Authentication Template

The authentication template demonstrates secure user verification flows including login, registration, password validation, and session management.

Topic: User Authentication & Security

This template is perfect for:

• User login systems
• Account verification
• Password recovery flows
• Session management
• Two-factor authentication

The Code

REM Authentication Flow with Retry Logic

PARAM username AS string LIKE "john.doe"
DESCRIPTION "Username or email for authentication"

PARAM password AS string LIKE "********"
DESCRIPTION "User's password (masked input)"

SET max_attempts = 3
SET attempts = 0

TALK "Welcome! Please enter your username:"
HEAR username

LABEL auth_loop

TALK "Enter your password:"
HEAR password AS PASSWORD   ' Masked input

' Verify credentials
user = FIND "users", "username='" + username + "'"

IF user = NULL THEN
    TALK "Username not found. Would you like to register? (yes/no)"
    HEAR register_choice
    IF register_choice = "yes" THEN
        GOTO registration
    ELSE
        TALK "Goodbye!"
        EXIT
    END IF
END IF

IF user.password = HASH(password) THEN
    SET BOT MEMORY "authenticated_user", username
    SET BOT MEMORY "session_start", NOW()
    TALK "Welcome back, " + user.name + "! You are now logged in."
    EXIT
ELSE
    SET attempts = attempts + 1
    IF attempts >= max_attempts THEN
        TALK "Too many failed attempts. Your account is temporarily locked."
        SEND MAIL user.email, "Security Alert", "Multiple failed login attempts detected."
        EXIT
    END IF
    TALK "Incorrect password. " + (max_attempts - attempts) + " attempts remaining."
    GOTO auth_loop
END IF

LABEL registration
TALK "Let's create your account. Enter your email:"
HEAR email
TALK "Create a password (min 8 characters):"
HEAR new_password AS PASSWORD

IF LEN(new_password) < 8 THEN
    TALK "Password too short. Please try again."
    GOTO registration
END IF

INSERT "users", username, email, HASH(new_password), NOW()
TALK "Account created! You can now log in."

Sample Dialogs

These conversations show how the authentication template works in real-world scenarios.

Dialog 1: Successful Login

Dialog 2: Failed Login with Retry

Dialog 3: Account Locked

Dialog 4: New User Registration

Keywords Used

How It Works

1. Username Input: Collects the username first
2. User Lookup: Checks if user exists in database
3. Password Verification: Compares hashed password
4. Retry Logic: Allows 3 attempts before lockout
5. Session Creation: Stores auth state in bot memory
6. Registration: Offers new account creation if user not found

Security Features

Password Hashing

' Never store plain text passwords!
hashed = HASH(password)
INSERT "users", username, email, hashed

Rate Limiting

IF attempts >= max_attempts THEN
    SET BOT MEMORY "locked_" + username, NOW()
    TALK "Account locked for 15 minutes."
END IF

Two-Factor Authentication

' Send OTP after password verification
otp = RANDOM(100000, 999999)
SET BOT MEMORY "otp_" + username, otp
SEND MAIL email, "Your verification code", "Code: " + otp

TALK "Enter the 6-digit code sent to your email:"
HEAR user_otp

IF user_otp = GET BOT MEMORY "otp_" + username THEN
    TALK "Two-factor authentication successful!"
ELSE
    TALK "Invalid code."
END IF

Customization Ideas

Add “Forgot Password”

TALK "Forgot your password? (yes/no)"
HEAR forgot
IF forgot = "yes" THEN
    reset_token = RANDOM_STRING(32)
    SET BOT MEMORY "reset_" + username, reset_token
    SEND MAIL user.email, "Password Reset", "Click here: /reset/" + reset_token
    TALK "Password reset link sent to your email."
END IF

Session Timeout

session_start = GET BOT MEMORY "session_start"
IF DATEDIFF("minute", session_start, NOW()) > 30 THEN
    TALK "Session expired. Please log in again."
    SET BOT MEMORY "authenticated_user", ""
END IF

Social Login

TALK "Login with: 1) Password 2) Google 3) GitHub"
HEAR login_method

SWITCH login_method
    CASE "2"
        ' Redirect to OAuth
        url = GET "auth/google/redirect"
        TALK "Click to login: " + url
    CASE "3"
        url = GET "auth/github/redirect"
        TALK "Click to login: " + url
    DEFAULT
        ' Standard password flow
END SWITCH

Related Templates

• start.bas - Basic greeting flow
• enrollment.bas - Data collection patterns