01 · What is it?
A login is the process a user follows to access an account.
The user provides credentials, such as an email address and password.
Simple Definition: Login is how a system checks a user's identity before granting account access.
MODULE 06 · AUTHENTICATION & SECURITY
Login
A login lets a user prove their identity and start an authenticated session.
02 · Think of it like...
Think of a login as showing an entry pass at a guarded door.
The guard checks the pass, then lets the person enter the area they are allowed to use.
User
Credentials
Identity Check
Account Access
03 · What does it do?
A login flow can:
Collect Credentials
Check Identity
Start a Session
Issue a Token
Return an Error
Open the Account
04 · Where is it used?
Login is used anywhere a product gives different users private or personalized access.
Web Applications
Mobile Apps
Admin Dashboards
Learning Platforms
Shopping Accounts
Developer Portals
05 · Example
A user enters an email address and password, then selects Sign in.
The server checks the credentials. If they are valid, the system creates an authenticated session and returns the account page.
Login Form
Server
Credentials Checked
Session Created
Account Page
A successful login does not automatically grant every permission. Authorization decides what the user may do next.
06 · How it connects
User
Frontend
Authentication Endpoint
Session or Token
Authorized Request
Login connects the user-facing form to authentication services and the account state used by later requests.
07 · Do Not Confuse
Login
The user-facing process of signing in to an account.
Authentication
The broader process of checking who a user or system is.
Authorization
The separate decision about what an authenticated user is allowed to do.
Registration
The process of creating a new account before a user can log in.
Login = Sign in
Authorization = Allowed actions
08 · Topic Glossary
| ENGLISH TERM | 中文 | SIMPLE ENGLISH | 中文小白理解 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Login | 登录 | The process of signing in to an account. | 进入已有账号的过程。 |
| Credential | 凭证 | Information used to prove an identity. | 用来证明身份的信息，例如邮箱和密码。 |
| Password | 密码 | A secret used to help prove a user's identity. | 用来帮助证明用户身份的秘密信息。 |
| Authentication | 身份认证 | The process of checking who a user or system is. | 检查用户或系统是谁的过程。 |
| Authorization | 授权 | The process of checking what an authenticated user may do. | 检查已经认证的用户可以做什么。 |
| Session | 会话 | State that helps a system remember an authenticated user. | 帮助系统记住用户已经登录的状态。 |
| Token | 令牌 | A value used to represent access after authentication. | 认证后用来表示访问资格的一段值。 |
| Account | 账号 | A user's identity and stored information in a system. | 系统中属于某个用户的身份和相关信息。 |
09 · What to Remember
Login is the process of signing in to an existing account.
Credentials help a system check the user's identity.
A successful login can create a session or return a token for later requests.
Authentication checks identity; authorization checks allowed actions.
Credentials
Authentication
Session or Token
Authorized Request