Kinde · Const

First-party application

A first-party application is an OAuth application for your own product, managed under Kinde’s Customer identity area. It lets product code receive access tokens through OAuth 2.0.

How it works

A first-party application is an OAuth application belonging to your product under Kinde’s Customer identity area. You create it for a front end, back end, or machine-to-machine component so Kinde can issue access tokens that your code uses.

Key points

Use an application to represent a product or service that users access.
First-party applications are managed in the Customer identity area.
OAuth 2.0 is the protocol Kinde applications use to deliver tokens securely.
Choose a regular web application when authentication logic executes on a server.
Choose a single-page web application for browser-based or mobile clients.
Use a machine-to-machine application for backend services that need API access.

Common mistakes

Do not confuse a first-party application with a Workforce identity application: workforce applications are SAML connections for your team’s third-party tools.
Choose the Customer identity area when creating an application for your own product; Workforce identity is a separate area.

Example: Describe a first-party application

const kindeApplication = {
  type: "front-end and mobile",
  customerIdentity: true,
};

Represents a Kinde customer-identity application configured for a browser or mobile client.

When to use it

Regular web application

Server-rendered or full-stack product

Single-page web application

Browser-based single-page app or mobile client

Machine-to-machine application

Backend service calling an API

Interview questions

QWhat is a first-party application in Kinde?

A first-party application is an OAuth application used by your own product. In Kinde, it belongs under Customer identity and receives tokens for application code.

Follow-up: How would you distinguish it from a SAML application? A SAML application belongs to Workforce identity and supports team access to third-party tools, while a first-party application uses OAuth 2.0 for your product.

QHow do you create one?

Create the application from Settings > Environment > Applications, select Customer identity, choose Add application, provide a name and type, and save it. Then open its details to configure it.

Follow-up: What should be configured after creation? Application keys, callback URLs, authentication, and token settings are the main follow-up tasks.

QWhich application type should you choose?

Kinde supports regular web applications, single-page web applications, and machine-to-machine applications. The choice depends on whether the code runs on a server, in a browser or mobile client, or as a backend service accessing an API.

Follow-up: Which type suits a browser-based React client? Use the front-end and mobile application type, as the React documentation specifies for browser and mobile applications.

Customer identity
Workforce identity
OAuth 2.0
regular web app
single page web app
machine to machine application

Source: Applications in Kinde. Checked 2026-10-15.