App Setup

Register your app with Privacy Boost and choose an authentication method

App Setup

Before writing any SDK code, you need two things: an App ID and an authentication method. These are configured once when you register your app with Privacy Boost.

Getting an App ID

The App ID is a unique identifier for your application (e.g., app_abc123xyz). You pass it to the SDK at initialization, and the backend uses it to identify your app, apply rate limits, and enforce access controls.

To get one, contact the Privacy Boost team with your application name and use case.

Choosing an Authentication Method

When your app is created, you choose how users authenticate. This controls what credentials are required when the SDK logs in a user.

Which method should I use?

Your situation	Auth method	Backend required?	Guide
Development, testing, or prototyping	Direct	No	Built-in — just call authenticate()
Your backend manages users, no third-party auth	API Secret	Yes	Setup guide
You use Privy for login	Privy	No	Setup guide
You use Dynamic for login	Dynamic (Custom JWT)	No	Setup guide
You use Auth0, Firebase, Supabase, Clerk, or another OIDC provider	Custom JWT	No	Setup guide

Direct authentication does not verify who is calling your app. Use one of the other methods in production if you need to control access.

API Secret requires a token provider — a function in your SDK code that routes authentication through your backend, keeping the secret out of client-side code. Privy, Dynamic, and Custom JWT do not require a backend — you configure your JWKS URL with Privacy Boost, and the server validates tokens directly.

How Authentication Works Under the Hood

Every authenticate() call goes through two steps:

1. App verification — The backend checks your app’s credentials (App ID only, API secret, or JWT depending on your method). This confirms the request comes from a legitimate app.
2. Key verification — The SDK proves the user owns their privacy keys by signing a cryptographic challenge. This happens automatically inside authenticate().

For direct auth, both steps are handled entirely by the SDK. For all other methods, step 1 routes through your backend via a token provider.

Next Steps

Configuration

Initialize the SDK with your App ID and endpoints

Authentication

The authenticate() flow, wallet popups, and session management