Identifying Returning Users
Contents
Full Title or Meme
Exploring the ways that a web site (aka a relying Party can determine if the current user of the site is known to that site from previous visits.
Context
- Single Sign-On to multiple websites is a great improvement in any User Experience it was enabled by the use of Third Party Cookies.
- With the demise of Third Party Cookies, new methods for identifying returning users is more complex for a Relying Party.
- Native SSO allows sharing of Single Sign-On among native apps from the same vendor.
Solutions
Protocol Handler
URL Protocol Handler Registration for PWAs
Explainer https://github.com/MicrosoftEdge/MSEdgeExplainers/blob/master/URLProtocolHandler/explainer.md
https://web.dev/url-protocol-handler/
Specification https://pr-preview.s3.amazonaws.com/w3c/manifest/pull/972.html#protocol_handlers-member
Contact emails samuel.tang@microsoft.com, mjackson@microsoft.com, luigonza@microsoft.com, dmurph@chromium.org
Design docs https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NHlWLjAPZ-dyxcz3AoTWibeerDeHW7Vqrx6FmhB0XmE
Summary Enable web applications to register themselves as handlers of custom URL protocols/schemes using their installation manifest.
Blink component UI>Browser>WebAppInstalls
TAG review https://github.com/w3ctag/design-reviews/issues/482
TAG review status Issues addressed, resolution: satisfied.
Risks
- Interoperability and Compatibility
- Low; manifest elements will be ignored if unsupported by the client.
- Gecko: No signal (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1635272)
- WebKit: No signal (https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=211401)
- Web developers: Positive (https://twitter.com/search?q=url%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fweb.dev%2Furl-protocol-handler%2F&src=typed_query&f=live)
- Security
DevTrial instructions https://web.dev/url-protocol-handler/#enabling-via-about:flags-or-edge:flags
Flag name
- enable-desktop-pwas-protocol-handling
Tracking bug https://crbug.com/1019239
Launch bug https://crbug.com/1063658
Sample links https://protocol-handler.glitch.me/ https://fabiorocha.github.io/pwa