Auth Identity and Actor Types

In this guide, you’ll learn about concepts related to identity and actors in the Auth Module.

What is an Auth Identity?#

The AuthIdentity data model represents a user registered by an authentication provider. When a user is registered using an authentication provider, the provider creates a record of AuthIdentity.

Then, when the user logs in with the same authentication provider, the associated auth identity is used to validate their credentials.

Actor Types#

An actor type is a type of user that can be authenticated. The Auth Module doesn't store or manage any user-like models, such as for customers or users. Instead, the user types are created and managed by other modules. For example, a customer is managed by the Customer Module.

When an auth identity is created for an actor type, the ID of the user is stored in the app_metadata property of the auth identity.

For example, an auth identity of a customer has the following app_metadata property:

{
  "app_metadata": {
    "customer_id": "cus_123"
  }
}

The ID of the user is stored in the key {actor_type}_id of the app_metadata property.

Custom Actor Types#

You can define custom actor types that allow a custom user, managed by your custom module, to authenticate into Medusa.

For example, if you have a custom module with a Manager data model, you can authenticate managers with the manager actor type.

Learn how to create a custom actor type in the Create Manager Actor Type guide.