User authentication with Headless Shopify

User authentication is critical to many e-commerce stores–headless Shopify is no exception!

There are various ways to handle user authentication with headless Shopify.

Shopify's native authentication

Using Shopify's native authentication is entirely possible with a headless storefront. By utilizing the Customer Account API, headless Shopify storefronts can hook into Shopify's native customer authentication flow and query based on the logged-in user. This helps to simplify things in that authentication can be managed entirely by Shopify. Shopify's new authentication flow is built on passwordless technology that allows users to login with just their email address. Using Shopify authentication with a headless build requires some particular configuration via your store's Shopify admin panel in order to expose the required APIs and access. You'll also need to set scopes and will be provided a separate API key/secret to other Shopify APIs that your headless store might be using.

Third-party authentication platforms

With a headless build, your options for authentication are opened a little broader than Shopify's native login functionality. Headless storefronts can take advantage of third-party authentication platforms such as Auth0, Clerk, and Supabase to authenticate users–which can potentially prove a powerful asset to your storefront depending on your user base.

Why use a third-party authentication platform with Headless Shopify?

Using a third-party authentication platform for customer login with headless Shopify makes the most sense when any of the following situations apply to your build.

• Omnichannel form a big part of your strategy. If you have applications outside of your website such as a mobile app or a PWA, it will make sense to implement a method of authentication that is easier to integrate with all channels and supports the modes of login which are most desirable based on the user. For example, for an iPhone app, "Sign in with Apple" is a convenience for many users and therefore makes sense to provide.
• Better options for Single Sign-on: Implementing a specific authentication provider which supports single sign-on can help to increase conversion by reducing the amount of effort required for users to sign up or login. There are various applications and use cases for single sign-on, including social login and the ability for users to sign into all of your different channels/storefronts using the same user account.
• Enterprise Single sign-on: Some builds have strict authentication requirements, such as the use of enterprise sign-in options that provide better security and granular control over access permissions. Microsoft Azure is perhaps the most well-known, and is used heavily in business contexts.
• More control of authentication flows: You have more flexibility and control over the authentication flow, how it works, and the user's sign-in journey with a fully custom implementation. Many third-party authentication providers cater to this by allowing developers to create very specific login flows and authentication experiences. Example use case: you might want to provide sign-in via magic link, SMS verification, or two factor authentication via an authenticator app. Alternatively, you might want to customize whether users are required to verify their accounts or whether they're logged in immediately after setting a password.
• More functionality and innovation: Best-of-breed authentication platforms and providers are hyper-focued on developing their offering and meeting consumer needs by adapting to trends in user behavior. Shopify, on the other hand, is focused on e-commerce. If you are aiming to build an authentication model that provides a modern, and highly specific user experience that is specifically optimized for the behaviors and preferences of your user base, going custom with a third-party provider makes more sense.

What third-party authentication providers are available for headless Shopify builds?

A plethora of authentication options are available to you when architecting a headless Shopify build.

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Of these, some of the most popular, respected, and widely-used are as follows:

1. Auth0 (the industry leader in authentication and SSO)
2. Clerk (a newer player in the space)
3. Magic Link / Magic Labs (Secure web3-supporting passwordless authentication and wallets-as-a-service)
4. Supabase (largely a database provider, but with a strong authentication offering)
5. NextAuth (if using Next.js)
6. FirebaseAuth (it works, if not a little scrappy)

Of course, you can also integrate directly with social sign-in providers as well, though most authentication providers offer this as part of their platform capabilities, meaning all we need to do is enable it via the auth provider, set up API keys, and ensure good integration with the rest of the headless site/app.

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Integrating Enterprise SSO with Headless Shopify

We've built enterprise SSO authentication integrations for several Shopify stores using headless storefronts. Microsoft Azure AD / Entra is the most frequently requested, usually by clients who operate B2B headless storefronts, or who operate/serve within government or agency circles. Two ways to implement, though we prefer the latter as it's much easier (and quicker) in terms of development time.

1. Custom SAML SSO implementation
2. Via a secure authentication provider such as Auth0 or Clerk. In this case, the SAML (or Oauth) connection is set up via the auth provider. 

At Cocoon, our team prefers Auth0; we've been working with it for years. They are, however, pricier than the competition where Enterprise SSO is concerned. Where funds are tight, we'll often use Clerk. Though, Clerk is a little buggier in our experience, but still perfectly viable with the additional time investment and debugging!

Contact Cocoon to discuss building authentication into your headless Shopify storefront or application.