What are steps for creating a passkey in user onboarding?

What Are the Steps for Creating a Passkey During User Onboarding?#

Creating a passkey during user onboarding is a crucial step to encourage adoption and improve user security. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process:

1. User Login or Registration#

During onboarding, users log in using their existing credentials (e.g., email and password) or register a new account.

2. Prompt for Passkey Creation#

• After successful login or registration, prompt the user to create a passkey.
• Display a clear message explaining the benefits of passkeys, such as enhanced security and ease of use.

3. Invoke the WebAuthn API#

• Use the WebAuthn API to initiate the passkey creation process.
• Request user consent and trigger the device’s biometric or PIN-based authentication system.

4. Generate and Store Credentials#

• Upon successful authentication, the device generates a public-private key pair.
• Store the public key and credential ID securely in your backend system.

5. Confirmation and Feedback#

• Provide a confirmation message to the user, indicating that the passkey was created successfully.
• Optionally, guide the user on how to use the passkey for future logins.

6. Optional: Cross-Device Setup#

• Encourage users to set up passkeys on additional devices to enable seamless cross-device login experiences.

Best Practices#

• Make the process intuitive and frictionless by providing clear instructions.
• Ensure compliance with WebAuthn standards for secure implementation.

This step-by-step process ensures that users can create passkeys effortlessly during onboarding, enhancing both security and user experience.

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About Corbado

Corbado is the Authentication Intelligence Platform for CIAM teams running consumer authentication at scale. We help you see what IDP logs and generic analytics tools can't: where passkeys, passwords, OTP, social login and fallback journeys succeed, stall or fail, which devices and browsers create friction, and when an OS update silently breaks login. Two products: Corbado Observe layers process mining and observability across authentication journeys. Corbado Connect adds managed passkeys with analytics built in alongside your IDP. VicRoads runs passkeys for 5M+ users with Corbado (+80% passkey activation). Talk to a Passkey Expert →