Ecosystem Overview

Seamless Auth Ecosystem

Seamless Auth is not a single package. It is a small ecosystem of projects that work together to deliver passwordless authentication, self-hosted infrastructure, and operator tooling.

This page is the fastest way to understand what each repository is for and where to start.

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Mental Model

seamless-cli
  -> scaffolds and checks your local stack

seamless-auth-api
  -> runs the auth engine

@seamless-auth/express or @seamless-auth/core
  -> connects your backend to the auth engine

@seamless-auth/react
  -> connects your frontend to the auth flow

seamless-auth-admin-dashboard
  -> gives operators a UI for users, organizations, sessions, events, security, and config

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The Main Pieces

Project	What it is	Use it when
seamless-cli	CLI for scaffolding and checking a local stack	You want a working React + Express project with generated auth wiring
seamless-auth-api	Self-hostable auth server	You need the passwordless auth engine itself
@seamless-auth/core	Framework-agnostic server auth primitives	You are building your own backend adapter
@seamless-auth/express	Official Express adapter	Your backend is Express and you want the supported integration path
@seamless-auth/react	React SDK and built-in auth screens	Your frontend is React and you want a ready-to-use auth integration
seamless-auth-admin-dashboard	Operator dashboard app	You want a UI for admins and support teams
@seamless-auth/types	Shared request/response and domain types	You want consistent types across apps and tooling

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How The Pieces Fit

1. The Auth Server Is The Core

seamless-auth-api owns the authentication domain:

• registration
• login
• OTP flows
• WebAuthn / passkeys
• magic links
• OAuth
• TOTP / MFA
• sessions
• organizations
• JWKS
• system configuration
• admin and internal metrics endpoints

Everything else either talks to it directly or sits on top of it.

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2. Server SDKs Protect Your API

Your application backend normally sits between the browser and the auth server.

That backend layer:

• owns the security boundary for your app
• validates cookies
• enforces authorization
• talks to the auth server using service-to-service credentials

If you use Express, start with @seamless-auth/express. If you need a different runtime, start with @seamless-auth/core.

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3. Frontend SDKs Drive The User Flow

@seamless-auth/react wraps your app with auth state and ships built-in auth routes for:

• login
• passkey login
• email / phone OTP verification
• magic link verification
• OAuth login helpers
• organization helpers
• step-up helpers
• WebAuthn PRF helpers
• passkey registration

The SDK gives you auth state and flow helpers, but your app still owns routing, authorization, and product-specific UI decisions.

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4. The Admin Dashboard Is A Separate App

The admin dashboard is not built into the auth server. It is its own frontend application that talks to the auth API.

That separation matters because:

• you can deploy the auth server without the dashboard
• you can customize the dashboard independently
• operator workflows stay separate from your end-user app

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5. The CLI Connects Everything

seamless-cli is the fastest way to get a working stack. It currently scaffolds a React frontend, an Express API, the auth server in Docker or local mode, and an optional admin dashboard.

It also includes check and bootstrap-admin. The current ../seamless-cli source does not ship deploy, destroy, or contributor workspace commands.

It is the easiest starting point if you want to learn the ecosystem through a working project rather than by assembling every piece manually.

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Choose Your Starting Point

I want a working stack quickly

Start with Getting Started and CLI Overview.

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I want to self-host the auth engine

Read Auth API.

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I need to integrate my backend

Read Server SDKs and How To Secure Routes.

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I need to integrate my React app

Read React SDK and How To Build Your Own Auth UI.

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I need OAuth, teams, or MFA

Read How To Add OAuth Login, How To Use Organizations And Memberships, and How To Use TOTP And Step-Up.

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I need an operator UI

Read Admin Dashboard.

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What This Docs Site Is Becoming

The docs are being reshaped around this ecosystem model:

• Start for guided onboarding
• Build for package and integration docs
• Understand for concepts and system behavior
• Operate for CLI and runtime workflows
• Reference for exact routes, env vars, and technical contracts

If a page makes a claim about a package or command, it should line up with the source repository for that package or command.

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Next Step

→ Continue to Auth API