**Adding a Login Page to Public GitHub Pages using AWS Cognito: A Step-by-Step Guide**
Are you tired of having a publicly accessible GitHub Pages site with no security in place? Do you want to protect your content from prying eyes? Look no further! In this article, we’ll show you how to add a login page to your public GitHub Pages site using AWS Cognito. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process, covering everything from setting up an AWS Cognito user pool to integrating it with your GitHub Pages site.
What is AWS Cognito?
Before we dive into the tutorial, let’s briefly discuss what AWS Cognito is. AWS Cognito is a suite of cloud-based services offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that provides user identity and access management. It allows developers to easily add user authentication, authorization, and user management to their web and mobile applications.
Prerequisites
To follow this tutorial, you’ll need:
- A GitHub account with a public repository
- An AWS account with AWS Cognito enabled
- Familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Step 1: Create an AWS Cognito User Pool
To create an AWS Cognito user pool, follow these steps:
- Log in to your AWS Management Console and navigate to the AWS Cognito dashboard.
- Click on “Create a user pool” and enter a name for your pool.
- Choose “Review defaults” and then “Create pool” to create the pool.
- In the “General settings” tab, take note of the “Pool ID” and “Pool ARN” – you’ll need them later.
Step 2: Create an App Client
To create an app client, follow these steps:
- In the AWS Cognito dashboard, navigate to “App clients” and click “Create an app client.”
- Enter a name for your app client and select “web” as the platform.
- In the “Create app client” section, under “Authentication flows,” select “AUTHORIZATION_CODE_GRANT” as the authorization flow.
- In the “Allowed OAuth Flows” section, select “Authorization code grant” and enter a redirect URI (e.g.,
https://your-github-pages-site.com/callback
). - Click “Create app client” to create the client.
- Take note of the “App client ID” and “App client secret” – you’ll need them later.
Step 3: Configure the App Client
To configure the app client, follow these steps:
- In the AWS Cognito dashboard, navigate to “App clients” and select the app client you created.
- In the “App client settings” tab, under “Hosted auth pagination,” select “Enabled.”
- In the “Hosted UI” section, enter a sign-out URL (e.g.,
https://your-github-pages-site.com
). - Click “Save changes” to save the configuration.
Step 4: Create a Login Page
To create a login page, create a new HTML file (e.g., login.html
) with the following code:
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>Login Page</title> </head> <body> <h1>Login Page</h1> <form> <label>Username:</label> <input type="text" id="username" /> <br> <label>Password:</label> <input type="password" id="password" /> <br> <button onclick="login()">Login</button> </form> <script> function login() { const username = document.getElementById("username").value; const password = document.getElementById("password").value; const authData = { AuthFlow: "USER_PASSWORD_AUTH", ClientId: "YOUR_APP_CLIENT_ID", UserPoolId: "YOUR_USER_POOL_ID", Username: username, Password: password }; const authUrl = "https://your-cognito-domain.auth.us-east-1.amazoncognito.com/oauth2/v2.0/token"; fetch(authUrl, { method: "POST", headers: { "Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" }, body: Object.keys(authData).map(key => `${key}=${authData[key]}`).join("&") }) .then(response => response.json()) .then(data => { const token = data.AccessToken; window.location.href = "https://your-github-pages-site.com/callback?token=" + token; }) .catch(error => console.error(error)); } </script> </body> </html>
Replace YOUR_APP_CLIENT_ID
and YOUR_USER_POOL_ID
with the values you noted earlier.
Step 5: Create a Callback Page
To create a callback page, create a new HTML file (e.g., callback.html
) with the following code:
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>Callback Page</title> </head> <body> <h1>Callback Page</h1> <script> const token = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get("token"); localStorage.setItem("token", token); window.location.href = "https://your-github-pages-site.com"; </script> </body> </html>
This page will redirect the user back to your GitHub Pages site after a successful login.
Step 6: Integrate with GitHub Pages
To integrate the login page with your GitHub Pages site, add the following code to your index.html
file:
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>GitHub Pages Site</title> </head> <body> <h1>GitHub Pages Site</h1> <script> const token = localStorage.getItem("token"); if (!token) { window.location.href = "https://your-github-pages-site.com/login"; } else { // Authorized user, show content } </script> </body> </html>
This code checks if the user has a valid token in local storage. If not, it redirects them to the login page.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully added a login page to your public GitHub Pages site using AWS Cognito. With this setup, users will be prompted to log in before accessing your site’s content. Remember to replace the placeholders with your actual values and adjust the code to fit your specific requirements.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you encounter any issues, check the following:
- Make sure you’ve replaced the placeholders with your actual values.
- Verify that your AWS Cognito user pool and app client are correctly configured.
- Check the JavaScript console for any errors.
Additional Resources
For more information on AWS Cognito, visit the official AWS documentation:
AWS Cognito Documentation | https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cognito/latest/developerguide/getting-started.html |
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By following this step-by-step guide, you’ve taken the first step in securing your GitHub Pages site with a login page using AWS Cognito. Remember to stay vigilant and keep your site up-to-date with the latest security best practices. Happy coding!Here is the FAQ section on “Add login page to public GitHub Pages using AWS Cognito”:
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about adding a login page to public GitHub Pages using AWS Cognito.
How do I set up AWS Cognito for my GitHub Pages?
To set up AWS Cognito for your GitHub Pages, you need to create a User Pool and an App Client. You’ll also need to configure the App Client settings to allow authentication with your GitHub Pages site. Additionally, you’ll need to install the AWS Cognito SDK in your GitHub Pages project.
What is the role of User Pool in AWS Cognito?
A User Pool in AWS Cognito is a user directory that stores and manages user data, such as username and password. It provides features like user sign-up, sign-in, and management. When you create a User Pool, you can configure settings like password policies, account recovery, and multi-factor authentication.
How do I integrate AWS Cognito with my GitHub Pages site?
To integrate AWS Cognito with your GitHub Pages site, you need to add a login page that redirects users to the AWS Cognito authentication flow. After authentication, AWS Cognito redirects the user back to your GitHub Pages site with an authorization token. You can then use this token to authenticate the user and grant access to restricted pages.
What are the benefits of using AWS Cognito for authentication?
Using AWS Cognito for authentication provides several benefits, including scalability, security, and ease of use. AWS Cognito handles user authentication, authorization, and management, allowing you to focus on building your application. It also provides features like multi-factor authentication, account recovery, and user analytics.
Can I customize the login page with my GitHub Pages branding?
Yes, you can customize the login page with your GitHub Pages branding. AWS Cognito provides a customizable authentication flow that allows you to change the look and feel of the login page to match your GitHub Pages site. You can also add your own logo, background images, and text to make the login page consistent with your brand.