Simplify Role Assignment with Role-Based Invitations in Better Auth

Role-Based Invitations for Better Auth

The better-auth-invite-plugin solves the problem of manually assigning roles in Better Auth by introducing a role-based invitation system. This plugin provides a scalable and secure way to manage role assignments, eliminating the need for manual database edits, temporary admin scripts, or hardcoded lists of privileged emails.

Why This Matters

Role assignment can become a significant challenge as applications grow and require multiple user types. Manual role assignment methods can lead to security and maintenance issues, making a scalable solution essential. The better-auth-invite-plugin addresses this need by providing a flexible and customizable invitation system that integrates seamlessly with Better Auth.

Key Insights

• The better-auth-invite-plugin handles invite creation, token validation, expiration rules, and tracking, reducing the complexity of implementing a custom invitation system.
• The plugin supports multiple token types, including links, codes, and custom tokens, to accommodate different application requirements.
• By using role-based invitations, applications can ensure explicit, trackable, and revocable role assignments, enhancing overall security and auditability.

Working Example

import { invitePlugin } from "better-auth-invite-plugin";
import { admin as adminPlugin } from "better-auth/plugins"
import { ac, user, admin } from "..."
export const auth = betterAuth({
  plugins: [
    adminPlugin ({
      ac,
      roles: { user, admin },
      defaultRole: "user",
    }),
    invitePlugin({
      defaultMaxUses: 1,
      defaultRedirectAfterUpgrade: "/auth/invited",
      async sendUserInvitation({ email, role, url }) {
        void sendInvitationEmail(role as RoleType, email, url);
      },
      // canCreateInvite: async (...) => true/false
    }),
  ],
});

Practical Applications

• Use Case: Companies like Stripe and Coinbase can utilize the better-auth-invite-plugin to streamline role assignments for their employees and customers, enhancing security and reducing administrative overhead.
• Pitfall: Failing to implement a scalable role assignment solution can lead to security vulnerabilities and increased maintenance costs, highlighting the importance of adopting a plugin like better-auth-invite-plugin early in the development process.

References:

• https://dev.to/sandy00/stop-manually-assigning-roles-in-better-auth-use-role-based-invitations-instead-2bd7
• https://github.com/bard/better-auth-invite