Turning Off the Default Email Notification in AWS Cognito

Turning Off the Default Email Notification in AWS Cognito
Turning Off the Default Email Notification in AWS Cognito
Daniel Marino
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 7:05:04 AM

Overview of AWS Cognito Email Settings

AWS Cognito is a popular tool for handling data synchronization and user authentication. One frequent issue is that the AdminCreateUser API automatically sends out default invitation emails, which may not comply with all operational procedures.

Understanding the configuration options available in AWS Cognito is essential to customizing the user experience and integrating bespoke email systems. The main question is whether there is a way to suppress these emails globally using the AWS dashboard instead of having to modify each API call separately.

Command Description
AWS.CognitoIdentityServiceProvider() Sets up the AWS SDK's Cognito Identity Service Provider client.
config.update() Establishes the region and other AWS SDK configuration parameters.
adminCreateUser() Creates a new user with optional message handling and user attribute options in the designated user pool.
MessageAction: 'SUPPRESS' A setting that stops AWS Cognito from contacting the new user via email or SMS by default.
Navigate to ‘Message customizations’ How-to guide for changing email and SMS settings in the AWS Cognito console's messaging settings.
Select ‘Manage User Pools’ An action to view and control various user pools in the AWS Management Console.

Describe the Email Suppression Scripts for Amazon Cognito

When adding new users to AWS Cognito, the default invitation emails can be disabled using the given scripts. This is especially helpful for businesses who would rather utilize a custom email system than Cognito's built-in capability. The first application adds a new user programmatically with certain attributes using the Node.js AWS SDK. It calls AWS.CognitoIdentityServiceProvider() to initialize the Cognito service provider client. The required parameters, such as the username, user pool ID, and user properties like email, are then set up by the script. The MessageAction: 'SUPPRESS' parameter is most crucially used to make sure that no default email is sent upon account creation.

The script's second section, which navigates the AWS Management Console, is meant for administrators who would rather set email options without scripting. To disable the default messaging, follow these steps: navigate to the user pool settings, then modify the 'Message modifications'. Important actions include choosing ‘Manage User Pools’ and going to ‘Message customizations’. By taking these steps, the administrator can set up email preferences for every newly created user, doing away with the need to repeatedly utilise codes to silence emails for every individual user.

Using AWS Cognito to Implement Default Email Suppression

JavaScript for Node.js using the AWS SDK

const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
AWS.config.update({ region: 'your-region' });
const cognito = new AWS.CognitoIdentityServiceProvider();
const params = {
    UserPoolId: 'your-user-pool-id',
    Username: 'new-user-email',
    MessageAction: 'SUPPRESS',
    TemporaryPassword: 'TempPassword123!',
    UserAttributes: [{
        Name: 'email',
        Value: 'email@example.com'
    }, {
        Name: 'email_verified',
        Value: 'true'
    }]
};
cognito.adminCreateUser(params, function(err, data) {
    if (err) console.log(err, err.stack);
    else console.log('User created successfully without sending default email.', data);
});

Automated Configuration of Email in Cognito User Pools

AWS Management Console Configuration

1. Login to the AWS Management Console.
2. Navigate to the Amazon Cognito service.
3. Select ‘Manage User Pools’ and choose the specific user pool.
4. Go to ‘Message customizations’ under ‘Message’ configurations.
5. Scroll down to ‘Do you want Cognito to send invitation messages to your new users?’
6. Select ‘No’ to disable automatic emails.
7. Save the changes.
8. Note: This setting needs to be revisited if default settings are ever reset.
9. For each new user creation, ensure MessageAction: 'SUPPRESS' is set programmatically if using APIs.
10. Verify changes by testing user registration without receiving default emails.

Advanced Setup in Amazon Cognito

Delving deeper into AWS Cognito's features, we find that in addition to suppressing default emails, there are sophisticated setups that improve security and flexibility in user administration. Customized authentication flows are made possible by the ability to directly manage these configurations via the AWS dashboard or using an API. Using Lambda triggers, which provide a mechanism to carry out custom actions at different points in the user lifecycle, including user validation, pre-authentication, and post-confirmation, is one important component.

Integrating third-party sources for authentication is another important capability. This increases the number of authentication choices that developers and administrators may choose from by enabling Cognito to act as a bridge between AWS services and external identity providers. Administrators have the ability to adjust and enhance the security of the user management experience by utilizing these advanced options.

AWS Cognito FAQs

  1. How can AWS Cognito be integrated with social sign-in?
  2. By setting up identity providers in the Cognito user pool's federation settings, you can incorporate social sign-in.
  3. What do AWS Cognito Lambda Triggers mean?
  4. By triggering AWS Lambda functions at particular phases of user pool actions, lambda triggers let you personalize workflows.
  5. Is MFA compatible with AWS Cognito?
  6. Indeed, for increased security, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) can be set, enabling both TOTP software token mechanisms and SMS-based verification.
  7. How do I go about managing sessions in Cognito?
  8. Tokens acquired during the sign-in procedure can be used for session management, and there are options to refresh them as needed.
  9. Is it feasible to alter the email configuration of the user pool once it has been created?
  10. Yes, you can change the email verification messages and techniques as well as the email configuration settings in the user pool after it has been created.

Concluding Remarks on Customizing Amazon Cognito Email

Organizations can improve security and gain more control over user communication by implementing bespoke email methods in AWS Cognito, which enable exact manipulation of message timing and delivery. Although AWS Cognito has an email feature by default, it can be customized to meet specific needs with the ability to ignore these using console configurations or API settings. Utilizing sophisticated settings like Lambda triggers expands on the customization possibilities, further enhancing AWS Cognito's versatility as a user management solution.