Day 13 – Passwordless Login with Magic Link Authentication

"What if logging in didn’t require a password at all — and it actually made your app more secure?"

I explored and implemented Magic Link authentication in Lura, the lawyer management platform we’re building during my internship. It’s a passwordless login system that uses a one-time link sent to a user’s email — no need to enter or store passwords.

🔑 Why Magic Link Matters
Traditional authentication relies on passwords, which users often forget or reuse. That leads to weak security and poor UX. Magic Links flip the model — they simplify access while remaining secure, especially when paired with email 2FA.

This is especially valuable in legal software like Lura, where users prioritize clarity and simplicity over technical complexity.

🧩 Goals of Feature

• Let users log in via email-based magic links
• Eliminate password fields and reset flows
• Ensure secure token validation and session handling
• Protect private pages based on user state and roles
• Provide a smoother login UX for legal professionals

⚙️ How I Built It

📦 Backend (Clerk + Next.js Middleware)
I integrated Clerk to handle user auth and Magic Link flows. Clerk manages the secure token issuance, validation, and session lifecycle.

With useUser() and SignedIn/SignedOut components, I protected routes and handled loading states.

I also configured secure redirect URLs to ensure safe access post-login.

💻 Frontend (Next.js + Clerk SDK)
I built the login screen using Clerk’s prebuilt <SignIn /> component and handled redirection post-login using router events.

To protect pages like Dashboard, I added guards:

import { useUser } from "@clerk/nextjs";

export default function Dashboard() {
  const { isSignedIn, user } = useUser();
  if (!isSignedIn) return <SignIn />;
  return <div>Welcome {user.firstName}</div>;
}

🔐 Permissions & Security
Since Lura has RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), I ensured access was limited to authenticated users with the right role. I also disabled access to certain routes for non-logged-in users using middleware and conditional rendering.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Magic Link simplifies login UX while staying secure
• Clerk makes integration fast and handles edge cases like expired tokens
• Passwordless login is a great fit for non-tech users like lawyers
• I gained a deeper understanding of session validation and conditional page protection

❓Question
Would you trust passwordless authentication in your own projects — or do you still prefer traditional password login with 2FA?