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Logging In

Hive-Pal uses Better Auth and supports three ways to sign in. Pick whichever suits you — they all reach the same account.

Email & Password​

The classic method, always available.

  1. Open the login page and enter your email and password.
  2. Sign in.

Forgot your password? Use Forgot password to receive a reset link by email (requires your server to have email configured).

Magic Link​

Passwordless sign-in by email — no password to remember.

  1. Choose Magic link on the login page.
  2. Enter your email; Hive-Pal sends a one-time sign-in link.
  3. Open the link to be signed in. Links are short-lived for security.

Magic links require a configured mail provider (SMTP or Resend). See Configuration → Email.

Passkeys​

Sign in with your device's biometrics or a hardware security key (WebAuthn) — fast and phishing-resistant.

  1. Choose Passkey on the login page.
  2. Authenticate with your fingerprint, face, device PIN, or security key.

Passkeys require a secure context: HTTPS in production (or localhost in development), and the server's PASSKEY_RP_ID set to your domain. See Configuration → Authentication.

Creating an Account​

  1. From the login page, choose Sign Up.
  2. Enter your email and password.
  3. Accept the privacy policy (required); newsletter opt-in is optional.
  4. Create your account.

On a fresh self-hosted install, the first admin account is created automatically from the ADMIN_EMAIL / ADMIN_PASSWORD you configured — see the Installation Guide.

FAQ​

Which method is most secure? Passkeys are the strongest option (phishing-resistant and nothing to leak). Magic links avoid stored passwords. Password login works everywhere.

Magic link or reset email never arrives — why? Your server needs a working mail provider. See Troubleshooting.

My passkey won't register. You must be on HTTPS (or localhost) and the server's PASSKEY_RP_ID must match your domain. See Troubleshooting.