Managed Authentication - Anchor Browser Docs

Anchor offers two ways to keep browser sessions signed in across runs. Both persist login state, but they differ in how much structure and automation you get.

Browser profiles vs managed authentication

	Browser profiles	Managed authentication
Setup	Log in manually once; Anchor saves cookies and storage	Store credentials (or guide a login) on an identity; Anchor re-authenticates when needed
MFA support	You handle codes yourself during the one-time login	Built-in methods (email OTP, TOTP, 1Password, custom MFA)
Re-auth	Profile may expire; you log in again manually	Anchor runs the auth flow automatically before each session

Browser profiles

Browser profiles persist cookies, local storage, and cache from a session so future sessions can start signed in. Pass browser.profile when creating a session — set persist: true on first use, log in once, then end the session to save the profile.

const session = await anchorClient.sessions.create({
  browser: {
    profile: { name: 'my-profile', persist: true },
  },
});

Reuse the profile on later sessions by name (omit persist). When the target site expires the session, log in again manually — profiles do not store credentials or re-authenticate automatically. See Dedicated Sticky IP for fixed-IP profiles and Browser Sessions for full session configuration options.

How managed authentication works

Managed authentication is built around three concepts:

Application — Represents a target website (for example linkedin.com). Each application defines how login works and owns its identities.
Auth flow — Describes how login works: which fields to collect, which MFA methods apply, or whether Anchor detects login steps automatically.
Identity — A specific account on that application. Stores credentials and validated session state. Attach an identity when creating a session and the browser starts already signed in.

Choose how users log in

When you create an application, choose how users will log in. This is the most important configuration step — it determines what Anchor asks for when someone connects an account.

Auto-Discovery Auth

Anchor detects the login page and walks through sign-in automatically. Unpredictable login flows or the fastest setup. Pre-selected for new applications.

Preset authentication

You define the exact fields and MFA methods (username/password, email OTP, authenticator, etc.). When you know the login steps in advance.

Manual authentication

Anchor opens a browser and the user signs in themselves. Unsupported login methods or a hands-on browser experience.

See Applications for dashboard and API setup for each mode, authentication methods, and further application setup (proxy, sticky IP, browser session defaults).

End-to-end flow

Create an application

Define the target website. See Applications.

Choose how users log in

Pick auto-discovery, preset, or manual authentication. With preset, define auth flows and MFA methods.

Configure defaults (optional)

Set network routing, proxy, sticky IP, and browser session defaults for all identities under the application.

Create an identity

Store credentials or complete a guided login for a specific account. See Identities.

Launch authenticated sessions

Pass the identity ID when creating a session. Anchor authenticates before your agent or automation runs.

const session = await anchorClient.sessions.create({
  identities: [{ id: identityId }],
});

Applications

Auth modes, authentication methods, and application defaults

Identities

Create accounts and launch signed-in sessions

Embedding End-User Auth UI

Let your users connect accounts from your product

​Browser profiles vs managed authentication

​Browser profiles

​How managed authentication works

​Choose how users log in

Auto-Discovery Auth

Preset authentication

Manual authentication

​End-to-end flow

​Related

Applications

Identities

Embedding End-User Auth UI

Browser profiles vs managed authentication

Browser profiles

How managed authentication works

Choose how users log in

End-to-end flow

Related