Frequently Asked Questions
Implement 2FA in Next.js by integrating Twilio Verify's TOTP with the Twilio Authy app. This involves modifying your login flow to require users to verify their identity with a code generated on their Authy-linked device after initial password login. This enhances security by requiring both password and device possession for access.
TOTP 2FA with Twilio Verify is a two-factor authentication method using time-based one-time passwords. Users verify their identity through codes generated by the Twilio Authy app on their registered device, adding an extra layer of security beyond just a password.
Twilio Authy provides a convenient and secure way for users to generate TOTP codes on their mobile devices. This makes it easier to implement 2FA and enhances user experience compared to other methods like email or SMS codes.
Implement TOTP 2FA as soon as possible to protect user accounts. If your Next.js application handles sensitive data or requires a high level of security, integrating 2FA should be a priority during development.
Set up a free MongoDB Atlas account, create a cluster and database user, configure network access (restrict in production), and obtain the connection string. Store the connection string, including username and password, securely as an environment variable (MONGODB_URI).
Add a new user in MongoDB Atlas by navigating to "Security" -> "Database Access", clicking "Add New Database User", providing a username and strong password, and granting the user appropriate read/write permissions.
The `factorSid` is a unique identifier generated by Twilio Verify for each TOTP factor. It's crucial for managing and verifying the user's 2FA configuration. It's stored securely in your database after successful verification.
The `binding.uri` returned by Twilio Verify when creating a new factor is used to generate the QR code displayed to the user. The user scans this QR code with their Authy app to link their device and start generating codes.
Use the `binding.uri` received from Twilio Verify's `createFactor` call. This URI contains all the information needed for the Authy app to register the user's device. A QR code library or service can generate the QR code image for display on your `/account/scan` page.
Call the Twilio Verify API's `verifyNewFactor` function (during initial setup) or `createChallenge` function (during subsequent logins) with the user's identity, factorSid (for challenges), and the entered code. Twilio responds with the verification status.
Store your Twilio Account SID, Auth Token, and Verify Service SID as environment variables in a `.env` file. This keeps sensitive credentials out of your source code and enables configuration for different environments.
The Next.js frontend interacts with the Twilio Verify API through API routes defined in your `pages/api` directory. These routes call helper functions that use the Twilio Node.js helper library to manage factors, challenges, and verification.
The `user.authenticated` flag in your user data indicates whether the user has completed the initial 2FA setup and linked their Authy app. This flag controls the redirection flow after password login.
Implement error handling in your Next.js API routes to catch and map Twilio API errors to user-friendly messages. Provide specific messages for common errors like invalid code format or too many attempts.
The article references a starter project called 'twilio-authy' on GitHub, though the existence and content should be verified. It is important to ensure it matches the assumptions made in the guide before proceeding.
Enhance your Next.js application's security by adding Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) using Twilio Verify and the Twilio Authy app. This guide provides a complete walkthrough, enabling users to secure their accounts by verifying their identity through codes generated on their Authy-linked device after initial password login.
This implementation adds a robust security layer, mitigating risks associated with compromised passwords and unauthorized access. By the end of this guide, you'll have a functional 2FA flow integrated into a Next.js application.
Project Overview and Goals
What We'll Build: We will integrate Twilio Verify's TOTP functionality into an existing Next.js application that already includes basic user registration, login (with JWT), and a protected dashboard. The integration will modify the login flow:
Problem Solved: This adds a second layer of security beyond just a password, ensuring that even if a user's password is compromised, access requires physical possession of their registered device running the Authy app.
Technologies Used:
twilio
Node.js Helper Library: Simplifies interaction with the Twilio API.jsonwebtoken
: For managing user sessions via JWTs (assumed to be handled by the starter project).mongoose
: ODM for interacting with MongoDB.Prerequisites:
ngrok
installed and authenticated (optional: useful for testing with a public URL, but not required for local TOTP functionality).System Architecture:
Note: Ensure your publishing platform supports Mermaid diagram rendering. The diagram below illustrates the intended flow and should be verified against the actual implementation.
Expected Outcome: A Next.js application where users must complete a TOTP verification step using the Authy app after password authentication to access protected routes.
1. Setting up the Project
We'll use a starter project which includes basic authentication and database setup.
1. Clone the Starter Project: Open your terminal and navigate to the directory where you want your project. Clone the repository and install dependencies:
Important Note: This guide assumes the
twilio-authy
starter repository exists, is accessible, and contains the necessary base components: Next.js (v13.2.4 with Pages Router is mentioned), base JWT authentication, Mongoose setup, and helper functions likeapiHandler
andfetchWrapper
. You should verify the repository's contents and README match these assumptions before proceeding.2. Set up MongoDB Atlas:
twilio-2fa-demo
).twilioUser
) and generate or create a strong password. Save this password securely. Grant the user "Read and write to any database" privileges (for simplicity in this demo; restrict in production).mongodb+srv://<username>:<password>@<cluster-url>/?retryWrites=true&w=majority
.3. Set up Twilio:
NextJS Authy Demo
).VA...
).4. Configure Environment Variables:
Create a file named
.env
in the root directory of yourtwilio-authy
project. Add the following variables, replacing the placeholders with your actual credentials:MONGODB_URI
: Your MongoDB Atlas connection string, with the<password>
placeholder replaced by the database user password you created.JWT_SECRET
: A long, random string used to sign JSON Web Tokens for session management. Keep this secret.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID
: Your main Twilio account identifier. Found on the Twilio Console dashboard.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN
: Your Twilio secret key. Found on the Twilio Console dashboard. Treat this like a password.TWILIO_VERIFY_SERVICE_SID
: The unique identifier for the Twilio Verify service you created. Found in the Verify service settings in the Twilio Console.Why these variables? Environment variables keep sensitive credentials out of your source code, making your application more secure and configurable across different environments (development, staging, production).
2. Understanding the Authentication Flow
The starter project has a basic Register -> Login -> Dashboard flow. We are modifying this to incorporate 2FA:
JWT Issuance: It's assumed the initial login process (e.g., in
userService.login
calling/api/users/authenticate
) verifies the password and, upon success, issues a JSON Web Token (JWT). This JWT is used to maintain the user's session for subsequent API requests.2FA Check Timing: The 2FA verification step happens after the initial password authentication and JWT issuance but before granting access to the final protected resources (like the dashboard). The JWT proves the password was correct; the 2FA code proves possession of the registered device.
Initial Setup Flow (First time enabling 2FA for a user):
user.authenticated
(a flag in the User model) isfalse
./account/scan
./account/scan
page calls/api/code/create
endpoint./api/code/create
uses Twilio Verify to create anewFactor
(TOTP type) for the user. Twilio returns abinding.uri
.binding.uri
is used to generate a QR code displayed on the/account/scan
page./account/code
./account/code
./api/code/verify
./api/code/verify
uses Twilio Verify to validate thenewFactor
using the submitted code.verified
. The API updates the user's record in MongoDB (setsauthenticated: true
and storesfactorSid
). Temporary binding keys (user.keys
) are optionally cleared./dashboard
.Subsequent Login Flow (User already has 2FA enabled):
user.authenticated
istrue
./account/code
./account/code
./api/code/challenge
./api/code/challenge
uses Twilio Verify to create and check achallenge
using the user's storedfactorSid
and the submitted code.approved
), redirect to/dashboard
.3. Backend API Implementation (Next.js API Routes)
The core logic resides in helper functions and Next.js API routes. The starter project already has user authentication logic; we'll add the Twilio-specific parts.
Location:
helpers/api/user-repo.js
(Data access and Twilio logic),pages/api/code/
(API endpoints)Required Mongoose Schema Updates: Ensure your Mongoose
User
schema (likely defined inhelpers/api/db.js
or a similar location in the starter project) includes the following fields:factorSid
:{ type: String }
- To store the Twilio Factor SID after successful verification.authenticated
:{ type: Boolean, default: false }
- To track if the user has completed the initial 2FA setup.keys
:{ type: Object }
- Used temporarily to storefactor.binding
information (including the URI for the QR code) between factor creation and verification. See security notes regarding this field.Key Helper Functions (
helpers/api/user-repo.js
):These functions interact directly with the Twilio Node.js SDK. Ensure the Twilio client is initialized (the starter project likely does this using the environment variables).
API Endpoints (
pages/api/code/
):Create the
pages/api/code
directory if it doesn't exist. Then create the following files:pages/api/code/create.js
(Creates the initial TOTP factor)pages/api/code/verify.js
(Verifies the factor after QR scan)pages/api/code/challenge.js
(Verifies code for subsequent logins)Explanation:
user-repo.js
that encapsulate the calls to the Twilio SDK (createFactor
,verifyNewFactor
,createChallenge
). These handle finding the user, calling Twilio, updating the user record in MongoDB, and implementing enhanced error handling.create.js
,verify.js
,challenge.js
) imports theapiHandler
(provides error handling, method routing) and theusersRepo
.POST
method, which calls the correspondingusersRepo
function with data from the request body (req.body
).status: 'verified'
orstatus: 'approved'
) or failure with a user-friendly error message derived from the backend logic. We avoid sending sensitive data like the full factor or user object back to the client unnecessarily.4. Frontend Service Implementation
The frontend service acts as an intermediary between the UI components and the backend API routes.
Location:
services/user.service.js
Update this file to include functions that call the new API endpoints. The starter uses RxJS (
BehaviorSubject
) for state management and afetchWrapper
for making API calls.Explanation:
createFactor
,verifyNewFactor
, andcreateChallenge
.fetchWrapper
(provided by the starter) to make aPOST
request to the corresponding API endpoint created in the previous step (/api/code/*
).verifyNewFactor
has additional logic: upon successful verification (response.status === 'verified'
), it updates the user object stored inlocalStorage
and notifies any subscribers viauserSubject.next()
to reflect theauthenticated: true
state. This ensures the UI reacts correctly.createChallenge
primarily relies on the API response to determine success; routing logic in the component usually handles the next step upon approval.5. Frontend UI Implementation
We need to modify the login page logic and create two new pages: one to scan the QR code (
scan.js
) and one to enter the TOTP code (code.js
).1. Modify Login Page (
pages/account/login.js
):Update the
onSubmit
function to route users based on theirauthenticated
status after successful password login.