> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.oasm.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication

> Decide who can create an account: open public sign-up, with email verification and admin approval for every new account

The **Authentication** page decides how people get an account on your OASM instance. By default only admins create accounts. You can also open **public sign-up**: anyone can then register from the login page, confirm their email address, and wait for an admin to approve the account.

The page lives in the console's **Admin** area under **System → Authentication** (`/admin/authentication`).

> [!NOTE]
>
> Available from v0.10.0. Only users with the platform **Admin** role can change it — see [Users and roles](https://docs.oasm.io/users-and-role.md#the-admin-area).

## Open public sign-up

**1. Set up the mail server**

New accounts confirm their email address, so sign-up stays closed until a mail server is configured and turned on. Follow [Mail server](https://docs.oasm.io/mail-server.md) and send a test email first.

**2. Turn on public sign-up**

Open the user menu, choose **Admin**, then **Authentication** under **System**, and switch on **Allow public sign-up**. The change applies at once — there is no save button.

While the mail server is off, the page says so: *"Sign-up stays closed until the mail server is on"*, with a link to the Mail server page.

Turning the switch off closes sign-up immediately. Accounts that already signed up keep their state.

## What a new user goes through

**1. Sign up**

The login page shows **Don't have an account? Sign up** while sign-up is open. The **Create an account** form asks for a name, an email address, and a password of 8 to 128 characters.

**2. Confirm the email address**

After **Create account**, the user is sent back to the login page and receives an email with a verification link, valid for **24 hours**. Opening it returns them to the login page with *"Email confirmed"*.

**3. Wait for approval**

The account stays inactive until an admin approves it — see [Approve a new account](https://docs.oasm.io/users-and-role.md#approve-a-new-account). After approval, the user signs in normally.

> [!NOTE]
>
> A sign-up never signs anyone in, and the form answers the same way whether or not the email is already registered, so it cannot be used to find out who has an account.

When sign-up is closed, the **Sign up** link is hidden and `/signup` shows *"Sign-up is turned off"* instead of the form. The API refuses sign-ups as well, so closing it cannot be bypassed.

While sign-up is open, a person [invited to a workspace](https://docs.oasm.io/members.md) who has no account can sign up from the invitation; their first sign-in after approval returns them to it. While it is closed, an admin creates their account instead.

## Messages on the login page

| Message | Meaning |
| - | - |
| *"Verify your email address first. Check your inbox for the link we sent."* | The account has not confirmed its email. **Send the verification email again** sends a new link |
| *"Your account is not active. Contact your administrator."* | The email is confirmed and the account waits for approval, or the account is banned |
| *"The verification link didn't work"* | The link is invalid or expired — signing in offers a new one |

## Troubleshooting

> [accordion] The Sign up link does not appear
>
> Both conditions must hold: **Allow public sign-up** is on, and the [mail server](https://docs.oasm.io/mail-server.md) is turned on. The login page checks again on every visit.

> [accordion] New users never receive the verification email
>
> Send a test email from the [Mail server](https://docs.oasm.io/mail-server.md) page. If it arrives, check the user's spam folder; the user can request a new link from the login page. If it fails, the error shown there names the problem.

> [accordion] The link in the email points to the wrong address
>
> The link is built from `BASE_URL`. Set it to the public URL of the console — see [Deployment](https://docs.oasm.io/deployment.md#environment-variables-reference).

## Related

> [card] [Mail server](https://docs.oasm.io/mail-server.md)
>
> Configure the SMTP server that sends verification emails

> [card] [Users and roles](https://docs.oasm.io/users-and-role.md)
>
> Approve new accounts and manage existing ones


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