Magic Link
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
A login method where they email you a special link instead of asking for a password. Click the link, you're in. No password to remember, no password to forget. It's like someone slipping a VIP pass under your door. Simple, secure-ish, and great for apps where users log in infrequently.
Real Talk
Magic link authentication sends a time-limited, single-use URL to the user's email. Clicking the link authenticates the user without a password. It shifts security to the email provider and works well for low-frequency login scenarios. Used by Notion, Slack, and many SaaS products.
When You'll Hear This
"We use magic links — no passwords to manage." / "Magic links are great until the user's email is slow."
Related Terms
Authentication (AuthN)
Authentication is proving you are who you say you are.
Passkey
The replacement for passwords that actually works.
Session
A session is the server's way of remembering who you are across multiple requests.
Token
In AI-land, a token is a chunk of text — roughly 3/4 of a word.