Ditch Passwords: Add Facial Recognition to Your Website with FACEIO

August 17, 2024

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Dipak Ahirav

Introduction

In today’s digital age, security is more important than ever. Traditional login methods, like passwords, are often the weakest link in web security. To address this, many developers are turning to advanced authentication methods like facial recognition.

In this tutorial, we will introduce you to FACEIO, a cutting-edge facial authentication framework that can be seamlessly integrated into your website with just a few lines of JavaScript. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a fully functional facial recognition login system on your site, providing your users with a secure and modern authentication experience.

What is FACEIO?

FACEIO is a facial authentication framework designed to simplify the process of adding facial recognition capabilities to websites and web applications. It allows users to log in or sign up using just their face, eliminating the need for traditional passwords or even OTPs. FACEIO enhances security while providing a frictionless user experience.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, here’s what you’ll need:

A basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
A simple HTML website to integrate FACEIO into.
A FACEIO account (don’t worry, it’s free to sign up at FACEIO’s website).

Step 1: Setting Up FACEIO

The first step is to create your FACEIO account and get your hands on an API key. Don’t worry—this part is easy!

Head over to FACEIO’s website and sign up for an account.
Once you’re logged in, go to the dashboard and create a new project.
After your project is set up, you’ll receive a unique API key. This key is your ticket to integrating FACEIO with your site, so keep it safe.

Step 2: Adding FACEIO to Your Website

Now, let’s get to the fun part: integrating FACEIO into your website. We’ll start with a basic HTML file.

Here’s a simple example:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>FACEIO Integration Example</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Login with FACEIO</h1>
    <button id="faceio-button">Authenticate with Face</button>

    <!-- Include the FACEIO JavaScript SDK -->
    <script src="https://cdn.faceio.net/sdk.js"></script>
    <script>
        // Initialize FACEIO with your API key
        const faceio = new faceIO("your-api-key-here");

        // Handle the button click event to initiate facial authentication
        document.getElementById("faceio-button").addEventListener("click", async () => {
            try {
                // Perform authentication using FACEIO
                const response = await faceio.authenticate();

                // If successful, greet the user
                alert(`Hello, ${response.payload.userName}!`);
            } catch (err) {
                // Handle authentication errors
                console.error(err);
                alert("Authentication failed, please try again.");
            }
        });
    </script>
</body>
</html>

Step 3: Breaking Down the Code

Let’s take a closer look at what’s happening in the code:

1.Including the SDK:
The FACEIO JavaScript SDK is what makes all the magic happen. We include it by adding this script tag to our HTML:

   <script src="https://cdn.faceio.net/sdk.js"></script>

2.Initializing FACEIO:
We kick things off by initializing FACEIO with the API key you got earlier:

   const faceio = new faceIO("your-api-key-here");

Just replace "your-api-key-here" with your actual API key, and you’re good to go!

3.Handling Authentication:
When the user clicks the “Authenticate with Face” button, the following code runs:

   document.getElementById("faceio-button").addEventListener("click", async () => {
       try {
           // Perform authentication using FACEIO
           const response = await faceio.authenticate();

           // If successful, greet the user
           alert(`Hello, ${response.payload.userName}!`);
       } catch (err) {
           // Handle authentication errors
           console.error(err);
           alert("Authentication failed, please try again.");
       }
   });

Event Listener: We’ve set up an event listener to trigger the authentication process when the button is clicked.
Authentication: The faceio.authenticate() function does the heavy lifting, guiding the user through the facial recognition process.
Handling Responses: If everything goes smoothly, the user’s name is displayed in an alert. If something goes wrong, an error message pops up.

Step 4: Enhancing the Article with Useful Links

To ensure developers have all the resources they need, here are some useful links:

These resources will guide you through advanced integrations and offer support from the FACEIO community.

Step 5: Testing It Out

Let’s see it in action! Here’s how you can test your integration:

Save your HTML file and open it in your favorite web browser.
Click the “Authenticate with Face” button.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the facial recognition process.

If all goes well, you should see a greeting message with your username after successful authentication.

Conclusion

And there you have it! In just a few simple steps, you’ve added cutting-edge facial recognition to your website. FACEIO makes it easy to move beyond passwords and offer your users a more secure and modern login experience.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Stay tuned for more guides on how to integrate FACEIO with popular JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue.js, and Angular. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!

Additional Resources

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Dipak Ahirav