Ferndesk
Automatic Screenshots

Magic link and email authentication for screenshots

If your app uses magic links or email-based sign-in instead of traditional passwords, Fern can automate the authentication flow using a generated email address. She'll wait for verification emails and complete the sign-in process automatically.

How email-based authentication works

When you connect a dashboard that requires email verification:

  1. Enable Create a Fern login email to have Ferndesk generate a unique email address for this connection

  2. Fern navigates to your sign-in page and enters this address

  3. Your app sends a verification email to that address

  4. Ferndesk receives the email and extracts the sign-in link or code

  5. Fern completes the authentication and captures your screenshots

This feature works with magic links, one-time codes, and other email-based verification methods. It does not support third-party OAuth providers like Google or GitHub.

Setting up email-based authentication

  1. Go to Integrations in your Ferndesk dashboard

  2. Find the Dashboard card and click Connect

  3. Enter your Name and URL

  4. In Login steps, describe the email-based sign-in flow (see example below)

  5. Click Connect to create the connection

  6. Enable Create a Fern login email to have Ferndesk generate a unique email address for this connection automatically

1. Click "Sign In" in the top navigation
2. Click the "Email" tab
3. Enter the generated email address
4. Click "Send magic link"
5. Wait for the email to arrive (Ferndesk handles this automatically)

Be specific about button labels and navigation steps. Fern needs exact instructions to complete the flow.

Checking email history

If the authentication flow stalls or fails, you can view recent emails Ferndesk received:

  1. Go to Integrations and find the Dashboard card

  2. Click Manage

  3. Click the Browse received emails button on your connection

The Received login emails page shows:

  • Subject line and sender for each email

  • Timestamp when Ferndesk received it

  • Full email content (when available)

If you see "No content available" for an email, Ferndesk received the message but couldn't extract the content. Check your app's email format or contact support.

Troubleshooting

Email not received

If the magic link email hasn't arrived:

  • Check email history to confirm Ferndesk hasn't received anything

  • Verify your app sends magic links to any email address, not just registered users

  • Wait a few minutes and try again - some apps have email delays

OAuth not supported

This feature handles email-based verification only. For apps using Google, GitHub, or other OAuth providers:

  • Create a bypass account with username/password authentication

  • Set up a staging environment with simplified authentication

  • Capture screenshots manually and attach them to articles

Using a bypass account

If email-based authentication doesn't work for your setup, create a dedicated demo or staging account that bypasses magic link authentication:

  • Development/staging environment with username/password authentication

  • Test account with a backdoor password option

  • Demo mode that doesn't require authentication

Follow the standard setup in Automate screenshots in your docs using your bypass account credentials.

Use a dedicated test account, not a personal account. Credentials are encrypted but should never be for production admin access.

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