Magic Links Authentication
Magic Links let users sign in via email without passwords. They enter their email address and receive a one-time link to access your help center.
Requires a Team or Enterprise plan with Private mode enabled.
How Magic Links Work
User visits your help center and is redirected to /signin
User enters their email address
Ferndesk sends a one-time sign-in link to that email
User clicks the link and gains access
Sessions last until the user closes their browser or signs out.
Enabling Magic Links
Go to Help Center > Customize > Access Control
Select Private mode
Open the Login methods accordion
Click Enable Magic Links
Click Save changes
The status badge will show "Enabled" when active.
You can enable Magic Links alongside OIDC and JWT. Users will see all enabled options on the sign-in page.
Inviting Users
To give specific people access:
Navigate to Help Center > Customers
Add customer email addresses
They'll receive an invitation to access your help center
Anyone with the link can request a magic link, but only invited emails will receive one.
Testing Magic Links
Open your help center in an incognito window
Enter your email on the sign-in page
Check your inbox for the magic link email
Click the link to verify access
Magic links expire after one use or 15 minutes. Users will need to request a new link if theirs expires.
Disabling Magic Links
To turn off magic link authentication:
Return to Access Control settings
Click Disable Magic Links
Save your changes
Existing sessions remain active until users sign out or their session expires.
When to Use Magic Links
Best for:
Small teams without SSO infrastructure
Low-friction authentication
Temporary or guest access
Not ideal for:
Large enterprises requiring SSO
Programmatic access (use JWT instead)
Authenticated, embedded in-app help (use JWT instead)