Integrating FaceIO using HTMX and Express.JS

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Level Up Coding

4 min readApr 29, 2024

In today’s fast-paced digital era, where security and user experience are paramount considerations, the quest for robust authentication solutions has intensified. Traditional methods like passwords are increasingly vulnerable to breaches and user dissatisfaction, prompting exploration into alternative mechanisms. Facial authentication has emerged as a promising solution, offering a blend of security and seamless user experience.

This article explores the convergence of FACEIO, simplifying the integration of facial recognition into web applications, alongside HTMX and Express.js. By leveraging the dynamic capabilities of HTMX and the robustness of Express.js, this integration promises to revolutionize web authentication, delivering secure and user-friendly experiences. Through practical examples and insights, we delve into how this fusion empowers developers to create sophisticated authentication systems that enhance both security and user satisfaction.

FaceIO Overview

FACEIO offers an extensive API and Webhooks feature for seamless integration and real-time event notifications. The API allows developers to manage applications, conduct operations like enrollment and authentication, and gather analytics. It operates over HTTP, providing standard response codes and returning JSON for all requests. Secure access is ensured through API keys managed via the FACEIO Console. Webhooks enable real-time notifications for events like enrollments and authentications. When triggered, FACEIO sends HTTP POST requests to configured URLs, containing event details such as user ID, event type, timestamps, and IP information, facilitating timely backend updates and proactive responses.

Brief Explanation of HTMX
HTMX simplifies web development by enabling direct access to browser features from HTML, reducing the need for extensive JavaScript and client-server communication management. Its client-side rendering capability minimizes full-page reloads, enhancing web app responsiveness. HTMX also facilitates real-time features like form submissions and live updates through intuitive HTML attributes like hx-get and hx-post.

Integrating FaceIO with HTMX
Integrating FaceIO with HTMX involves several steps to enable seamless facial authentication within web applications. Below are the key steps along with sample code snippets to demonstrate the integration process:

Setting up FaceIO
Obtain the public ID for your FaceIO application from the FaceIO Console.
Initialize the FaceIO facial recognition engine in your web application.
Sample code for setting up FaceIO:

<head>
  <script src="https://cdn.faceio.net/fio.js"></script>
  <script>
    // Initialize FaceIO with your public ID
    const faceIO = new FaceIO('YOUR_PUBLIC_ID');
  </script>
</head>

Integrating HTMX
Add the HTMX library to your project by including the script tag in your HTML.
Leverage HTMX attributes to define dynamic interactions, such as triggering FaceIO authentication on button click.
Sample code for integrating HTMX:

<head>
  <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/htmx.org@1.6.1/dist/htmx.min.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
  <!-- Trigger FaceIO authentication on button click -->
  <button hx-get="/authenticate" hx-trigger="click">Authenticate with FaceIO</button>
</body>

Creating server-side endpoints Node.js with Express
Define server-side endpoints to handle FaceIO authentication requests.
Implement server-side logic to interact with the FaceIO API and authenticate users based on facial recognition.

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

// Endpoint to handle FaceIO authentication
app.get('/authenticate', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    // Call FaceIO API to perform facial authentication
    const authenticationResult = await faceIO.authenticate();

    // Handle authentication result (e.g., grant access or display error message)
    res.send(authenticationResult);
  } catch (error) {
    // Handle errors (e.g., log error message or return error response)
    res.status(500).send('Internal Server Error');
  }
});

// Start the server
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server listening on port ${PORT}`);
});

Designing a seamless authentication experience
Customize the user interface to provide feedback during the FaceIO authentication process.
Handle authentication responses from the server to update the UI accordingly.
Sample code for updating UI based on authentication result:

<script>
  async function authenticateWithFaceIO() {
    try {
      // Perform FaceIO authentication via HTMX
      const response = await hx.get('/authenticate');

      // Update UI based on authentication result
      if (response.success) {
        alert('Authentication successful!');
      } else {
        alert('Authentication failed. Please try again.');
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error:', error);
    }
  }
</script>

Conclusion

To wrap this up, the integration of FaceIO with HTMX and Express.js presents a formidable solution for bolstering security and enhancing user experience in web applications. By harnessing facial authentication through FaceIO in tandem with the dynamic HTML interactions facilitated by HTMX and the robust backend capabilities of Express.js, developers can construct resilient and user-friendly authentication systems. This integration not only fortifies security measures by mitigating password-related breaches but also streamlines the authentication process, fostering a seamless and efficient user experience. As we forge ahead, delving deeper into the collaboration between FaceIO, HTMX, and Express.js paves the way for innovative advancements in web development, ensuring that secure and dynamic applications remain accessible while upholding the utmost standards of privacy and usability.

Integrating FaceIO using HTMX and Express.JS

Written by Pius Oruko