> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs-accounts.mubarokah.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# WhatsApp Authentication Flow

> Learn how to handle users who register and authenticate using WhatsApp instead of Email.

# WhatsApp Authentication Flow

Mubarokah ID allows users to register and sign in using their WhatsApp number. This provides a fast, frictionless experience, but it introduces a key difference for developers: **the absence of a verified email address**.

## Key Differences

| Feature                | Email Registration   | WhatsApp Registration |
| :--------------------- | :------------------- | :-------------------- |
| **Identifier**         | Email Address        | Phone Number          |
| **Verification**       | Email Link / OTP     | WhatsApp OTP          |
| **User Info Response** | `email` is populated | `email` is `null`     |
| **Primary Key**        | `id` (numeric)       | `id` (numeric)        |

## Handling WhatsApp Users

When a user authenticates via WhatsApp, the `/api/user` endpoint will return a response where the `email` field is `null`.

### Example User Response (WhatsApp User)

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": 88123,
  "name": "Budi Santoso",
  "email": null,
  "username": "budi_88123",
  "profile_picture": null,
  "gender": "male"
}
```

### Best Practices for Client Apps

#### 1. Use `mubarokah_id` as Primary Key

Do not use `email` as the unique identifier in your application's `users` table. Instead, map your local users to the Mubarokah ID unique identifier.

```php theme={null}
// Bad: Lookup by email
$user = User::where('email', $mubarokahUser['email'])->first();

// Good: Lookup by Mubarokah ID
$user = User::where('mubarokah_id', $mubarokahUser['id'])->first();
```

#### 2. Implement Fallback Emails

If your application logic strictly requires an email address (e.g., for sending notifications), you can generate a synthetic internal email as a fallback until the user provides a real one.

```javascript theme={null}
const userEmail = mubarokahUser.email || `${mubarokahUser.id}@sso.mubarokah.local`;
```

#### 3. Support Profile Completion

If your app needs a real email for business reasons, detect the `null` email in your dashboard and prompt the user to:

1. "Link your Email Address to receive order updates."
2. Redirect them to the Mubarokah ID Profile page to add their email.

## SDK Support

Our official [React SDK](/guides/framework-integration/react) and [Laravel Integration](/guides/framework-integration/laravel) have been updated to handle these flows seamlessly.

* The **React SDK** provides `isAuthenticated` and `user` state regardless of whether an email exists.
* The **Laravel Guide** now shows how to use `mubarokah_id` for resilient user synchronization.

<Info>
  **Note on Security**: Phone numbers are verified via WhatsApp OTP before being returned to your application, ensuring they are as trustworthy as verified email addresses.
</Info>