---
title: Options
description: Better Auth configuration options reference.
---

List of all the available options for configuring Better Auth. See [Better Auth Options](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/blob/main/packages/better-auth/src/types/options.ts#L13).

## `appName`

The name of the application.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	appName: "My App",
})
```

## `baseURL`

Base URL for Better Auth. This is typically the root URL where your application server is hosted. Note: If you include a path in the baseURL, it will take precedence over the default path.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	baseURL: "https://example.com",
})
```

If not explicitly set, the system will check for the environment variable `process.env.BETTER_AUTH_URL`

## `basePath`

Base path for Better Auth. This is typically the path where the Better Auth routes are mounted. It will be overridden if there is a path component within `baseURL`.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	basePath: "/api/auth",
})
```

Default: `/api/auth`

## `trustedOrigins`

List of trusted origins.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	trustedOrigins: ["http://localhost:3000", "https://example.com"],
})
```

## `secret`

The secret used for encryption, signing, and hashing.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	secret: "your-secret-key",
})
```

By default, Better Auth will look for the following environment variables:
- `process.env.BETTER_AUTH_SECRET`
- `process.env.AUTH_SECRET`

If none of these environment variables are set, it will default to `"better-auth-secret-123456789"`. In production, if it's not set, it will throw an error.

You can generate a good secret using the following command:

```bash
openssl rand -base64 32
```

## `database`

Database configuration for Better Auth.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	database: {
		dialect: "postgres",
		type: "postgres",
		casing: "camel"
	},
})
```

Better Auth supports various database configurations including [PostgreSQL](/docs/adapters/postgresql), [MySQL](/docs/adapters/mysql), and [SQLite](/docs/adapters/sqlite).

Read more about databases [here](/docs/concepts/database).

## `secondaryStorage`

Secondary storage configuration used to store session and rate limit data.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";

export const auth = betterAuth({
	// ... other options
    secondaryStorage: {
    	// Your implementation here
    },
})
```

Read more about secondary storage [here](/docs/concepts/database#secondary-storage).

## `emailVerification`

Email verification configuration.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	emailVerification: {
		sendVerificationEmail: async ({ user, url, token }) => {
			// Send verification email to user
		},
		sendOnSignUp: true,
		autoSignInAfterVerification: true,
		expiresIn: 3600 // 1 hour
	},
})
```

- `sendVerificationEmail`: Function to send verification email
- `sendOnSignUp`: Send verification email automatically after sign up (default: `false`)
- `sendOnSignIn`: Send verification email automatically on sign in when the user's email is not verified (default: `false`)
- `autoSignInAfterVerification`: Auto sign in the user after they verify their email
- `expiresIn`: Number of seconds the verification token is valid for (default: `3600` seconds)

## `emailAndPassword`

Email and password authentication configuration.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	emailAndPassword: {
		enabled: true,
		disableSignUp: false,
		requireEmailVerification: true,
		minPasswordLength: 8,
		maxPasswordLength: 128,
		autoSignIn: true,
		sendResetPassword: async ({ user, url, token }) => {
			// Send reset password email
		},
		resetPasswordTokenExpiresIn: 3600, // 1 hour
		password: {
			hash: async (password) => {
				// Custom password hashing
				return hashedPassword;
			},
			verify: async ({ hash, password }) => {
				// Custom password verification
				return isValid;
			}
		}
	},
})
```

- `enabled`: Enable email and password authentication (default: `false`)
- `disableSignUp`: Disable email and password sign up (default: `false`)
- `requireEmailVerification`: Require email verification before a session can be created
- `minPasswordLength`: Minimum password length (default: `8`)
- `maxPasswordLength`: Maximum password length (default: `128`)
- `autoSignIn`: Automatically sign in the user after sign up
- `sendResetPassword`: Function to send reset password email
- `resetPasswordTokenExpiresIn`: Number of seconds the reset password token is valid for (default: `3600` seconds)
- `password`: Custom password hashing and verification functions

## `socialProviders`

Configure social login providers.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	socialProviders: {
		google: {
			clientId: "your-client-id",
			clientSecret: "your-client-secret",
			redirectUri: "https://example.com/api/auth/callback/google"
		},
		github: {
			clientId: "your-client-id",
			clientSecret: "your-client-secret",
			redirectUri: "https://example.com/api/auth/callback/github"
		}
	},
})
```

## `plugins`

List of Better Auth plugins.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
import { emailOTP } from "better-auth/plugins";

export const auth = betterAuth({
	plugins: [
		emailOTP({
			sendVerificationOTP: async ({ email, otp, type }) => {
				// Send OTP to user's email
			}
		})
	],
})
```

## `user`

User configuration options.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	user: {
		modelName: "users",
		fields: {
			email: "emailAddress",
			name: "fullName"
		},
		additionalFields: {
			customField: {
				type: "string",
			}
		},
		changeEmail: {
			enabled: true,
			sendChangeEmailVerification: async ({ user, newEmail, url, token }) => {
				// Send change email verification
			}
		},
		deleteUser: {
			enabled: true,
			sendDeleteAccountVerification: async ({ user, url, token }) => {
				// Send delete account verification
			},
			beforeDelete: async (user) => {
				// Perform actions before user deletion
			},
			afterDelete: async (user) => {
				// Perform cleanup after user deletion
			}
		}
	},
})
```

- `modelName`: The model name for the user (default: `"user"`)
- `fields`: Map fields to different column names
- `additionalFields`: Additional fields for the user table
- `changeEmail`: Configuration for changing email
- `deleteUser`: Configuration for user deletion

## `session`

Session configuration options.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	session: {
		modelName: "sessions",
		fields: {
			userId: "user_id"
		},
		expiresIn: 604800, // 7 days
		updateAge: 86400, // 1 day
		disableSessionRefresh: true, // Disable session refresh so that the session is not updated regardless of the `updateAge` option. (default: `false`)
		additionalFields: { // Additional fields for the session table
			customField: {
				type: "string",
			}
		},
		storeSessionInDatabase: true, // Store session in database when secondary storage is provided (default: `false`)
		preserveSessionInDatabase: false, // Preserve session records in database when deleted from secondary storage (default: `false`)
		cookieCache: {
			enabled: true, // Enable caching session in cookie (default: `false`)	
			maxAge: 300 // 5 minutes
		}
	},
})
```

- `modelName`: The model name for the session (default: `"session"`)
- `fields`: Map fields to different column names
- `expiresIn`: Expiration time for the session token in seconds (default: `604800` - 7 days)
- `updateAge`: How often the session should be refreshed in seconds (default: `86400` - 1 day)
- `additionalFields`: Additional fields for the session table
- `storeSessionInDatabase`: Store session in database when secondary storage is provided (default: `false`)
- `preserveSessionInDatabase`: Preserve session records in database when deleted from secondary storage (default: `false`)
- `cookieCache`: Enable caching session in cookie

## `account`

Account configuration options.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	account: {
		modelName: "accounts",
		fields: {
			userId: "user_id"
		},
		accountLinking: {
			enabled: true,
			trustedProviders: ["google", "github", "email-password"],
			allowDifferentEmails: false
		}
	},
})
```

- `modelName`: The model name for the account
- `fields`: Map fields to different column names

### `updateAccountOnSignIn`

If enabled (true), the user account data (accessToken, idToken, refreshToken, etc.)
will be updated on sign in with the latest data from the provider.

### `accountLinking`

Configuration for account linking.

- `enabled`: Enable account linking (default: `false`)
- `trustedProviders`: List of trusted providers
- `allowDifferentEmails`: Allow users to link accounts with different email addresses
- `allowUnlinkingAll`: Allow users to unlink all accounts

## `verification`

Verification configuration options.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	verification: {
		modelName: "verifications",
		fields: {
			userId: "user_id"
		},
		disableCleanup: false
	},
})
```

- `modelName`: The model name for the verification table
- `fields`: Map fields to different column names
- `disableCleanup`: Disable cleaning up expired values when a verification value is fetched

## `rateLimit`

Rate limiting configuration.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	rateLimit: {
		enabled: true,
		window: 10,
		max: 100,
		customRules: {
			"/example/path": {
				window: 10,
				max: 100
			}
		},
		storage: "memory",
		modelName: "rateLimit"
	}
})
```

- `enabled`: Enable rate limiting (defaults: `true` in production, `false` in development)
- `window`: Time window to use for rate limiting. The value should be in seconds. (default: `10`)
- `max`: The default maximum number of requests allowed within the window. (default: `100`)
- `customRules`: Custom rate limit rules to apply to specific paths.
- `storage`: Storage configuration. If you passed a secondary storage, rate limiting will be stored in the secondary storage. (options: `"memory", "database", "secondary-storage"`, default: `"memory"`)
- `modelName`: The name of the table to use for rate limiting if database is used as storage. (default: `"rateLimit"`)


## `advanced`

Advanced configuration options.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	advanced: {
		ipAddress: {
			ipAddressHeaders: ["x-client-ip", "x-forwarded-for"],
			disableIpTracking: false
		},
		useSecureCookies: true,
		disableCSRFCheck: false,
		crossSubDomainCookies: {
			enabled: true,
			additionalCookies: ["custom_cookie"],
			domain: "example.com"
		},
		cookies: {
			session_token: {
				name: "custom_session_token",
				attributes: {
					httpOnly: true,
					secure: true
				}
			}
		},
		defaultCookieAttributes: {
			httpOnly: true,
			secure: true
		},
		cookiePrefix: "myapp",
		database: {
			// If your DB is using auto-incrementing IDs, set this to true.
			useNumberId: false,
			// Use your own custom ID generator, or disable generating IDs as a whole.
			generateId: (((options: {
				model: LiteralUnion<Models, string>;
				size?: number;
			}) => {
				return "my-super-unique-id";
			})) | false,
			defaultFindManyLimit: 100,
		}
	},
})
```

- `ipAddress`: IP address configuration for rate limiting and session tracking
- `useSecureCookies`: Use secure cookies (default: `false`)
- `disableCSRFCheck`: Disable trusted origins check (⚠️ security risk)
- `crossSubDomainCookies`: Configure cookies to be shared across subdomains
- `cookies`: Customize cookie names and attributes
- `defaultCookieAttributes`: Default attributes for all cookies
- `cookiePrefix`: Prefix for cookies
- `generateId`: Function to generate a unique ID for a model

## `databaseHooks`

Database lifecycle hooks for core operations.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	databaseHooks: {
		user: {
			create: {
				before: async (user) => {
					// Modify user data before creation
					return { data: { ...user, customField: "value" } };
				},
				after: async (user) => {
					// Perform actions after user creation
				}
			},
			update: {
				before: async (userData) => {
					// Modify user data before update
					return { data: { ...userData, updatedAt: new Date() } };
				},
				after: async (user) => {
					// Perform actions after user update
				}
			}
		},
		session: {
			// Session hooks
		},
		account: {
			// Account hooks
		},
		verification: {
			// Verification hooks
		}
	},
})
```

## `onAPIError`

API error handling configuration.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	onAPIError: {
		throw: true,
		onError: (error, ctx) => {
			// Custom error handling
			console.error("Auth error:", error);
		},
		errorURL: "/auth/error"
	},
})
```

- `throw`: Throw an error on API error (default: `false`)
- `onError`: Custom error handler
- `errorURL`: URL to redirect to on error (default: `/api/auth/error`)

## `hooks`

Request lifecycle hooks.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	hooks: {
		before: async (request, ctx) => {
			// Execute before processing the request
		},
		after: async (request, response, ctx) => {
			// Execute after processing the request
		}
	},
})
```

## `disabledPaths`

Disable specific auth paths.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	disabledPaths: ["/sign-up/email", "/sign-in/email"],
})
```

## `customPaths`

Customize specific auth paths. This allows you to map any existing route to a custom path.

```ts
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth";
export const auth = betterAuth({
	customPaths: {
		"/ok": "/okay",
	},
})
```

