Why Magic Link Authentication is Perfect for Feedback Boards

The Authentication Problem

You want users to vote on feedback. But should they create an account? Enter a password? Connect with Google? Each friction point loses potential voters.

Yet you need some authentication to prevent spam votes and track who voted on what. The solution: magic links.

How Magic Links Work in Collectic

When a user wants to vote or submit an idea:

• They enter their email address (no password required)
• We send a magic link to their inbox
• They click the link and are instantly signed in
• Their vote is recorded and tracked to their email

No passwords to remember. No OAuth popups. No account creation forms. Just email and click.

Why This Matters for Conversion

We tested magic links vs traditional authentication on our beta board:

• Traditional signup: 23% of visitors completed voting
• Magic links: 67% of visitors completed voting

That's 3x more feedback with the same traffic. Every barrier you remove increases participation.

Security Without Friction

Magic links provide real authentication benefits:

Spam Prevention

To vote, users must control the email address. This prevents anonymous spam voting while keeping the process simple. Disposable email services are automatically blocked.

Vote Tracking

Each email gets exactly one vote per idea. If they try to vote again, they see they've already voted. No gaming the system without creating multiple email accounts (which is hard).

User Recognition

When users return and click a magic link, they see all their previous votes and submitted ideas. It feels like a proper account without the setup hassle.

Perfect for Embedded Widgets

When you embed Collectic in your app or website, magic links shine even brighter:

• No redirects to third-party OAuth screens
• Users stay in your branded experience
• Works seamlessly in modals and iframes
• Mobile-friendly (email apps auto-open links)

The Technical Implementation

Under the hood, Collectic uses NextAuth with an email provider:

// Simplified example
EmailProvider({
  server: process.env.SMTP_HOST,
  from: 'noreply@collectic.com'
})

// Magic links expire after 24 hours
// JWT tokens keep users logged in
// Works with any SMTP provider (Resend, SendGrid, etc.)

Magic links expire after 24 hours for security. Once authenticated, users get a JWT token that keeps them logged in. They only need to click a magic link once per device.

Real User Feedback

From our beta users:

"I almost didn't vote because I didn't want to create another account. The email link was perfect - clicked and voted in 10 seconds." - Sarah, Product Designer

"As a founder, I love that voters are verified emails. Makes it easy to follow up when we ship their requested feature." - Mike, SaaS Founder

Best Practices

To get the most from magic link authentication:

• Set clear email expectations ("Check your inbox for a login link")
• Use a recognizable sender name (YourApp, not noreply@random.com)
• Make the email instant (fast SMTP provider like Resend)
• Include a fallback for email deliverability issues

Collectic handles all of this automatically. Your users get a seamless experience from the first vote.