No Hassle: Serverless Social Login Powered by AWS Cognito

Inspiration

The inspiration for this project came from recognizing the friction points in user registration processes. Traditional registration methods often create barriers to entry by requiring users to share personal data and complete multiple steps. With most internet users already having at least one social identity (Google for Android users, Apple for iOS users), leveraging these existing identities presented an opportunity to streamline the login experience.

What it does

No Hassle: Serverless Social Login Powered by AWS Cognito provides a seamless authentication solution that allows users to access applications using their existing social identities (Google, Facebook, Apple, etc.) without creating new accounts. The system centralizes authentication flow through AWS Cognito, creating a consistent user experience regardless of which social identity provider is used.

How we built it

The implementation uses AWS Cognito as the central OAuth provider, connecting it with social identity providers. As shown in the blog's architecture diagram, the solution requires: Configuration on each social provider side (Google, Facebook, Apple) AWS Cognito integration setup Application integration with Cognito (using either Cognito's hosted UI or a custom login page)

Challenges we ran into

Cognito's scaling limitations for spiky traffic patterns, causing throttling errors

Accomplishments that we're proud of

A low-code implementation with easy setup compared to native integrations Faster delivery of authentication capabilities A workaround for Apple's specific user cancellation requirements Centralized authentication flow configuration and governance

What we learned

The trade-offs between different authentication implementation options Cognito's limitations regarding throughput and scaling

What's next for No Hassle: Serverless Social Login Powered by AWS Cognito

Continued refinement of the error handling mechanism for deletion processes Exploration of additional mitigation strategies for traffic spikes Potential redesign as the context and constraints change over time

Built With

• amazon-web-services
• awscognito
• awslambda
• cloudtrail
• cognito
• dlq
• oauth