> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.discord.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Public Client Integration
> Create provisional accounts directly from the client when you don't have a backend server.
export const SlashBoxIcon = props => ;
export const LinkIcon = props => ;
export const WrenchIcon = props => ;
## Authentication for Public Clients
This method requires enabling **Public Client** for your app. Most games will not want to ship with this enabled. [Learn more](/developers/discord-social-sdk/core-concepts/oauth2-scopes#oauth2-client-types)
Use Public Client Integration only if you don't have a server-authoritative backend and therefore require a Public Client for authentication.
If you have `Public Client` enabled on your Discord app, you can use the following code to authenticate your players with the external provider directly from the client — no backend required. Before using this method, you must [configure your identity provider](/developers/discord-social-sdk/development-guides/provisional-accounts/identity-providers) in the Developer Portal.
```cpp theme={"system"}
// filepath: your_game/auth_manager.cpp
void AuthenticateUser(std::shared_ptr client) {
// Get your external auth token (Steam, OIDC, etc.)
std::string externalToken = GetExternalAuthToken();
// Get provisional token from Discord
client->GetProvisionalToken(DISCORD_APPLICATION_ID,
discordpp::AuthenticationExternalAuthType::OIDC,
externalToken,
[client](discordpp::ClientResult result, std::string accessToken, std::string refreshToken, discordpp::AuthorizationTokenType tokenType, int32_t expiresIn, std::string scope) {
if (result.Successful()) {
std::cout << "🔓 Provisional token received! Establishing connection...\n";
client->UpdateToken(discordpp::AuthorizationTokenType::Bearer, accessToken, [client](discordpp::ClientResult result) {
client->Connect();
});
} else {
std::cerr << "❌ Provisional token request failed: " << result.Error() << std::endl;
}
});
}
```
### How the Flow Works
```mermaid theme={"system"}
sequenceDiagram
autonumber
actor P as Player
participant Prov as External Provider (OIDC, Steam, EOS)
participant C as Game Client (SDK)
participant D as Discord
P->>Prov: Authenticate
Prov-->>C: External auth token
C->>D: GetProvisionalToken(app_id, auth_type, external_token)
alt No account / provisional account exists
D-->>C: Access token
C->>D: UpdateToken() → Connect()
else Full Discord account exists
D-->>C: Error (use OAuth2 flow)
end
```
Once authentication is complete, you can use the access token as you would a full Discord user's access token. See [Managing Provisional Accounts](/developers/discord-social-sdk/development-guides/provisional-accounts/managing-accounts) for token refresh, storage, and display names.
## Error Handling
Common error codes and solutions when creating a provisional account:
| Code | Meaning | Solution |
| ------ | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 530000 | Application not configured | Contact Discord support to enable provisional accounts for your application |
| 530001 | Expired ID token | Request a new token from your identity provider |
| 530004 | Token too old | Request a new token (tokens over 1 week old are rejected) |
| 530006 | Username generation failed | Retry the operation (temporary error) |
| 530007 | Invalid client secret | Verify or regenerate your client secret in the Developer Portal |
| 530010 | User account non-provisional | User already linked to Discord account - use standard OAuth2 flow |
If you are using OIDC, you may encounter more specific errors:
| Code | Meaning | Solution |
| ------ | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 530002 | Invalid issuer | Verify the `iss` claim in your ID token exactly matches the issuer URL in your OIDC configuration |
| 530003 | Invalid audience | Verify the `aud` claim in your ID token includes the client ID in your OIDC configuration |
| 530008 | OIDC configuration not found | Verify your issuer URL is correct, accessible over HTTPS, and serves a valid discovery document without HTTP redirects |
| 530009 | OIDC JWKS not found | Verify your JWKS endpoint is accessible over HTTPS without HTTP redirects |
| 530020 | Invalid OIDC JWT token | Verify your ID token is properly signed and uses a supported algorithm |
| 530027 | Missing `kid` header | Ensure your ID token includes a `kid` (Key ID) header in the JWT header identifying the signing key |
***
## Next Steps
}>
Refresh access tokens and set display names.
}>
Merge a provisional account into a full Discord account.
}>
Sever the link between a Discord account and a provisional account.
Need help? Join the [Discord Developers Server](https://discord.gg/discord-developers) and share questions in the `#social-sdk-dev-help` channel for support from the community.
If you encounter a bug while working with the Social SDK, please report it here: [https://dis.gd/social-sdk-bug-report](https://dis.gd/social-sdk-bug-report)
***
## Change Log
| Date | Changes |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| July 14, 2026 | Split the provisional accounts guide into its own section |
| March 17, 2025 | Initial release |