Working with Self

Self is built for developers to integrate into the applications and workflows they are creating. To do that as efficiently as possible we have built some tools for you to use.

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Read our identity whitepaper

eSDK

Self is a fully embedded SDK talking to an identity layer for the internet

200x

Self is upto 200x cheaper than other Identity solutions

Human

Compliant biometrics, VC and DID so you can know your user and counter AI

Process

Getting started with Self is easy and fast. Follow these steps using the tools listed below to get started.

01. Install The developer app

Available on the App and Play stores, the developer app is how you manage your identity and test the applications you're integrating.

02. Install the Self Admin binaries

Self Admin represents your Organisations Identity on the network. It is where you connect SDKs and manage internal users.

03. create your project and start building

Create your app in Self Admin and connect it to the project you want to integrate with Self.

Tools

Our tools allow you to build with Self quickly and securely.

SELF Developer App

User Identification

App containing Self's full suite of identity and credential verification tools. Essential for working with Self.

Test and Development tools

Full ability to test against Sandbox and Production environments and to interact with your team around the integration and development process.

SELF Admin

1. Control your instance of Self

Self Admin is what you use to deploy and manage Self. It can operate wherever you like.

2. Build integrations

App Integrations are controlled through Self Admin, link SDKs, create config and manage deployment.

3. Manage users

While Self handles auth and credentials, Self Admin is used to manage which users have access to be able to develop or authorise for you.

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SELF Sandbox

Safe Testing

Test your integrations in a controlled environment using data from the Sandbox tool in the Self Developer app.

Faster Iteration

Develop integrations without concerns about production stability or conflicts, innovate and release on shorter cycles.

Realistic Simulation

Our Sandbox mimics production, including APIs, authentication flows to ensure your testing reflects a real world use case.

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" Self separates the task of creating identity and credentials from their use. Users create themselves a single non-correlatable Self identifier and collate their own credentials, Self gives relying parties a means to use and trust those identities. There is no more need for a user to have hundreds of identities based on their personal data, they can just rely on a single Self ID "

Dan Sutherland

Founder, Self Group

FAQ

What is an identity and authentication network, and why do I need it?

It's a system that helps verify who your users are (identity) and control what they can access (authentication and authorisation). It saves development time, improves security, and can help you meet compliance requirements.

How do I integrate Self into my application?

Follow the links to try now, or head to our documentation to be taken through the process of integration. It's simple and quick with plenty of examples and code snippets to help guide you.

How does Self handle security?

- End-to-end encrypted communication between devices uses Message Layer Security (MLS) end-to-end encrypted communication between devices.
- W3C Verifiable Credentials (VCs) allow users to securely assert and demonstrate claims about themselves and others.
- Self is underpinned by a robust, tamper-evident and W3C Distributed Identifiers (DIDs) compliant Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) allowing for realtime management of keys and their revocations.
- Self Leverages a number of insudtry standard and accredited ciphers, signature schemes and cryptographic functions, such as Ed25519 (FIPS 186-5), SHA3 (FIPS 202), AES 256 (FIPS 197) and Curve25519.
- All actions are authenticated via signature, with real time key revocation to ensure you are always making up to date decisions.
- Keys are held securely in an on-device encrypted wallet. Usage of keys are gated via biometric checks.

Can I manage and customise user data?

Yes. You can store user profiles, roles, and custom fields with the user's permission. But Self is designed to protect you and users by replacing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) like names and emails with a non-correlatable SelfID, with the PII distributed to the user to store in their phone. It means your dataset is safer and outside of regulation.

How does multi-factor authentication (MFA) work?

Self is already a biometric MFA solution, so you don't need to integrate or pay for external methods like TOTP, SMS or push.

What languages and frameworks are supported?

Self supports:
‍Backend: Golang, Java,
‍Mobile: iOS, Android

Quickstarts, examples including app examples for mobile and SDKs are provided for each.

Can I customise the login and sign-up experience?

Yes. We allow you to use your own UI and UX in all but a couple of screens. You can also use and customise UI elements we release as Open Source components.

What happens if the network goes down?

Self is highly available and deployed to global infrastructure, it has been designed to be resilient and reliable. You can also implement fallback strategies based on your needs.