication process is too verbose, too confusing, or just takes too much effort to complete, people will just give up.

So, what exactly makes a bad auth flow anyways ?

Things to avoid:

❌ Sign in with Bluesky - It’s simply not accurate.

❌ Tech Jargon - Most people won’t understand terms like atproto, pds, did, AT handle, etc. (Just avoid it. 💆‍♀️)

❌ Too Many Words - I ain’t reading all that. I’m happy for you though… Or sorry that happened. 🤷‍♀️

❌ Please for the love of atproto don’t make me enter my pds information - (I’m looking at you Bluesky 😒)

A good auth flow should feel like unlocking your home with a key

Not like picking the lock

What do people want ?

✅ Simplicity - An easy to understand process.

✅ Purpose - To know what is behind this auth barrier ?

✅ Easy to find - An auth page that is not difficult to locate.

✅ OAuth - Do you know how hard it is to explain an app password ? Let them log in with a familiar process.

✅ To Use Your App - (But not if they have to try too hard.)

Use Your Handle

​

Since Bluesky is the most recognizable and largest PDS provider, we include a subtle

hint that bluesky accounts can be used by including the icon.

Describe the main purpose of the app

Use verbs to describe why the user’s handle is needed.

​

Writing, posting, streaming and watching, discovering

​

A subtle note explains that you can use a name from another space.

Type Ahead

atproto handles can get pretty long. Help the user find theirs !

This relies on the existence of a bluesky profile, but most people will have one.

If you’re a hosting a PDS, do us all a favor and make your users a bluesky profile on signup.

Let the system do the work.

​

Your app should resolve everything automatically.

​

Handle → DID → PDS

EXTRA CREDIT

So you’ve nailed the authentication step, what about completely new users ?

What makes a good registration flow?

✅ Simple - An easy to understand process. Don’t overwhelm the user with inputs right way.

✅ Inviting - Users should feel welcomed to your platform.

✅ Minimal Requirements - Do you really need to know all that? Each required field is a chance for users to leave. Only request what you really need.

✅ Purpose - Remind the user why they’re signing up.

​

Make it inviting

A short description reminds the user why they’re here.

Keep it simple to start

We want to make this feel as easy as possible.

Ask for a username and email address. Then, we can expand for more details.

Simple guidance helps returning users find their way to auth.

Expand the form

After the user fills out the basic information, expand the form to collect additional info.

Passwords, TOS, Privacy Policies, Captcha, etc.

Thanks for listening !

Hopefully this was helpful 😅

If you’d like a blog of your own check out www.pckt.blog

Questions @brookie.blog