Developer Guide: Implementing Sinch SMS OTP/2FA with Fastify and Node.js - code-examples -

Frequently Asked Questions

Integrate Sinch's Verification API into your Node.js application using their provided SDK. This guide demonstrates a step-by-step implementation using Fastify, a high-performance Node.js framework, and TypeScript for improved code maintainability.
Sinch Verification API simplifies OTP generation, delivery via SMS or voice, and verification, offloading tasks like number formatting and carrier deliverability. It enhances security by managing the complexities of OTP lifecycles, improving implementation reliability.
Fastify is a performant and developer-friendly Node.js framework. Its speed and efficiency make it an ideal choice for building a robust and scalable 2FA system with Sinch. The guide leverages Fastify's plugin system for cleaner code organization.
Initialize a Node.js project, install Fastify, TypeScript dependencies, the Sinch SDK, Prisma ORM, and relevant type definitions. Configure a tsconfig.json file and define npm scripts for building, starting, development, and testing.
The guide uses PostgreSQL as the database and Prisma as an ORM for simplified database interactions. Prisma's type safety and migration features contribute to better code maintainability and reduced errors.
Leverage Sinch's dedicated service for OTP generation, delivery, and verification anytime you need to implement 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) in your Node.js applications to streamline the implementation and enhance security.
The architecture involves the end-user, a frontend app, a Fastify backend, the Sinch platform, and a database. The user interacts with the frontend, which communicates with the Fastify backend. The backend integrates with Sinch for OTP delivery and verification, and Prisma connects to the database.
The user initiates login, the backend verifies credentials, and then calls Sinch to initiate SMS verification. Sinch sends the OTP, the user enters it, and the backend verifies it with Sinch. Upon successful verification, the backend updates the user's session and grants access.
While the example uses PostgreSQL with Prisma, you can adapt the guide to use other databases. Ensure you have the appropriate database driver and adjust the Prisma schema and database connection settings accordingly.
The Fastify backend calls the Sinch SDK's `report` (verify) function to verify the OTP entered by the user against the phone number and initial verification request. The backend receives a success or failure response from Sinch.
Zod is used for schema validation and type safety. It ensures that all environment variables and request bodies are correctly formatted, minimizing runtime errors by catching type mismatches early in the development process.
The Sinch plugin might throw errors directly, or the guide recommends using a try-catch block to catch specific Sinch error codes within the verification handler. Mapping Sinch error codes to user-friendly messages improves the user experience.
Use bcrypt, a robust password hashing library, to securely store user passwords. The example provides utility functions for hashing and comparing passwords. Never store passwords in plain text.
You need Node.js v18 or later, npm/yarn, a Sinch account with a Verification App, a mobile phone for testing, basic understanding of TypeScript and REST APIs, and optionally, Docker and Docker Compose for a local PostgreSQL database.