Based on the knowledge sources provided, I can explain how the verification process with code works in Ory Identities (Kratos). Here's an overview of the process: 1. Initialization: The verification flow is created using the

/self-service/verification/browser

endpoint for browser applications or

/self-service/verification/api

for native applications. 2. Email Submission: The user submits their email address through the UI. This is done by sending a POST request to the verification endpoint with the email and method ("code") specified. 3. Code Generation and Delivery: Ory generates a 6-digit verification code and sends it to the user's email address. 4. Code Entry: The user receives the email with the verification code and enters it in the UI. 5. Code Submission: The code is submitted by sending another POST request to the verification endpoint, this time including the received code. 6. Verification: If the code is correct, the user's email address is marked as verified. Regarding your question about the flow ID and verification code being tightly coupled: Yes, the flow ID and the verification code are tightly coupled. Each verification flow has a unique ID, and the code sent to the user is associated with that specific flow. When submitting the code, you must use the same flow ID that was used to initiate the verification process. This coupling ensures that the verification code is only valid for the specific verification attempt and prevents potential security issues that could arise from using codes across different verification flows. Sources: [Ory Docs: Address verification](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/self-service/flows/verify-email-account-activation) [Ory Docs: Integration basics](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/bring-your-own-ui/custom-ui-basic-integration#verification-flow) It's worth noting that Ory recommends using the "code" method over the "link" method for verification, as it's more user-friendly and avoids potential issues with email clients and spam filters.

Based on the information provided in the knowledge sources, I can clarify the lifetime of the verification code and flow combination in Ory Identities (Kratos). The verification code and flow combination is not valid throughout the entire lifetime of the verification code. Instead, both the verification code and the flow itself have separate lifespans that can be configured. Here's a breakdown: 1. Verification Code Lifespan: The verification code (or link) has a configurable lifespan. By default, it's set to 1 hour, but you can adjust this in the configuration. For example:

yaml    selfservice:      methods:        code:          enabled: true          config:            lifespan: 15m  # Sets the verification code lifespan to 15 minutes

2. Verification Flow Lifespan: The verification flow itself (the UI interaction) also has a configurable lifespan. By default, it's set to 1 hour, but you can adjust this as well:

yaml    selfservice:      flows:        verification:          enabled: true          lifespan: 15m  # Sets the verification flow lifespan to 15 minutes

This means that both the verification code and the flow have their own expiration times. The verification process will fail if either of these lifespans has expired: - If the code expires before the user enters it, they will receive an error message like: "The verification code is invalid or has already been used. Please try again." [Ory Docs: UI Messages](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/concepts/ui-messages#the-verification-code-is-invalid-or-has-already-been-used-please-try-again-4070006) - If the flow expires before the user completes the verification process, they will need to start a new verification flow. So, to answer your question directly: No, each verification code/flow combination is not valid throughout the entire lifetime of the verification code. Both the code and the flow have their own lifespans, and both need to be valid for the verification to succeed. [Ory Docs: Address verification](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/self-service/flows/verify-email-account-activation)

@chilly-king-10285 ok then here is my code:

const flow = flowId
      ? this.getExistingVerificationFlow(flowId)
      : this.createVerificationFlow();

when a flow-id is provided in the query-params I call

getVerificationFlow

from the frontend-api. however this is returning a new flow id which mean the code of the original flow will not work in combination with the received flow-id. Why is that the case? Should I directly call

updateVerificationFlow

with the original flow-id? and if so whats the usecase of

getVerificationFlow

@chilly-king-10285 hello?

Based on the information provided in the knowledge sources, I can explain why you're experiencing this behavior and clarify the use of

getVerificationFlow

and

updateVerificationFlow

. The behavior you're describing, where

getVerificationFlow

returns a new flow ID, is not the expected behavior. According to the Ory documentation,

getVerificationFlow

should return the existing flow data for the given flow ID. Here's what should happen: 1. When you call

getVerificationFlow

with an existing flow ID, it should return the data for that specific flow, not create a new one. 2. The flow ID and the verification code sent to the user are tightly coupled. They should work together throughout the lifespan of the flow. [Ory API Reference](https://www.ory.sh/docs/reference/api) states that

getVerificationFlow

is used to "Get Verification Flow" and should return "a verification flow's context with, for example, error details and other information." However, if the flow has expired, Ory might create a new flow instead of returning the expired one. This could explain why you're getting a new flow ID. To address your questions: 1. You should not need to directly call

updateVerificationFlow

with the original flow ID. The correct approach is to use

getVerificationFlow

first. 2. The use case for

getVerificationFlow

is to retrieve the current state of a verification flow, including any error messages or updates that have occurred since the flow was initiated. It's particularly useful when returning to a flow after a page refresh or when handling errors. Here's a suggested approach:

typescript const getVerificationFlow = async (flowId: string) => {   try {     const { data: flow } = await frontend.getVerificationFlow({ id: flowId });     return flow;   } catch (error) {     // Handle errors, such as expired flows     console.error('Error getting verification flow:', error);     // You might want to create a new flow here if the error indicates expiration     return this.createVerificationFlow();   } };  const flow = flowId   ? await getVerificationFlow(flowId)   : await this.createVerificationFlow();

This approach allows you to handle cases where the flow might have expired, while still using

getVerificationFlow

as intended. If you're consistently getting new flow IDs when you shouldn't, it might be worth checking your Ory configuration or reaching out to Ory support, as this behavior is not the expected functionality of

getVerificationFlow

. [Ory Docs: Integration basics](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/bring-your-own-ui/custom-ui-basic-integration#get-verification-flow) Remember, the verification code is tied to the original flow ID. If you're getting a new flow ID, the original verification code won't work with it, which is why it's important to retrieve the correct flow data rather than inadvertently creating a new flow.

A message from kapa.ai

Based on the information provided in the knowledge sources and our previous conversation, I can clarify the behavior you're experiencing and provide guidance on how to handle this situation. The behavior you're describing, where

getVerificationFlow

returns a new flow ID, is not the expected behavior. According to the Ory documentation,

getVerificationFlow

should return the existing flow data for the given flow ID, not create a new one. Here's what should be happening: 1. When you call

getVerificationFlow

with an existing flow ID, it should return the data for that specific flow. 2. The flow ID and the verification code sent to the user are tightly coupled and should work together throughout the lifespan of the flow. However, if the flow has expired, Ory might create a new flow instead of returning the expired one. This could explain why you're getting a new flow ID. To address your questions: 1. You should not need to directly call

updateVerificationFlow

with the original flow ID. The correct approach is to use

getVerificationFlow

first. 2. The use case for

getVerificationFlow

is to retrieve the current state of a verification flow, including any error messages or updates that have occurred since the flow was initiated. It's particularly useful when returning to a flow after a page refresh or when handling errors. [Ory API Reference](https://www.ory.sh/docs/reference/api) shows that

getVerificationFlow

is used to "Get Verification Flow" and should return "a verification flow's context with, for example, error details and other information." Here's a suggested approach:

typescript const getVerificationFlow = async (flowId: string) => {   try {     const { data: flow } = await frontend.getVerificationFlow({ id: flowId });     return flow;   } catch (error) {     // Handle errors, such as expired flows     console.error('Error getting verification flow:', error);     // You might want to create a new flow here if the error indicates expiration     return this.createVerificationFlow();   } };  const flow = flowId   ? await getVerificationFlow(flowId)   : await this.createVerificationFlow();

This approach allows you to handle cases where the flow might have expired, while still using

getVerificationFlow

as intended. If you're consistently getting new flow IDs when you shouldn't, it might be worth checking your Ory configuration or reaching out to Ory support, as this behavior is not the expected functionality of

getVerificationFlow

. Remember, the verification code is tied to the original flow ID. If you're getting a new flow ID, the original verification code won't work with it, which is why it's important to retrieve the correct flow data rather than inadvertently creating a new flow. [Ory Docs: Integration basics](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/bring-your-own-ui/custom-ui-basic-integration#verification-flow)

A message from kapa.ai

I apologize for the confusion in my previous responses. After carefully reviewing the knowledge sources again, I can provide a more accurate explanation of the behavior you're experiencing. The behavior you're describing, where

getVerificationFlow

returns a new flow ID, is actually the expected behavior in certain circumstances. Here's why: 1. When you call

getVerificationFlow

with an existing flow ID, it will attempt to retrieve that flow. 2. However, if the flow has expired, instead of returning an error, Ory Kratos will automatically create a new flow and return that instead. This behavior is designed to provide a seamless experience for users who might return to a verification process after some time has passed. Regarding your questions: 1. You should not directly call

updateVerificationFlow

with the original flow ID. The correct approach is to use

getVerificationFlow

first, as you're doing. 2. The use case for

getVerificationFlow

is to retrieve the current state of a verification flow or get a new flow if the original has expired. This is useful when returning to a flow after a page refresh, handling errors, or when a user comes back to complete a verification process they started earlier. Your current code approach is correct:

typescript const flow = flowId   ? this.getExistingVerificationFlow(flowId)   : this.createVerificationFlow();

This handles both cases: retrieving an existing flow (if it's still valid) or creating a new one (either explicitly or implicitly if the original has expired). To address the issue with the verification code not working with the new flow ID: 1. If a new flow is created (either explicitly or implicitly due to expiration), the old verification code will indeed not work. This is a security feature to prevent the use of old, potentially compromised codes. 2. In this case, you would need to trigger a new code to be sent to the user. This can typically be done by submitting the email address again using the new flow ID. 3. You should inform the user that their previous verification attempt has expired and that a new code will be sent. This behavior ensures that verification attempts are time-limited for security reasons, while still providing a smooth user experience by automatically creating new flows when needed. [Ory Docs: Address verification](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/self-service/flows/verify-email-account-activation) If you find this behavior problematic for your specific use case, you might want to consider adjusting the lifespan of your verification flows in your Ory configuration, or implementing additional handling in your frontend to manage expired flows more explicitly.

A message from kapa.ai

Hello! How can I assist you with questions about Ory today? I'm here to help with any inquiries you may have about Ory's products, services, or documentation.

Based on the information available in the knowledge sources, I can provide some guidance on handling CSRF tokens during the verification process in Ory Kratos. However, the specific behavior regarding multiple retries of

updateVerificationFlow

with the same CSRF token is not explicitly stated in the provided documentation. Generally, CSRF tokens are designed to be single-use for security reasons. This means that ideally, you should obtain a new CSRF token before each

updateVerificationFlow

call. However, the exact behavior might depend on Ory's specific implementation. Here's what we know from the documentation: 1. The CSRF token is included in the response when you call

getVerificationFlow

or

createBrowserVerificationFlow

. 2. When submitting the verification flow using

updateVerificationFlow

, you need to include the CSRF token in the request body. [Ory API Reference](https://www.ory.sh/docs/reference/api) shows that the

csrf_token

is a part of the request body for

updateVerificationFlow

. To ensure the most secure and reliable behavior, I recommend the following approach: 1. Call

getVerificationFlow

or

createBrowserVerificationFlow

to obtain the initial flow data and CSRF token. 2. Use the obtained CSRF token when calling

updateVerificationFlow

. 3. If you need to retry

updateVerificationFlow

(for example, if the user enters an incorrect code), call

getVerificationFlow

again to obtain a fresh CSRF token before making another

updateVerificationFlow

call. This approach ensures that you're always using a valid CSRF token and aligns with best practices for CSRF protection. Here's a pseudo-code example of how this might look:

typescript async function verifyEmail(flowId: string, email: string) {   // Get the initial flow data   const flow = await getVerificationFlow(flowId);    // First attempt   try {     await updateVerificationFlow(flowId, {       method: 'code',       email: email,       csrf_token: flow.csrf_token     });   } catch (error) {     // If there's an error (e.g., incorrect code), get a fresh flow     const newFlow = await getVerificationFlow(flowId);      // Retry with the new CSRF token     await updateVerificationFlow(flowId, {       method: 'code',       email: email,       csrf_token: newFlow.csrf_token     });   } }

This approach ensures you're always using a fresh CSRF token for each

updateVerificationFlow

call, which is the safest way to handle the verification process. If you find that using the same CSRF token for multiple

updateVerificationFlow

calls works in your testing, it would be best to confirm this behavior with Ory's support team, as it may be implementation-specific or subject to change in future updates. [Ory Docs: Integration basics](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/bring-your-own-ui/custom-ui-basic-integration#verification-flow)