# Build a User Management App with React

Learn how to use Supabase in your React App.

Note: UI components built on shadcn/ui that connect to Supabase via a single command.

This tutorial demonstrates how to build a basic user management app. The app authenticates and identifies the user, stores their profile information in the database, and allows the user to log in, update their profile details, and upload a profile photo. The app uses:

- [Supabase Database](/docs/guides/database/overview) - a Postgres database for storing your user data and [Row Level Security](/docs/guides/auth#row-level-security) so data is protected and users can only access their own information.
- [Supabase Auth](/docs/guides/auth) - allow users to sign up and log in.
- [Supabase Storage](/docs/guides/storage) - allow users to upload a profile photo.

![Supabase User Management example](/docs/img/user-management-demo.png)

Note: If you get stuck while working through this guide, you can find the [full example on GitHub](https://github.com/supabase/supabase/tree/master/examples/user-management/react-user-management).

## Project setup

Before you start building you need to set up the Database and API. You can do this by starting a new Project in Supabase and then creating a "schema" inside the database.

### Create a project

1. [Create a new project](/dashboard) in the Supabase Dashboard.
2. Enter your project details.
3. Wait for the new database to launch.

### Set up the database schema

Now set up the database schema. You can use the "User Management Starter" quickstart in the SQL Editor, or you can copy/paste the SQL from below and run it.

**Dashboard**

1. Go to the [SQL Editor](/dashboard/project/_/sql) page in the Dashboard.
2. Click **User Management Starter** under the **Reference > Examples** tab.
3. Click **Run**.

Note: You can pull the database schema down to your local project by running the `db pull` command. Read the [local development docs](/docs/guides/local-development/database-migrations#link-your-project) for detailed instructions.

```bash
supabase link --project-ref <project-id>
# You can get <project-id> from your project's dashboard URL: /dashboard/project/<project-id>
supabase db pull
```

**SQL**

Note: When working locally you can run the following command to create a new migration file:

```bash
supabase migration new user_management_starter
```

```sql
-- Create a table for public profiles
create table profiles (
  id uuid references auth.users not null primary key,
  updated_at timestamp with time zone,
  username text unique,
  full_name text,
  avatar_url text,
  website text,

  constraint username_length check (char_length(username) >= 3)
);

-- Grant the privileges roles need
GRANT SELECT ON public.profiles TO anon;
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE ON public.profiles TO authenticated;

-- Set up Row Level Security (RLS)
-- See /docs/guides/database/postgres/row-level-security for more details.
alter table profiles
  enable row level security;

create policy "Public profiles are viewable by everyone." on profiles
  for select using (true);

create policy "Users can insert their own profile." on profiles
  for insert with check ((select auth.uid()) = id);

create policy "Users can update own profile." on profiles
  for update using ((select auth.uid()) = id);

-- This trigger automatically creates a profile entry when a new user signs up via Supabase Auth.
-- See /docs/guides/auth/managing-user-data#using-triggers for more details.
create function public.handle_new_user()
returns trigger
set search_path = ''
as $$
begin
  insert into public.profiles (id, full_name, avatar_url)
  values (new.id, new.raw_user_meta_data->>'full_name', new.raw_user_meta_data->>'avatar_url');
  return new;
end;
$$ language plpgsql security definer;
create trigger on_auth_user_created
  after insert on auth.users
  for each row execute procedure public.handle_new_user();

-- Set up Storage!
insert into storage.buckets (id, name)
  values ('avatars', 'avatars');

-- Set up access controls for storage. Allows downloading object with public key
-- See /docs/guides/storage/security/access-control#policy-examples for more details.
create policy "Avatar images are publicly accessible." on storage.objects
  for select using (bucket_id = 'avatars' and storage.allow_any_operation(array['object.get_authenticated_info', 'object.get_authenticated']));

create policy "Anyone can upload an avatar." on storage.objects
  for insert with check (bucket_id = 'avatars');

create policy "Anyone can update their own avatar." on storage.objects
  for update using ((select auth.uid()) = owner) with check (bucket_id = 'avatars');
```

### Get API details

To interact with data in database tables, you use the client libraries that wrap [the auto-generated Data API endpoints](/docs/guides/api), authenticating using the Project URL and key from [the project **Connect** dialog](/dashboard/project/_?showConnect=true\&connectTab=frameworks\&framework=react).





Note: See [API keys](/docs/guides/getting-started/api-keys) for a full explanation of all key types, their uses, and where to find them.

## Building the app

Start building the React app from scratch.

### Initialize a React app

Use [Vite](https://vitejs.dev/guide/) to initialize an app called `supabase-react`:

```bash
npm create vite@latest supabase-react -- --template react
cd supabase-react
```

Install [supabase-js](https://github.com/supabase/supabase-js):

```bash
npm install @supabase/supabase-js
```

Save the environment variables in a `.env.local` file, using the Project URL and the key that you copied [earlier](#get-api-details).



With the API credentials in place, create a helper file to initialize the Supabase client. The application exposes these variables in the browser, and that's fine as Supabase enables [Row Level Security](/docs/guides/database/postgres/row-level-security) by default on all tables.

Create and edit `src/supabaseClient.js`:



### App styling (optional)

An optional step is to update the CSS file `src/index.css` to make the app look better.
You can find the full contents of this file [in the example repository](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/supabase/supabase/master/examples/user-management/react-user-management/src/index.css).

### Set up a sign-in component

You need a React component to manage sign-ins and sign-ups. It uses [Magic Links](/docs/guides/auth/auth-email-passwordless#with-magic-link), so users can sign in with their email without using passwords.

Note: You can customize other emails sent out to new users, including the email's looks, content, and query parameters from [the **Authentication > Email**](/dashboard/project/_/auth/templates) section of the Dashboard.

Create and edit `src/Auth.jsx`:



### Account page

After a user signs in, they need a way to edit their profile details and manage their accounts.

Create a new component called `src/Account.jsx` and add the following code:



## Profile photos

Add a way for users to upload a profile photo. Supabase configures every project with [Storage](/docs/guides/storage) for managing large files like photos and videos.

### Create an upload widget

Create `src/Avatar.jsx` and add the following code:



### Update the Account component

With the Avatar component created, update `src/Account.jsx` to include it:



### Launch!

With all the components in place, change the contents of `src/App.jsx` to include the new components and Auth logic.

The Supabase Auth SDK contains three different functions for authenticating user access to applications:

### Summary of the methods

- Use [`getClaims`](/docs/reference/javascript/auth-getclaims) to protect pages and user data. It reads the access token from storage and verifies it. Locally via the [WebCrypto API](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_Crypto_API) and a cached JWKS endpoint when the project uses asymmetric signing keys (the default for new projects), or by calling `getUser` solely to validate when symmetric keys are in use. The returned claims always come from decoding the JWT, not from a user lookup. When the access token is close to expiring, `getClaims` refreshes the session before it verifies, which is how a server-rendered session stays alive.
- [`getUser`](/docs/reference/javascript/auth-getuser) makes a network call to the project's Auth instance to get the user record, which includes the most up-to-date information about the user at the cost of a network call.
- [`getSession`](/docs/reference/javascript/auth-getsession) when you need the raw session (the access token, refresh token, and expiry). For example to forward the access token to another service. The session is loaded directly from local storage and isn't re-validated against the Auth server, so the embedded user object shouldn't be trusted on its own when storage is shared with the client (cookies, request headers). To verify identity, validate the access token with `getClaims`, or call `getUser` for a fresh, server-confirmed user record.

**In summary**: use `getClaims` to verify identity (typically for protecting pages and data), `getUser` when you need an up-to-date user record from the Auth server, and `getSession` when you need the access or refresh token directly, but don't rely on the user object it returns for authorization decisions.



Once that's done, run this in a terminal window:

```bash
npm run dev
```

And then open the browser to [localhost:5173](http://localhost:5173) and you should see the completed app.

![Screenshot of the Supabase React application running in a browser](/docs/img/supabase-react-demo.png)

At this stage you have a fully functional application!