Please improve magic link login: some corporate emails click on all incoming links

Memberships & subscriptions
1

Wanted to report the following issue: Some users systematically encounter expired login links.

I believe this happens because some corporate email systems systematically click on all links in incoming emails (a spam defence mechanism). (And so by the time a magic link reaches the user, it has already been clicked).

This is why I notice that other apps with magic link (like Notion) rely on a number sequence, rather than a link (or offer both alternatives). ie they send you a number you can input.

Another advantage of requiring user to input a number is that it allows for better UI. Consider this flow:

  1. user lands on a paywalled article they want to read
  2. they subscribe
  3. they click on link
  4. link opens a new tab that results in going to some page that is not the original article the user intended to read

If the login was based on entering a number sequence, this problem would be solved.

Finally, does the link have to expire after 1 use or even after 24 hours? Ghost is an app that protects articles, not vital banking or medical information. It seems to me that these rules can be relaxed.

2

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Joseph (via the Slack chat) as I missed your post on the forum. I wonder if the Ghost staff are aware of this issue?

3

Got to forum early so I can try to get some attention from the many Brits in the Ghost community…any chance you can please shed some light @Kevin?

In summary, has the team thought of email systems that systematically click on incoming links in email as a spam defence…and how it might expire the single-use magic link?