Login & Signup

The authentication page handles login, signup, two-factor authentication, password reset, and email verification — all from a single, animated card interface.

Portal Mode Selector

Before logging in, users choose which portal to access using the toggle at the top of the login form:

• User Portal — The default. Opens the member-facing portal with courses, subscriptions, sessions, and volunteering.
• Admin Portal — For administrators. Requires the admin_portal_access permission.

The selected portal mode is stored in the user’s session token and determines which portal renders after login.

---

User Portal Login

To log into the User Portal:

1. Select User Portal (this is the default)
2. Enter your email or username
3. Enter your password
4. Click Sign In

If your account has two-factor authentication enabled, you will be prompted for a verification code after entering your credentials.

What you need

• A verified email address
• Your password

---

Admin Portal Login

To log into the Admin Portal:

1. Select Admin Portal using the toggle
2. Enter your email or username
3. Enter your password
4. Click Sign In
5. Complete the two-factor authentication prompt

Requirements

• Your account must have the Admin or Instructor role
• The admin_portal_access permission must be enabled for your role
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) is required — Admin accounts must have 2FA set up and active for security. You will not be able to access the Admin Portal without completing 2FA verification.

If you do not have the required permission, login will be denied with an error message.

Note

An admin must log out and log back in to switch between the User Portal and Admin Portal. The portal mode is set at login time.

---

Creating an Account

New users can create an account by clicking Sign Up at the bottom of the login form. The signup form is a single page — there is no separate age-verification step.

What the Form Asks For

Field	Required	Notes
First Name	Yes	Used as the friendly display name throughout the portal. Last name is not collected.
Username	Yes	3–12 lowercase letters or numbers. Click the 🎲 Random button to generate one (e.g. bravelion, fluffypanda). The system appends a unique number afterward (e.g. bravelion_142).
Email Address	Yes	Used for login, email verification, and account notifications. For users in grade 7 or below, this should be the parent or guardian’s email — see below.
Password	Yes	Must meet the strength requirements shown inline (length, uppercase, lowercase, number, special character).
Grade	Yes	Choose K through 12, Adult, or Other. This replaces date of birth and drives whether parental consent is required.
Emergency Phone	Yes	A phone number we can reach in case of an emergency at our makerspace.
Notes	Optional	Anything you’d like the team to know — allergies, accessibility needs, learning goals, etc.

After submitting, you’ll see a success message asking you to check your email for a verification link.

Why we use grade instead of date of birth

We don’t collect or store your birthday. Grade level is enough for us to know whether parental consent is required (grades K–7) and to plan age-appropriate activities. This keeps the amount of personal information we hold to the minimum we actually need.

Parental Consent for Grades K–7

If you choose a grade between K and 7, the email you provide must belong to your parent or guardian — not your own. Here’s the flow:

1. The parent enters their email when filling out the form.
2. They click the email verification link sent to that address.
3. After verifying, the system sends a separate parental consent email — also to the same address — with a one-click “I consent” link.
4. After the parent clicks that link, they receive a welcome email with the child’s username and email so they can share the sign-in details with their child.

The child’s account is not active until both the email verification and the parental consent links have been clicked.

Email Verification Welcome Message

For users in grade 8 or above (or Adult / Other), no parental consent is needed. Right after verifying their email, the user receives a welcome email containing:

• Their username (with the system-appended number)
• The email address they used to sign up
• A “Sign In to Portal” button

Save this email — it’s the easiest way to remember your final username.

---

Email Verification

When a user clicks the verification link from their email, the portal handles three states with banners on the login page:

• Verified — Green banner confirming the email was verified. A welcome email is sent at this point (see above).
• Expired — Amber banner indicating the link expired (links are valid for 24 hours).
• Failed — Red banner for invalid or already-used links.

---

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

If a user has 2FA enabled (or it is required for their role), an additional verification step appears after entering their password.

Authenticator Code

Six individual digit inputs that auto-advance as the user types. Pasting a full 6-digit code is supported.

Recovery Code

If the user doesn’t have access to their authenticator app, they can switch to recovery code mode — a single text input for entering a one-time recovery code.

A warning appears if the user is running low on recovery codes.

Caution

Admin Portal users must have 2FA enabled. If you are an administrator and have not yet set up 2FA, you will need to enable it from your User Portal profile before you can access the Admin Portal.

---

Password Reset

Accessible via the Forgot Password? link on the login form:

1. User enters their email address
2. A reset link is sent (expires in 1 hour)
3. Success message confirms the email was sent
4. The user follows the link to set a new password on a dedicated reset page

---

Error Handling

All error states display a red banner at the top of the form with a descriptive message. Common errors include:

• Invalid credentials
• Account not found
• Email not verified
• 2FA code incorrect
• Admin portal access denied (missing permission or role)

---

Next Steps

• Learn about Roles & Permissions to understand what each role can access
• Explore the User Portal documentation
• Explore the Admin Portal documentation