Keycloak Passwordless Authentication: Secure Logins Without Passwords

The password field is gone. Users log in with a tap, a token, or their face. Keycloak passwordless authentication makes it real without breaking your existing architecture.

Keycloak, the open-source identity and access management platform, now supports powerful passwordless flows. These are built on standards like WebAuthn and FIDO2. You can plug them in for strong authentication without storing or transmitting a password. This cuts the attack surface. No passwords means no password leaks, no phishing through credential theft, and no weak login reuse.

Keycloak passwordless authentication works with hardware security keys, biometrics, and passkeys. WebAuthn is the bridge—users register a credential tied to their device. When they log in, Keycloak calls the browser’s WebAuthn API. The user confirms with their registered method. If the signature checks out, Keycloak issues the usual tokens.

Integration is direct. Enable WebAuthn in the Keycloak admin console. Configure realms, clients, and required actions. You can force passwordless for all or allow mixed login types. Policy settings handle device registration, credential limits, and authenticator requirements. Keycloak’s SPI lets you extend or adapt flows for custom hardware or additional verification.

Passwordless deployments in Keycloak benefit from centralized session management, fine-grained access control, and built-in support for OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect. Existing applications need no password logic changes—redirect to Keycloak, handle the OAuth callback, and read the tokens.

Security improves because credentials are bound to a device and validated cryptographically. Usability improves because there is less typing and fewer forgotten passwords. Adoption scales because Keycloak handles everything from persistence to protocol compliance.

Set it up, test against real devices, and deploy without fear of breaking users’ habits. Within hours you can move from password-based logins to password-free sessions.

See it live in minutes—build and test your own Keycloak passwordless authentication workflow with hoop.dev.