Stytch to descope

Stytch → Descope Migration Skill

This skill guides self-service migrations from Stytch to Descope. It runs in three parts:

1. MCP Check — confirm whether the Descope MCP Server is available and suggest installing it if not
2. Migration Plan — gather context via triage questions, analyze the codebase's auth touchpoints, and produce a human-readable MIGRATION-PLAN.md for the user to review
3. Execution — if the user confirms they want to proceed, execute the plan

Do not collapse these parts or skip ahead. The plan must be reviewed before code changes begin. If the file view is truncated, partial, or cut off, continue reading with the appropriate offset until all lines have been loaded; do not proceed based on a partial read.

Stytch is not only an authentication provider — it is a broader identity platform spanning consumer authentication, multi-tenant/B2B authentication, organizations and members, enterprise SSO, SCIM, RBAC, JIT provisioning, MFA, session management, Admin Portal flows, fraud and risk protection, device fingerprinting, Protected Auth, machine-to-machine authentication, trusted auth tokens, and Connected Apps for OAuth/OIDC-based integrations and AI-agent access. A good migration first identifies which Stytch product surfaces are in use, then maps each one to the closest target feature or migration pattern. Expect Stytch migrations to vary more widely than a purely B2B auth migration, since a Stytch implementation may include consumer passwordless auth, enterprise-readiness features, fraud/risk infrastructure, and OAuth/OIDC connected-app workflows.

Primary references (both in this skill's directory):

• references/implementation-nuances.md — verified migration patterns for each framework, Stytch feature-to-Descope mappings, and known gotchas
• references/flows-and-widgets.md — Descope terminology/lingo, Flow structure and templates, Widgets, SSO Setup Suite, Console-vs-code decision guide

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Guiding Principles

Console-first. Before recommending SDK code for any user-facing auth feature, check whether the Console, a Flow, a Widget, or the SSO Setup Suite covers the use case. Engineers integrate once (SDK setup + session validation). All subsequent auth evolution — new methods, MFA changes, UI updates, tenant SSO onboarding — should happen in the Console without code deployments. See references/flows-and-widgets.md → Console vs. Code.

Ask, don't assume. At any design decision point — Flow vs. custom code, Widget vs. custom page, MFA inline vs. separate enrollment, programmatic SSO vs. SSO Setup Suite, one-Organization-to-one-Tenant mapping — use AskUserQuestion rather than proceeding with an assumption. The cost of a wrong assumption compounds across 20+ files, and the Stytch Organization → Descope Tenant mapping in particular ripples into SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and domain routing. Uncertainty about architecture or intent is always worth a question.

MCP over memory. When the Descope MCP Server is available (confirmed in Part 1), use docs_ask_question to verify every SDK method name, option shape, and return type before writing it. Do not fall back to "verify the exact method name in the SDK type declarations" as a hedge — just verify it directly.

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Part 1: MCP Check (BLOCKING)

Before doing anything else, check whether the Descope Docs MCP is available by calling search-descope-docs with a simple query (e.g., "session validation").

If the tool is available: proceed to Part 2 immediately.

If the tool is not available, show this message and use AskUserQuestion to ask whether they want to install it first:

Descope Docs MCP is not installed.

This skill uses the Descope Docs MCP to look up current API signatures, SDK methods, and feature availability during migration. Without it, guidance is based on static training data, which may be stale and can produce SDK calls that don't exist.

You can install it in a few minutes at https://docs-mcp.descope.com/ (server URL: https://docs-mcp.descope.com/mcp). It significantly improves the accuracy of the migration output — especially for SDK lookups and flow-specific configuration.

Would you like to install the MCP before we continue, or proceed without it?

• If they choose to install: pause and wait. Once they confirm it's installed, re-check by calling search-descope-docs again before proceeding.
• If they choose to proceed without it: continue, but flag any SDK-specific answers as "based on last known documentation — verify against the current SDK."

Do not proceed to Part 2 until this step is resolved.

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Part 2: Migration Plan

Part 2 has two sub-steps:

1. Triage — ask the questions needed to understand scope (migration questions go here since answers shape the plan)
2. Codebase Analysis + Plan File — scan the project, produce MIGRATION-PLAN.md, and pause for review

Step 0: Triage (BLOCKING — requires AskUserQuestion)

Use the AskUserQuestion tool to gather the information below. Do not infer answers from memory, prior conversations, or assumptions — even if you think you know. The migration path differs based on these answers; getting them wrong wastes the user's time and produces incorrect guidance.

Do not proceed to Step 0.5 until the user has answered.

First AskUserQuestion call (up to 4 questions):

1. Backend language / framework — Present the most likely options based on any cues in the conversation (e.g., Node.js, Go, Ruby, Python, Java). The user can always pick "Other."
2. Migration goal — Full cut-over, incremental/phased migration, or just evaluating.
3. Existing users and organizations — Are they migrating an app with active users and organizations in Stytch, staging/dev only, or starting fresh? This determines whether user and organization migration planning is needed (user export, org-to-tenant mapping, SCIM continuity, phased vs. big-bang cutover, forced re-login on cutover).

Second AskUserQuestion call — Stytch feature usage (use multiSelect: true):

1. Which Stytch features are in use? Present the highest-impact categories:

• Consumer Authentication — which sign-in methods are enabled, such as OAuth/social login, email magic links, OTPs, passwords, passkeys, WebAuthn, mobile biometrics, MFA, TOTP, crypto wallet auth, or new-device notifications; whether the app uses Stytch UI, frontend SDKs, backend SDKs, or direct API calls.
• Multi-tenant / B2B Authentication — whether the Stytch B2B model is used; how Organizations and Members are modeled; whether members can belong to multiple organizations; whether org discovery, org-specific login, or organization switching/session exchange is used.
• Organizations and Members — organization metadata, member metadata, membership lifecycle, invitations, member search/update flows, deactivation behavior, and whether organization-specific auth policies are configured.
• Enterprise SSO — whether SAML, OIDC, or both are used; which identity providers are connected; whether setup is handled internally or by customer admins; whether SSO is organization-specific, multi-organization, or standalone; whether role assignment or JIT provisioning depends on SSO claims.
• SCIM — which workforce directories are connected; whether member provisioning, deprovisioning, group sync, group-to-role mapping, session revocation, or webhook handlers depend on SCIM behavior. Flag as high complexity.
• RBAC — how Stytch resources, actions, permissions, and roles are defined; whether roles are consumer-level or organization/member-level; where permission checks happen in code; whether roles or permissions are included in session tokens; whether SSO or SCIM maps groups/claims to roles.
• JIT Provisioning — which provisioning sources are allowed; whether users/members are automatically added to organizations after SSO, email-domain matching, discovery, invitations, or trusted token flows.
• MFA and Step-up Authentication — which second factors are used, such as SMS OTP, email OTP, TOTP, passkeys, WebAuthn, or other factors; whether MFA is globally required, organization-specific, risk-based, or used only for sensitive actions.
• Sessions and Tokens — how session tokens, session JWTs, intermediate sessions, custom claims, cookies, expiration, refresh, revocation, and frontend/backend session validation are implemented.
• Admin Portal UI — which customer-admin workflows are handled by Stytch today, such as member management, organization settings, SSO setup, SCIM setup, or RBAC management; whether the application generates Admin Portal links or embeds Stytch-provided admin flows.
• Fraud & Risk / Device Fingerprinting (including Protected Auth) — whether Device Fingerprinting is used for bot detection, credential stuffing protection, account takeover prevention, toll fraud prevention, free-trial abuse, remembered devices, trusted/unrecognized device detection, IP-geo restrictions, new-device notifications, or to enable Protected Auth mechanisms (which can block, challenge, add friction, or monitor suspicious attempts). Flag as high complexity if Stytch verdicts or Protected Auth flows influence authentication decisions or require custom enforcement logic.
• Connected Apps — whether the application uses Stytch to act as an OAuth/OIDC authorization server; which first-party, third-party, public, or confidential clients exist; which authorization code, PKCE, consent, token, refresh token, revocation, custom scope, or RBAC-backed scope flows are implemented. Flag as high complexity. First-party → Descope Federated Apps; third-party → Descope Inbound Apps (public vs. confidential applies only to Inbound Apps).
• AI Agent / MCP Authentication — whether Connected Apps are used for AI agents, MCP clients, CLI tools, external integrations, or agentic access to application data; review scopes, consent, dynamic client registration, token lifetimes, and organization-level controls before implementation. Flag for deeper review.
• Machine-to-Machine Authentication — whether M2M clients, client credentials, client secrets, JWT access tokens, scopes, custom claims, or secret rotation are used for service-to-service authentication.
• Trusted Auth Tokens — Stytch Trusted Auth Tokens let the application exchange an externally issued signed JWT for a Stytch session. Stytch validates the JWT against a Trusted Auth Token Profile configured with issuer (iss), audience (aud), public keys or JWKS URL, and claim mappings. Flag as high complexity.
• Webhooks, Event Logs, and Event Streaming — which Stytch events are consumed by the application; whether event logs are shown to customers, streamed to external systems, used for compliance, or used to trigger internal user/org synchronization.
• The user can add others via “Other.”

After both calls, summarize findings and flag high-complexity items before proceeding to Step 0.5. The main high-complexity Stytch areas are typically SCIM, Enterprise SSO with JIT provisioning, RBAC tied to SSO or SCIM, Fraud & Risk/Device Fingerprinting, Protected Auth, Connected Apps, AI Agent/MCP authentication, Machine-to-Machine authentication, and Trusted Auth Tokens.

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Step 0.5: Engineer Review Checkpoint (BLOCKING — requires AskUserQuestion)

These questions surface blockers the framework doesn't expose. Ask even the ones you think you know. Use AskUserQuestion before proceeding to codebase analysis.

Batch into calls of up to 4 questions. Skip questions that are clearly inapplicable given Step 0 answers (e.g., skip user migration planning if they said they're starting fresh).

Access and credentials

• Do they have access to the Descope Console and a Project ID? (If not, see Step 1.5.)
• Do they need a Management Key? Required for user CRUD, tenant management, RBAC, SSO/SCIM configuration, access keys, Inbound Apps, Outbound Apps, and other management operations.
• Do they have access to the Stytch Dashboard/API keys needed to inspect or export the current configuration, including Consumer Auth, B2B Organizations/Members, SSO, SCIM, RBAC, Connected Apps, Fraud & Risk, and Admin Portal settings?

Codebase scope

• Is this a Stytch Consumer Auth app, a Stytch Multi-tenant/B2B Auth app, or a hybrid app using both? This determines whether the migration centers on Users only or on Organizations/Members → Tenants/Users.
• Are there places in the app that read claims or session fields directly from Stytch tokens or session responses, such as user_id, member_id, organization_id, organization_slug, roles, permissions, trusted_metadata, untrusted_metadata, or custom claims? These need a Descope JWT Template or Flow Custom Claims configured before equivalent reads will work.
• Does the app read Stytch organization_id, member_id, sso_connection_id, scim_group_id, Connected App client IDs, or RBAC role_id / resource_id / action values in many places? The Stytch Organization → Descope Tenant remap ripples through SSO, SCIM, RBAC, JIT provisioning, Admin Portal replacement, Connected Apps, and membership checks — confirm the organization model before writing code.
• Are there multiple services or microservices validating Stytch session tokens, session JWTs, access tokens, or Connected Apps tokens? Each service needs to be updated to validate the correct Descope-issued JWTs or OAuth/OIDC tokens.
• Does the application use Stytch frontend SDK helpers, backend API calls, direct REST calls, Stytch UI components, or all of the above? This determines whether the migration is mostly Flow/UI replacement, backend SDK replacement, or both.
• Does the app depend on Stytch webhooks to keep its own database in sync? Search for webhook handlers before changing user, organization, member, SCIM, RBAC, fraud, or Connected Apps behavior.

Deployment and risk

• Do they have multiple environments (dev / staging / prod)? Each needs its own Descope project and Project ID, with matching redirect URLs, auth domains, SSO/SCIM configuration, Connected Apps, and environment-specific secrets.
• Is there a maintenance window, or does this need to be zero-downtime?
• Are any external customers, enterprise IdPs, SCIM directories, OAuth clients, MCP clients, or machine-to-machine clients already integrated with the Stytch production project? If yes, plan customer-facing cutover steps, not just code changes.
• Are login URLs, callback URLs, custom auth domains, email domains, OAuth issuer URLs, or JWKS URLs contractually or technically expected to stay stable? If yes, flag early because they affect SSO, sessions, Connected Apps, and token validation.

User, organization, and member migration (if they indicated existing users/orgs in Step 0)

• How many users, Organizations, and Members exist? This determines export approach and whether a phased cutover is warranted.
• Are they using Stytch Consumer Auth users, Stytch B2B Members, or both? Consumer users and B2B Members have different object shapes and should not be collapsed without confirming the target model.
• Do Stytch Members belong to multiple Organizations? If yes, preserve tenant membership and role assignment per organization when mapping to Descope Tenants.
• Do they use passwords in Stytch? Plan how password credentials carry over: import if supported, force reset, staged password migration, or replacement with passwordless methods. Verify the current Stytch export capability and Descope import path before committing to an approach.
• Which Stytch authentication methods are in use: OAuth/social login, OTP, magic links, passwords, passkeys/WebAuthn, mobile biometrics, TOTP, MFA, crypto wallets, or custom auth factors? Confirm migration feasibility for each method before writing implementation instructions.
• Big-bang cutover or phased? Map each Stytch Organization to a Descope Tenant first; user/member migration, tenant membership, SSO, SCIM, JIT provisioning, and tenant-scoped roles depend on it.
• SCIM is a lifecycle system, not a one-time import. If Stytch SCIM is enabled, enterprise directories will keep pushing create/update/deactivate/group events after cutover. A single user import is not enough — every SCIM workflow must be re-pointed at Descope before cutover, or provisioning silently breaks.
• Are they aware that active Stytch sessions will be invalidated on cutover unless a session-bridging approach is used? Plan for forced re-login, phased rollout, or a temporary compatibility layer.
• Does the app store Stytch IDs in its own database? If yes, plan an ID mapping table for Stytch user_id, member_id, organization_id, role_id, Connected App client IDs, and any other persisted identifiers.

Gaps to flag immediately (don't ask — flag these proactively based on Step 0 answers)

• If they're using Fraud & Risk / Device Fingerprinting: flag for security-flow review. Stytch verdicts, device IDs, trusted device logic, IP-geo restrictions, new-device notifications, and abuse-prevention decisions may need to be recreated with Descope Fingerprinting, Flow conditions, connectors, audit events, or app-side policy.
• If they're using Protected Auth: flag that this is not a direct SDK toggle migration. Protected Auth behavior should be redesigned as Descope Flow-based risk handling: allow, challenge, block, or notify based on risk signals and policy.
• If they're using Connected Apps: flag for deeper OAuth/OIDC review before implementation. Inventory clients, redirect URIs, public vs. confidential clients, PKCE, scopes, consent records, access token lifetimes, refresh token behavior, issuer/JWKS dependencies, and resource-server validation. First-party Stytch clients map to Descope Federated Apps; third-party clients map to Descope Inbound Apps (public vs. confidential applies only to Inbound Apps).
• If they're using AI agent / MCP authentication through Stytch Connected Apps: flag for dedicated review. This may map to Descope Inbound Apps, Agentic Identity Hub, MCP server authorization, DCR/CIMD, resource scopes, or tenant-aware policies.
• If they're using Machine-to-Machine authentication: identify all M2M clients, secrets, scopes, token audiences, and rotation requirements. Default to Resources + Inbound Apps + Policies; use Access Keys only for simple internal JWT exchange without OAuth scope/aud enforcement.
• If they're using Trusted Auth Tokens or external JWT exchange: flag as high complexity. Confirm issuers, JWKS URLs, audiences, subject mapping, claim mapping, JIT behavior, and whether the exchange creates a user session or only API access. In Descope, this maps most closely to Inbound Apps with the JWT Bearer grant
• If they're using SCIM: set up Descope SCIM and customer IdP cutover before production migration. Missing this can break provisioning/deprovisioning even though interactive login may still appear to work.
• If they're using webhooks or event logs: identify business-critical handlers and configure Descope webhooks, audit connectors, or event streaming before cutover to avoid gaps in compliance, sync, or customer-visible activity.

Console/Flow/Widget opportunities (flag before codebase analysis, then ask):

• If the app uses the Stytch Admin Portal UI or Stytch Admin Portal components for member management, organization settings, SSO setup, or SCIM setup: ask whether Descope SSO Setup Suite and Admin Widgets can replace that workflow instead of rebuilding it as custom code. Do not default to building custom admin setup screens.
• If the app has a profile edit page, member management page, organization settings page, or tenant-admin UI: ask whether a Descope Widget covers the use case.
• If the app has a separate MFA enrollment page: ask whether MFA should be integrated into the main sign-in Flow as a step or subflow instead.
• If any server-side code initiates SSO, generates emails, runs custom checks, calls fraud APIs, or makes decisions during the auth journey: ask whether that logic can become a Descope Flow step, condition, or Connector instead of server code.
• If the app uses custom Stytch UI built with frontend SDKs: ask whether Descope Flows can replace the custom UI or whether the customer requires a headless SDK migration.
• If the app uses Stytch Connected Apps and hosts its own OAuth authorization endpoint UI: ask whether Descope Inbound Apps can own more of the OAuth/OIDC authorization-server behavior, consent, token issuance, and client configuration.
• If the app has risk-based auth, remembered-device behavior, new-device notifications, or custom fraud challenges: ask whether these should be modeled as Flow branches using Descope risk signals and messaging/connectors.

Summarize any blockers and Console/Flow/Widget opportunities before proceeding to codebase analysis.

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Step 1: Codebase Analysis

Scan the codebase to map every auth touchpoint before writing the plan.

Stytch ships backend SDKs (Python, Go, Node, Ruby, Java/Kotlin/JVM), frontend SDKs (React, Next.js, Vanilla JS), and mobile SDKs (React Native, iOS Swift, Android Consumer SDK — a headless Kotlin Multiplatform library targeting Android). Adapt the file extensions below to whichever surfaces appear in the project.

Run these searches (adapt file extensions to the user's language and platform):

# Find all Stytch import / package sites (backend, frontend, mobile)
grep -rni "stytch\|@stytch\|stytchauth\|com\.stytch" \
  --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" \
  --include="*.mjs" --include="*.cjs" --include="*.py" --include="*.go" \
  --include="*.rb" --include="*.java" --include="*.kt" --include="*.kts" \
  --include="*.swift" --include="*.gradle" --include="*.gradle.kts" \
  --include="Podfile" --include="Gemfile" \
  --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=.next --exclude-dir=dist --exclude-dir=venv \
  --exclude-dir=build --exclude-dir=.gradle \
  . 2>/dev/null

# Find all Stytch env var references
grep -rn "STYTCH_\|stytch\." \
  --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" \
  --include="*.py" --include="*.go" --include="*.rb" --include="*.java" --include="*.kt" \
  --include="*.swift" --include="*.env*" --include="*.yml" --include="*.yaml" \
  --include="Dockerfile" \
  --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=.next --exclude-dir=build \
  . 2>/dev/null

# Find Stytch SDK surface + session / claim / org access patterns
# (things that may need a JWT Template or org→tenant remap)
# We match on ".sessions" etc to catch any variable name (e.g. stytch.sessions, stytchClient.sessions)
grep -rni "\.sessions\|\.b2b\|\.b2c_client\|\.otps\|\.magicLinks\|\.magic_links\|\.passwords\|\.oauth\|\.webauthn\|\.totps\|\.mfa\|\.m2m\|\.scim\|\.connected\|\.idp\|\.rbac\|\.discovery\|\.impersonation\|\.users\|\.organizations\|session_token\|session_jwt\|intermediate_session_token\|organization_id\|organization_slug\|member_id\|trusted_auth\|external_token\|custom_claims\|authenticateJwt\|authenticate(" \
  --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" \
  --include="*.py" --include="*.go" --include="*.rb" --include="*.java" --include="*.kt" \
  --include="*.swift" \
  --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=.next --exclude-dir=build \
  . 2>/dev/null

# Find frontend / mobile session hooks and providers
grep -rn "StytchProvider\|StytchB2BProvider\|Products\|StytchB2B\|StytchLogin\|StytchHeadlessClient\|useStytch\|useStytchUser\|useStytchSession\|createStytchUIClient\|StytchConsumerSDK\|StytchClient\|StytchUI\|@stytch/nextjs\|@stytch/react\|@stytch/vanilla-js\|@stytch/react-native" \
  --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" \
  --include="*.swift" --include="*.kt" \
  --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=.next --exclude-dir=build \
  . 2>/dev/null

# Find B2B / enterprise / fraud / connected-app feature usage
grep -rn "scim\|saml\|sso\|adminPortal\|admin_portal\|discovery\|jit_provision\|connectedApp\|connected_app\|m2m\|client_credentials\|deviceFingerprint\|device_fingerprint\|protectedAuth\|protected_auth\|dfp\|webhook" \
  --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" \
  --include="*.py" --include="*.go" --include="*.rb" --include="*.java" --include="*.kt" \
  --include="*.swift" \
  --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=.next --exclude-dir=build \
  . 2>/dev/null

# Check dependency manifests for Stytch packages
find . -maxdepth 4 \( \
  -name "package.json" -o -name "go.mod" -o -name "requirements.txt" -o \
  -name "Gemfile" -o -name "pom.xml" -o -name "build.gradle" -o -name "build.gradle.kts" -o \
  -name "Podfile" -o -name "Podfile.lock" \
\) ! -path "*/node_modules/*" ! -path "*/build/*" \
  -exec grep -l "stytch\|@stytch\|stytchauth\|com\.stytch" {} \;

For each hit, record:

• File path and line — where the change happens
• What it does — import, route protection, claim access, org/tenant read, SSO/SCIM config, webhook handler, logout handler, etc.
• Complexity — Low (drop-in replacement), Medium (logic rewrite), High (no equivalent)

Read package.json (or equivalent) for the exact framework version — this affects async behavior (Next.js 15 vs 14) and SDK compatibility.

If the Descope Docs MCP is available, use search-descope-docs or ask-question-about-descope to verify current SDK method names for anything you plan to reference in the plan.

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Step 2: Write MIGRATION-PLAN.md

Write MIGRATION-PLAN.md to the working directory using the triage answers and codebase analysis.

Two audiences: the engineer needs enough technical detail to execute; the PM or tech lead needs scope, risk, and timeline without decoding jargon. Use plain English. Explain technical terms on first use. Open each section with a sentence summarizing what it means before presenting tables or evidence. Say what breaks if a risk is missed, not just that it exists. Pair complexity labels with time estimates; skew toward the lower bound — SDK swaps and mechanical rewrites are usually faster than they look, and repetitive files in a group after the first go much faster. Group execution into phases so parallel vs. sequential work is clear.

The plan must include these sections, in this order:

Overview

2–3 sentences: what's being replaced, what replaces it, and the recommended approach with a one-sentence rationale. Add one sentence on what doesn't change — user-facing login behavior, sessions, organizations, and existing accounts are preserved.

Include a Migration at a Glance table:

Approach	Full native migration
Files changing	N source files across N areas
Console setup	N configuration steps before launch
User impact	No re-login required / Users will need to log in once after cutover
Estimated engineering effort	N–N hours
Biggest risk	One sentence naming the highest-complexity item

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What's Changing and Why

Prose (not a table) describing what each part of the system does today and what it does after. Example:

Today, Stytch handles everything related to login: Stytch UI or frontend/mobile SDKs render the login experience, issue session_token / session_jwt, and the backend SDK validates sessions on every request — routing B2B users to the right organization SSO connection when applicable. After this migration, Descope takes over all of those responsibilities. The login UI becomes a Descope Flow embedded in the app. Session validation moves to the Descope SDK. Stytch Organizations become Descope Tenants. STYTCH_PROJECT_ID, STYTCH_SECRET, and the public token are replaced by DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID (and NEXT_PUBLIC_DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID for the browser).

Stytch features in use that need to carry over: [list in plain English, one clause each].

Tailor to triage findings.

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Client SDK vs. Backend SDK: A Specific 1-to-1 Mapping

For every Stytch touchpoint found in triage, produce a concrete, one-to-one mapping — Stytch construct → the exact Descope SDK and method that replaces it — and state explicitly whether that replacement runs in the client SDK or the backend SDK, and why. Use this division of responsibility:

• Client SDK (@descope/web-js-sdk, @descope/react-sdk, @descope/nextjs-sdk client components, or the <descope-wc> web component) — everything the user's browser or mobile app does: rendering the login/sign-up UI (a Descope Flow replaces Stytch UI, @stytch/react, @stytch/nextjs, @stytch/vanilla-js, or mobile SDK login flows), initiating authentication, holding the session on the client, refreshing the token, and reading the current user for UI purposes. This replaces Stytch frontend/mobile providers (StytchProvider, useStytch, useStytchUser, useStytchSession), headless client calls, and any client-side session access. It uses only the public Project ID — never a Management Key.
• Backend SDK (@descope/node-sdk, descope (Python), github.com/descope/go-sdk, etc.) — everything the server does: validating the session JWT on every request (replacing Stytch server-side sessions.authenticate() / sessions.authenticateJwt() and route middleware), checking roles and permissions, and — with a Management Key — all administrative operations done by ID (user and tenant CRUD, role/permission definitions, SSO/SCIM configuration, ReBAC). This replaces Stytch backend SDK calls (stytch.sessions, stytch.b2b.*, stytch.m2m, etc.) and every Stytch Management API call.

For each file or area, name the Stytch call, the Descope SDK that replaces it, which side it runs on, and the reason (e.g. "session validation must stay server-side because the validation/Management key cannot ship to the browser"). When one Stytch feature spans both sides — for example a Stytch UI or mobile login flow (now a client Flow) plus per-request sessions.authenticateJwt() validation (now the backend SDK) — split it into its client half and its backend half so the reader sees exactly what moves where, and why each piece belongs on that side.

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Auth Touchpoints: What the Code Analysis Found

Open with the scope count (e.g., "11 files across 4 areas"). Group by area, not file path. Each group gets a sentence on what it does and what changes.

Session handling (3 files) — These files read and validate the current user's login state. They'll be updated to use the Descope session SDK instead of Stytch session authentication (sessions.authenticateJwt(), sessions.authenticate(), or frontend useStytchSession()).

File	What it does today	What changes
lib/auth.ts:34	Validates session_jwt via stytch.sessions.authenticateJwt(); returns user_id, organization_id, roles	Rewritten to return Descope authInfo; a thin adapter layer preserves the shape callers expect
middleware.ts:12	Reads stytch_session cookie and blocks unauthenticated requests app-wide	Updated to validate Descope DS/DSR cookies via Descope session validation; logic is identical, SDK call changes

Login / auth UI (2 files) — These render Stytch UI or run headless Stytch client flows (magic links, OTP, OAuth, passkeys, B2B discovery). Descope replaces this with an embedded Flow component (or hosted Flow); token exchange and callback routes change shape.

File	What it does today	What changes
app/login/page.tsx	Renders <StytchLogin> or useStytch() headless flow	Replaced with <Descope flowId="..."> (or hosted Flow); onSuccess wires the Descope session client-side
app/api/authenticate/route.ts	Exchanges token / session_token from Stytch callback	Deleted or rewritten — most flows complete client-side in Descope; verify any server-side exchange against the framework section

Cover all functional groupings (B2B org/member management, SCIM webhooks, M2M token issuance, Connected Apps, mobile SDK auth, etc., when present). End with: "Total: N files. Estimated code-change effort: N–N hours."

---

Feature Migration: Stytch → Descope

For each Stytch feature confirmed in triage, write a short paragraph: what it's trying to accomplish, the best Descope approach for that goal, what's different, and what action is required. The best approach may be a Flow, Widget, SSO Setup Suite, or Console configuration rather than a direct SDK equivalent — reason about the intent, not just the API surface. Only recommend SDK code when programmatic control is genuinely required. Example:

Multi-tenancy (Stytch Organizations → Descope Tenants) Stytch multi-tenant auth is built around Organizations and Members. A Stytch Organization represents a tenant/customer in the application, and a Member is a user's account within that Organization. Organization-scoped configuration can include SSO connections, SCIM, JIT provisioning, approved auth methods, MFA policies, RBAC behavior, custom metadata, and Connected Apps settings. Descope has the same core concept, called Tenants. In most migrations, map one Stytch organization_id to one Descope tenant ID.

Most code that handles Stytch Organizations is management/admin code that passes a Stytch organization_id to B2B APIs — for example, loading an organization, updating organization settings, managing members, assigning roles, configuring SSO, or configuring SCIM. That becomes Descope tenant/user management code that passes a Descope tenant ID to the relevant tenant, user, SSO, SCIM, or RBAC operation. This is mostly by-ID management work, not token parsing.

The main request-time difference is the session shape. In Stytch B2B, the authenticated session is tied to a specific Organization and returns fields such as member_session.organization_id, member_session.organization_slug, member_session.roles, the member object, and the organization object. In Descope, tenant membership and tenant-scoped roles/permissions are read from the validated session/JWT and should ideally be checked with SDK helpers such as validateTenantRoles(...) or validateTenantPermissions(...) rather than by manually parsing claims.

Confirm the Organization→Tenant mapping first, since it ripples into SSO, SCIM, JIT provisioning, RBAC, Admin Portal replacement, Connected Apps, and any application database tables that store organization_id. Also confirm whether Stytch Members can belong to multiple Organizations and whether the app supports organization switching, because that determines whether the Descope migration needs tenant selection, active-tenant handling, or separate tenant-scoped login routes.

Effort: Medium (1–2 hours of code changes). Confirm the data migration path for orgs first.

Only include confirmed features.

---

Before the Code Can Run: Required Configuration

Some Descope behavior is configured in the console, not in code. List every item that must be set up before the app works, as checkboxes with a plain description of what it is, why it's needed, and roughly how long it takes. Group into "Required before any testing" and "Required before production":

Required before any testing:

• Create a Descope project — Takes 2 minutes. Produces a Project ID that replaces the STYTCH_PROJECT_ID in the app's environment variables.
• Create an authentication flow — Descope uses a visual "flow" to define the login experience (what methods are offered, in what order). The built-in sign-up-or-in flow works for most apps and requires no customization to start.
• Configure a user profile token template — By default, Descope session tokens don't include the user's name, email, or profile photo. This template needs to be configured so the app can display user profile information. Without it, any part of the UI that shows the user's name or email will show nothing after login. (~10 minutes)

Required before production:

• Create tenants for each Stytch Organization — Descope Tenants must exist before tenant-scoped code (SSO, roles, membership) will work.
• Create roles (or whatever the codebase references) — Descope roles must exist in the console before code that assigns them will work.
• Configure SSO connections per tenant (or enable the SSO Setup Suite for self-serve) — SAML/OIDC connections need to be recreated.
• Configure social login providers (Google, GitHub, etc.) — OAuth credentials for each provider need to be entered in the console. (~15 minutes per provider)
• (continue for each item found in analysis)

---

Environment Variables

Diff table with plain-English notes for each removal and addition:

Remove	Add	Why
STYTCH_PROJECT_ID	DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID	Your unique Stytch project ID. Descope uses a Project ID for the same purpose.
STYTCH_SECRET	DESCOPE_MANAGEMENT_KEY	Backend secret used to securely authenticate Stytch API requests. Descope session validation uses only the Project ID; a Management Key is needed only for server-side user/tenant/SSO/SCIM administration.
NEXT_PUBLIC_STYTCH_PUBLIC_TOKEN	NEXT_PUBLIC_DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID	Stytch's frontend-facing token for initializing client SDKs. Descope uses the same value as DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID, exposed to the browser for the login Flow component (Next.js and other frontend frameworks).
Connected Apps client_id (e.g. STYTCH_CONNECTED_APP_CLIENT_ID or similar)	DESCOPE_INBOUND_APP_CLIENT_ID	Only if the app uses Stytch Connected Apps as an OAuth/OIDC client — replace with the Descope Inbound App client ID (Console → Inbound Apps). First-party Connected Apps clients map to Federated Apps instead and do not use this variable. For confidential Inbound Apps, also add DESCOPE_INBOUND_APP_CLIENT_SECRET.

Follow with: "Net change: 2-3 variables removed, 1–4 added (Connected Apps env vars only if applicable). No secrets need to be rotated on the Stytch side — those credentials stop being used."

---

User & Organization Migration (only if existing users/orgs need to be migrated)

Prose strategy first, then steps. Start with: "X existing users across Y organizations need to be in Descope before cutover." Describe:

• The plan: whether this is big-bang (all users/orgs moved before cutover) or phased, and why
• Org→tenant mapping: each Stytch Organization becomes a Descope Tenant;
• What users will experience: will they need to log in again? Will anything look different?
• The biggest dependency: how password credentials carry over, and whether SCIM directories must be re-pointed at Descope (a continuing pipeline, not a one-time import)

End with a brief checklist of the migration steps at the level a PM can track:

• Export users and organizations from Stytch
• Map each Stytch Organization to a Descope Tenant
• Re-point SCIM\ at Descope (if Stytch SCIM is in use)
• Do a dry run of the import against the Descope dev project
• Review dry-run output for errors
• Run live migration against staging, then production

---

Trade-offs and considerations

Things that could affect timeline, user experience, or scope. Write each in plain English with three parts: what it is, what breaks if it's ignored, and what to do. Format each as a named callout:

Consideration: Organization-to-tenant mapping affects almost every B2B feature Stytch Organizations should usually map to Descope Tenants. If this mapping is wrong, SSO, SCIM, roles, permissions, domain routing, and user membership checks may all break. Action: Confirm the organization model before writing migration code.

Consideration: SCIM is a lifecycle system, not just a user import Stytch's SCIM may create, update, suspend, and delete users or group memberships continuously. A one-time import is not enough if enterprise directories keep syncing after cutover. Action: Identify every SCIM workflow and re-point it at Descope before cutover.

Consideration: Admin Portal UI should not automatically become custom code If the app uses the Stytch Admin Portal UI, the Descope equivalent may be the SSO Setup Suite or a Widget rather than a custom settings page. Action: Ask whether tenant admins currently self-configure SSO/SCIM/domain verification.

Consideration: User profile data won't appear after login until a token template is configured Descope session tokens don't include name, email, or profile photo by default. Any UI that displays user information will show blank values after migration until the token template is set up in the Descope console. This is a one-time configuration step, not a code change. Action: Configure the token template before running any tests. Estimated time: 10 minutes.

Include only applicable trade-offs and considerations.

---

Execution Plan

Open with one sentence: phases run in sequence; steps within a phase can run in parallel. Then labeled phases, each with a time estimate:

---

Phase 1 — Console Setup (~30–60 minutes, no code required) Can be done by any team member with Descope console access, in parallel with other work.

• Create Descope project, copy Project ID
• Configure Approved Domains (domain only — e.g. localhost:3000, not http://localhost:3000/authenticate)
• Create authentication flow (use the built-in sign-up-or-in to start)
• Configure user profile token template
• Create tenants for each Stytch Organization (list actual orgs found)
• Create roles: (list actual roles found)
• Configure SSO connections per tenant or enable the SSO Setup Suite (if SSO in use)
• Configure social login providers: (list actual providers found)

Phase 2 — Code Changes (~X–Y hours, 1 engineer) Work through files in the order listed. Run a compile check after each group.

• Update environment variables in .env.example and CI config (15 min)
• Rewrite session helper / withAuth() usage (30 min)
• Swap AuthKit provider/middleware for Descope equivalents (15 min)
• Update protected route files to use new session check (45 min)
• Repoint org handling to tenant IDs — management calls pass a tenantId; request-time session reads use tenants/dct (varies)
• Update logout — two-step logout (15 min)
• Compile check and fix any type errors before proceeding

Phase 3 — User & Organization Migration (~1–2 hours, includes dry run) Run against dev/staging first. Do not run against production until Phase 4 passes.

• (steps from user & organization migration section above)

Phase 4 — Testing (~30–45 minutes)

• Compile passes with zero errors
• Server starts, no crashes on startup
• Unauthenticated routes redirect to login correctly
• Login flow completes, user profile data appears (confirms token template is working)
• Tenant/SSO routing works for at least one organization
• Logout invalidates session

Phase 5 — Production Cutover

• (cutover-specific steps based on their strategy — maintenance window, phased rollout, SCIM re-point, etc.)

---

Total estimated engineering effort: N–N hours across N engineers. Blocking dependencies: (list anything on the critical path — console access, SCIM re-point, etc.)

---

After writing MIGRATION-PLAN.md, stop and tell the user:

MIGRATION-PLAN.md has been written to your working directory. It maps every auth touchpoint found, lists what needs Console setup before the first test, and calls out trade-offs and considerations that could affect the timeline.

Take a look before we start making changes. When you're ready to proceed, say so.

Do not proceed to Part 3 unless the user confirms.

---

Part 3: Execution

Execute the plan in MIGRATION-PLAN.md Execution Plan order. Follow the detailed guidance below for each step.

---

Context Continuity Protocol

Context can be lost between turns. These rules keep the migration coherent.

Step 3.0 — Create MIGRATION-STATE.md before touching any code.

Write MIGRATION-STATE.md to the working directory from the template below. It's the source of truth for migration state — keep it current throughout execution.

# Migration State

_Last updated: [timestamp of last completed step]_

## Project Context
- Framework: [e.g., Next.js 14, Express + React]
- Language: [TypeScript / Python / Go]
- Package manager: [npm / yarn / pnpm / pip / etc.]
- Migration goal: [Full cutover / Phased / Evaluating]

## Triage Answers
- Existing users: [Yes — N users / No — greenfield]
- Existing organizations: [Yes — N orgs → tenants / No]
- Password migration needed: [Yes / No]
- Stytch features in use: [comma-separated list]
- Multiple environments: [Yes: dev/staging/prod / No]
- Zero-downtime required: [Yes / No]

## Files Inventory
_All files that need to change. Update status after each step._

| File | Change | Status |
|---|---|---|
| `app/callback/route.ts` | Delete/rewrite | ⬜ Pending |
| `lib/auth.ts` | Rewrite session helper | ⬜ Pending |
| `middleware.ts` | Update session check | ⬜ Pending |

## Console Setup Checklist
- [ ] Descope project created — Project ID: (fill in when done)
- [ ] Approved Domains configured (domain only — e.g. `localhost:3000`, not `http://localhost:3000/authenticate`)
- [ ] JWT template configured
- [ ] Tenants created for each Stytch Organization: (list)
- [ ] Roles created: (list roles)
- [ ] SSO connections / SSO Setup Suite configured: (list)
- [ ] Social providers configured: (list providers)

## Decisions Log
_Non-obvious decisions made during migration — preserves rationale if context is lost._

_(none yet)_

## Current Phase
Phase 1 — Console Setup (not started)

## Next Action
Complete console setup per MIGRATION-PLAN.md before making any code changes.

## Blockers
_(none)_

---

Rule 1 — Re-read before every turn.

At the start of every execution turn, re-read MIGRATION-PLAN.md and MIGRATION-STATE.md before writing any code or making any decision.

Rule 2 — Verify context before every code change.

If the framework, migration path, triage answers, or next step aren't clear from the conversation, re-read both files before proceeding. Then output a context line:

Migration context: Next.js 14 · Phase 2, step 3/8 · Next: rewrite lib/auth.ts

If this line can't be filled in accurately, re-read the files first.

Rule 3 — Update MIGRATION-STATE.md immediately after each step.

Mark the file done in the Files Inventory, update "Current Phase" and "Next Action", and append any non-obvious decision to the Decisions Log. Do this before the next step.

---

Pre-Generation Protocol (apply before writing any code)

Run before generating any import, wrapper type, or helper. Skipping produces code that compiles but fails at runtime.

1. Verify SDK exports before writing any import. When the Docs MCP is available, use ask-question-about-descope to confirm the exact method name, option shape, and return type before writing any SDK call. This is faster and more reliable than reading type declarations. Do not write a method name and add a hedge like "verify the exact name" — just verify it.

When the Descope MCP server is unavailable: resolve the package's type declarations (node_modules/<pkg>/dist/types/ or its package.json types field) and confirm the exact exported name and signature. For Go, run go doc. For Python, check the SDK stubs.

Prefer local node_modules/ over GitHub when reading type declarations. Installed packages reflect the exact version in use. If the Descope package isn't installed yet, install it first, then read local type declarations. Only fall back to GitHub if the package can't be installed in the current environment.

This applies to every SDK call you write, not just the first import. Field names on option objects, hook return shapes (useDescope() returns the SDK directly, not { sdk }), and subpath exports (/client vs root) differ just as often.

1a. After rewriting any module, grep for remaining imports of the removed package.

grep -r "from '@stytch/\|from 'stytch'\|from \"stytch\"" --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.js" --include="*.jsx" .

Add remaining hits to the work list.

2. Derive wrapper types from the actual return type. Read the function's declared return type and build the wrapper to match. Stytch's field names, nesting, and flags differ — don't infer from them.

3. Check dependency versions before generating framework-specific code. For Next.js: cookies() and headers() from next/headers are synchronous in v14 and async in v15. Read package.json (or go.mod, requirements.txt) first.

4. When making a helper async, propagate to all callers immediately. In TypeScript, async on a shared utility silently breaks callers that omit await. Grep for all call sites of the changed function and update them in the same pass. The cascade can span 10–20 files.

5. Verify published package versions before writing to package.json or running npm install. Don't reuse Stytch's version number or rely on training data for versions. Before writing any install command:

npm view @descope/node-sdk version
npm view @descope/nextjs-sdk version

If npm is unavailable, leave the version as "latest" and flag it.

---

Step 1.5: Descope Project Setup & Console Configuration

Several steps require Descope Console setup that can't be done in code. The app compiles without them but won't work at runtime.

Use AskUserQuestion to ask whether they already have a Project ID and working Flow. If yes, skip to verifying items 5–8 — these are easy to miss even for existing projects.

1. Create a project and get your Project ID

• Sign in at console.descope.com
• Your Project ID appears in the top-left project selector and under Project → General. It starts with P (e.g. P2abc123...).
• For Next.js client-side code, this becomes NEXT_PUBLIC_DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID. For all server-side SDKs, it's DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID.

2. Get a Management Key (if needed)

Required for: user management API, role/permission management, tenant operations, SSO/SCIM configuration, ReBAC (FGA), Outbound Apps. If the app does any server-side user, tenant, SSO, or SCIM management, they need this.

• Console → Company → Management Keys → + Management Key
• Store as DESCOPE_MANAGEMENT_KEY. Treat like a secret — never expose client-side.

3. Choose or create a Flow

A Flow is the auth UI sequence. Reference it by Flow ID in the web component.

• Console → Flows
• The built-in "sign-up-or-in" flow handles email/password, OTP, and social login. Use it for most migrations.
• To customise: duplicate "sign-up-or-in", rename it, then edit in the visual builder.
• The Flow ID is in the URL when editing and in the flow list.
• There are 100+ Flow templates in the library — check for an existing template before building a custom flow. See references/flows-and-widgets.md → Flows.
• MFA: add an MFA step to the Flow or embed MFA as a subflow. Descope manages MFA enrollment through Flows. For factor-deletion SDK support by type, see references/implementation-nuances.md → MFA section.

4. Configure authentication methods

• Console → Authentication → select methods (Email OTP, Magic Link, Social, SSO, Passkeys, etc.)
• For social providers (Google, GitHub, etc.): configure OAuth credentials here, then add the provider step to your Flow.
• For enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC): To configure SSO for a specific tenant or to enable the SSO Setup Suite for tenant-admin self-serve, go to Console → Tenants, select the desired tenant, and click Tenant Settings. For correct SSO callback and ACS URLs (social OAuth, SAML ACS, what NOT to use), see references/implementation-nuances.md → Social login / SSO section.

5. Configure Approved Domains (local dev and production)

Console → Project Settings → Security → Approved Domains.

Descope validates redirect URLs against this domain list — not full redirect URIs like Stytch. Enter domain only: no http:///https://, no path.

• Local dev: localhost:3000 (include port)
• Production: myapp.com or app.myapp.com

Do not carry over Stytch callback URLs like http://localhost:3000/authenticate. Descope embedded Flows complete auth client-side; there is no /authenticate route to whitelist. See references/implementation-nuances.md → Approved Domains gotcha.

6. Configure a JWT Template (almost always needed)

Stytch tokens may include profile fields; Descope tokens do not by default.

• Console → Project → JWT Templates
• Add claims: {"email": "{{user.email}}", "name": "{{user.name}}", "picture": "{{user.picture}}"}
• Apply the template to your project. Without this step, any code reading token.email will get undefined after migration.

7. Create roles in the Console (if using RBAC)

Descope roles are referenced by name, not by ID. They must be created manually in the Console before the code that assigns them will work.

• Console → Authorization → RBAC → + Role
• Create each role the app references (e.g. admin, member)

8. Define custom attributes (if using Stytch metadata)

Stytch metadata maps to Descope customAttributes, but the models are slightly different. Stytch stores arbitrary JSON in metadata fields, while Descope custom attributes should be pre-defined in the Console schema before setting them via the SDK.

Tenant custom attributes: map Stytch Organization trusted_metadata to Descope tenant customAttributes. Configure these in Console → Tenants → Custom Attributes tab → Create Attribute. User custom attributes: map Stytch Consumer User trusted_metadata and safe B2B Member trusted_metadata to Descope user custom attributes. Configure these in Console → Project → Custom Attributes.

9. Env var summary

Variable	Where to get it	Used by
DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID	Console → Project Settings	All server-side SDKs
NEXT_PUBLIC_DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID	Same value as above	Next.js AuthProvider (client-side)
DESCOPE_MANAGEMENT_KEY	Console → Company → Management Keys	Management SDK, SSO/SCIM, Outbound Apps API

10. Consider Widgets for management UI

Before migrating custom profile pages, user management pages, role assignment UI, or admin SSO/SCIM setup pages, ask whether a Descope Widget or the SSO Setup Suite covers the use case. See references/flows-and-widgets.md → Widgets.

After completing console setup: Update MIGRATION-STATE.md — check off each completed item in the Console Setup Checklist, record the Project ID in the file, and set Next Action to the first code change step.

---

Step 2: Framework-Specific Migration

Stytch publishes three SDK families:

• Backend SDKs (one per language): stytch-node (stytch), stytch-python (stytch), stytch-go, stytch-ruby, stytch-java (Java/Kotlin/JVM). These call the Stytch API and authenticate sessions server-side.
• Frontend SDKs (per JS framework): @stytch/react, @stytch/nextjs, @stytch/vanilla-js. These render the login UI (Stytch UI or headless) and hold the client session.
• Mobile SDKs: @stytch/react-native, the iOS Swift SDK, and the Android Consumer SDK (a headless Kotlin Multiplatform library targeting Android).

The recipes below map each Stytch SDK to its Descope target — one section each. A Stytch app on a server framework not listed (Express, Flask, FastAPI, Rails, Spring) is using the underlying language Backend SDK (stytch-node, stytch-python, etc.), so map it via that SDK's section.

The framework recipes below are stubs listing the Stytch idioms that need mapping. Confirm the exact Stytch SDK surface for the user's stack and the matching Descope SDK calls via the Descope MCP or local type declarations before generating any code. Do not ship code from these stubs without verification.

Read references/implementation-nuances.md in two passes before writing any code:

1. General Insights (always) — covers architecture, feature mapping, and common gotchas that apply to every migration regardless of framework.
2. Framework section (use the file's ToC and offset to jump directly) — read only the section matching the user's stack.

When a new framework is added to the file, add it to this list.

Common Stytch idioms to map (all frameworks)

Frontend Stytch SDKs expose UI components and client session hooks; backend SDKs authenticate the session server-side. The mappings below apply across stacks:

• Stytch UI (<StytchLogin> / <StytchB2B>) or headless useStytch() login → embedded Descope Flow (<Descope flowId> / <descope-wc>) or hosted Flow, wiring onSuccess
• useStytchSession() / useStytchUser() (client session access) → Descope useSession() / useUser() hooks, with useDescope() for actions
• Backend client.sessions.authenticate() / client.sessions.authenticateJwt() → Descope backend validateSession() + an adapter returning the shape callers expect
• Stytch session cookies (stytch_session, stytch_session_jwt) → Descope signed session JWT in DS / DSR cookies
• Stytch magic-link / OAuth callback route (client.magicLinks.authenticate() / client.oauth.authenticate()) → removed/rewritten; Descope completes auth client-side

Backend SDKs

Node.js

Stytch SDK: stytch (stytch-node) → Descope @descope/node-sdk

• Remove stytch auth/session usage; add @descope/node-sdk
• Replace client.sessions.authenticateJwt() / client.sessions.authenticate() with custom middleware calling descopeClient.validateSession(sessionToken) against the DS cookie (parse the cookie yourself)

Python

Stytch SDK: stytch (stytch-python) → Descope descope Python SDK

• Remove the Stytch Python SDK auth/session usage; add the descope Python SDK
• Validate the DS session token with descope_client.validate_session(session_token=session_token) (or validate against Descope's JWKS for a custom authorizer)

Go

Stytch SDK: stytch-go → Descope Go SDK github.com/descope/go-sdk

• Remove the Stytch Go SDK; add descope/go-sdk
• Session validation: descopeClient.Auth.ValidateSessionWithToken(ctx, token) returns (bool, *descope.Token, error)
• Stytch organization_id → a Descope tenant ID: pass it to management calls (descopeClient.Management.Tenant() / user-tenant association); at request time read tenant context off the returned *descope.Token (token.GetTenants(), or the dct claim for the active tenant)

Ruby

Stytch SDK: stytch-ruby → Descope Ruby SDK

• Remove the Stytch Ruby SDK; add the Descope Ruby SDK
• Validate the DS session token with descope_client.validate_session(session_token: session_token) in your request lifecycle
• No dedicated recipe in implementation-nuances.md yet — follow the Node.js / Python backend patterns and verify against the Descope Ruby SDK.

Java / Kotlin (JVM)

Stytch SDK: stytch-java (Java/Kotlin/JVM) → Descope descope-java

• Remove the Stytch Java SDK; add descope-java
• Validate the DS token via a filter/interceptor: authenticationService.validateSessionWithToken(sessionToken) returns a Token
• No dedicated recipe yet — follow the backend patterns and verify against the Descope Java SDK.

Frontend SDKs

Read the session the framework-native way — never hand-parse the JWT on the client. On front-end pages and components, get auth state from the Descope hooks: useSession() for the session token and auth status, useUser() for the user profile, and useDescope() for actions like logout(). Do not manually decode the session token or pull claims out of it in client code. Server-side session validation — session() in @descope/nextjs-sdk/server, validateSession() in @descope/node-sdk (or the other backend SDKs) — belongs only in backend routes, middleware, and API handlers, never in a rendered client component. This matters most with the React SDK, where it's tempting to crack open the raw token in a component instead of calling useUser() / useSession().

Vanilla JS

Stytch SDK: @stytch/vanilla-js → Descope @descope/web-js-sdk + @descope/web-component

• Stytch headless client (createStytchUIClient / StytchHeadlessClient) session access → @descope/web-js-sdk (getSessionToken(), isJwtExpired(), refresh())
• Stytch UI login → <descope-wc project-id flow-id> web component, listening for success / error events
• Logout: sdk.logout() + clear stored tokens/cookies

React

Stytch SDK: @stytch/react → Descope @descope/react-sdk

• <StytchProvider> → Descope <AuthProvider projectId>
• Stytch UI (<StytchLogin>) / headless useStytch() login → embedded <Descope flowId> component, wiring onSuccess
• useStytchSession() / useStytchUser() → Descope useSession() + useUser() hooks, with useDescope() for actions
• Always read auth state through the hooks — never decode the session token by hand in a component, and never call backend validateSession() from client code; that runs only on the server.
• Logout: sdk.logout() via useDescope() hook
• No dedicated recipe yet — follow the Next.js client-side patterns and verify each method against docs.

Next.js

Stytch SDK: @stytch/nextjs → Descope @descope/nextjs-sdk + @descope/node-sdk

• @stytch/nextjs → @descope/nextjs-sdk + @descope/node-sdk
• <StytchProvider> → Descope AuthProvider (takes projectId; must use NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix)
• Server client.sessions.authenticateJwt() → session() (server); client useStytchSession() / useStytchUser() → useSession() / useUser()
• Remove the Stytch magic-link / OAuth callback route — verify Descope's client-side handling
• Stytch session middleware → Descope authMiddleware(options)
• Logout: sdk.logout() via useDescope() hook + clear cookies (two-step)
• Client vs. server session access — session() from @descope/nextjs-sdk/server is server-only; useSession()/useUser() from @descope/nextjs-sdk/client are client-only. Using session() in a client component compiles but throws at runtime. Verify exact exports before writing imports.

Mobile SDKs

React Native

Stytch SDK: @stytch/react-native → Descope @descope/react-native-sdk

• Stytch UI / headless client login → run a Descope Flow via the React Native SDK (or hosted Flow)
• Stytch session access/storage → Descope React Native SDK session management
• Logout: Descope SDK logout + clear the stored session
• No dedicated recipe yet — verify methods against the Descope React Native SDK.

iOS (Swift)

Stytch iOS Swift SDK → Descope descope-swift

• Stytch login (UI or headless) → run a Descope Flow via the Swift SDK, or hosted Flow
• Stytch session validation/refresh → Descope Swift SDK session APIs
• No dedicated recipe yet — verify against the Descope Swift SDK.

Android (Kotlin)

Stytch Android Consumer SDK (headless Kotlin Multiplatform) → Descope descope-kotlin

• Headless Stytch client login → run a Descope Flow via the Android/Kotlin SDK, or hosted Flow
• Stytch session validation/refresh → Descope Kotlin SDK session APIs
• No dedicated recipe yet — verify against the Descope Android/Kotlin SDK.

After completing framework code changes: Update MIGRATION-STATE.md — mark each modified file as Done in the Files Inventory, update Current Phase and Next Action, and log any non-obvious decisions made (adapter types kept, async cascade scope, etc.).

---

Step 2.5: Non-Code File Updates

Scan for Stytch references in non-code files after updating source files.

.env.example / .env.template / .env.sample

# REMOVE
STYTCH_PROJECT_ID=
STYTCH_SECRET=
STYTCH_PUBLIC_TOKEN=
NEXT_PUBLIC_STYTCH_PUBLIC_TOKEN=

# ADD
DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID=             # Console → Project Settings
NEXT_PUBLIC_DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID= # Next.js / frontend — same value as above
DESCOPE_MANAGEMENT_KEY=         # Console → Company → Management Keys (replaces STYTCH_SECRET for admin APIs)

Run grep -ir "STYTCH" to find all env var references — .env.example, Docker, CI, shell scripts.

README / docs

Search all .md files for Stytch references. At minimum, update:

• Setup section — replace "create a Stytch app" instructions with Descope Console setup steps
• Environment variables section — reflect the reduced env var set
• Run instructions — replace Stytch dashboard steps with Descope Console steps
• Auth flow diagrams or descriptions — update to reflect Descope's cookie-based approach

Docker / CI files

Check Dockerfile, docker-compose.yml, .github/workflows/, and any CI config for STYTCH_* env var declarations. Update them to DESCOPE_*.

Setup / bootstrap scripts

When the migration includes a setup or seed script (e.g., scripts/bootstrap.mjs, scripts/seed.ts), split it into two parts:

1. Console setup (cannot be scripted): Flows, email templates, MFA configuration, branding/Styles, SSO Setup Suite — configure these in the Descope Console. Represent them as a Phase 1 checklist in MIGRATION-PLAN.md.
2. SDK automation (can be scripted): role creation (management.role.create()), tenant creation, access key provisioning, SSO/SCIM config. Preserve these as a Node.js/Python script using the Descope Management SDK.

After completing non-code file updates: Update MIGRATION-STATE.md — mark env files, README, and CI config done in the Files Inventory, and advance Next Action.

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Step 3: Feature Migration Mapping

For each Stytch feature confirmed in triage, write a short paragraph: what it accomplishes, the best Descope approach for that goal, what's different, and what action is required. Reason about intent, not just the API surface — the best approach may be a Flow, Widget, SSO Setup Suite, Inbound App, Console configuration, or tenant configuration rather than a direct SDK equivalent. Only recommend SDK/API code when programmatic control is genuinely required, and verify every method name against the Descope MCP server before writing it. Include only confirmed features.

Consumer Authentication → Descope Flows + Auth Methods + JWT Templates

Stytch Consumer Auth handles B2C sign-in — hosted/prebuilt UI, frontend SDK flows, backend API flows, users, sessions, and methods (OAuth/social, magic links, OTP, passwords, passkeys/WebAuthn, mobile biometrics, MFA/TOTP, crypto wallet). Descope maps these to Flows, authentication methods, Users, session validation, and JWT Templates / custom claims.

Stytch	Descope
Stytch UI / prebuilt login UI	Descope Flows
Frontend SDK auth flows	Descope frontend SDK + Flow component
Backend API-driven auth	Descope backend SDK / API auth methods when Flows are not sufficient
OAuth/social login	Descope OAuth/social login methods
Email magic links	Descope Magic Link / Enchanted Link
Email/SMS/WhatsApp OTP	Descope OTP methods
Passwords	Descope Passwords
Passkeys / WebAuthn	Descope Passkeys
TOTP / MFA	Descope MFA / TOTP / Flow conditions
Stytch User object	Descope User
Stytch session token / session JWT	Descope session token / JWT + backend session validation
Stytch custom claims / session metadata	Descope JWT Templates or Custom Claims action

Prefer Flows for the user journey; use custom SDK/API calls only when Flows cannot express the requirement. Confirm which Stytch methods are enabled, whether Stytch or custom UI is used, and whether backend routes call Stytch APIs directly. Effort: Low–Medium for straightforward B2C auth; higher with custom session claims, MFA branching, or nonstandard factors.

Multi-tenant / B2B Authentication → Descope Tenants + Users

Stytch B2B authentication is built around Organizations and Members. Descope maps this model most closely to Tenants and Users associated with tenants. A Stytch Organization usually becomes a Descope Tenant, while a Stytch Member usually becomes a Descope User with tenant membership, roles, permissions, and tenant-specific attributes.

Stytch	Descope
Organization	Tenant
Member	User associated with a tenant
Organization ID	Tenant ID
Organization metadata	Tenant customAttributes
Member metadata	User custom attributes or tenant-specific user metadata
Organization-specific auth settings	Tenant settings + Flow logic + SSO configuration
Member invitations	Invitation Flow / management SDK flow
Organization discovery	Tenant discovery / tenant selection / domain-based routing
Org-specific login	Tenant-specific login route, tenant slug, or tenant Flow input
Organization session exchange / org switching	Active tenant selection and tenant-aware session claims
Members belonging to multiple Organizations	Users belonging to multiple tenants

Confirm the one-Stytch-Organization-to-one-Descope-Tenant mapping before writing code. This mapping ripples into SSO, SCIM, RBAC, JIT provisioning, sessions, custom claims, and domain routing. Also check whether the application treats organization_id as an authorization boundary, a billing boundary, a data partition key, or all three. Effort: Medium — conceptually clean, but application code often assumes Stytch's Organization/Member object shapes.

Organizations and Members → Descope Tenant and Users

Stytch Organizations and Members are not just data objects; they may drive onboarding, invitations, membership updates, deactivation, organization switching, metadata, and tenant-specific access controls. In Descope, model these workflows using Tenants, Users, tenant membership, roles, permissions, and optionally Flows or management SDK calls for lifecycle operations.

Stytch	Descope
Create/update Organization	Create/update Tenant
Create/update Member	Create/update User and tenant association
Organization metadata	Tenant custom attributes
Member metadata	User custom attributes / tenant-specific user attributes
Member invite	Invite/onboarding Flow or management SDK
Member deactivate/delete	User deactivation, tenant removal, or tenant-role removal
Organization allowed auth methods	Tenant settings + Flow conditions
Organization-specific MFA policy	Tenant-aware MFA logic in Flows

Ask whether Organization and Member data is synchronized into the app database, whether the app reads Stytch as the source of truth, and whether lifecycle changes trigger webhooks. Effort: Medium — especially if membership state is mirrored in the application database.

Enterprise SSO → Descope Tenant SSO

Stytch Enterprise SSO maps to Descope tenant-level SSO. In Stytch, SSO connections are associated with Organizations. In Descope, SSO is configured per Tenant, with support for SAML/OIDC providers, domain-based routing, SSO Setup Suite, and multiple SSO providers per tenant when needed.

Preferred approach — SSO Setup Suite: before migrating any Stytch SSO management code, ask whether the no-code SSO Setup Suite removes the need for that code. It guides tenant admins through per-tenant SAML/OIDC setup with IdP-specific instructions (Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, etc.) and can reduce engineering involvement for new enterprise customer onboarding.

Multiple SSO configurations per tenant. If a single Stytch customer has multiple SSO connections, or if the old Stytch model used multiple Organizations to represent one customer with multiple IdPs, do not blindly create multiple Descope Tenants. First decide whether the customer should become one Descope Tenant with multiple SSO configurations.

Stytch	Descope
Organization SSO connection	Tenant SSO configuration
SAML SSO	Descope SAML SSO
OIDC SSO	Descope OIDC SSO
Organization-specific SSO routing	Tenant routing / SSO domain routing
Multi-Organization SSO behavior	Tenant design + active tenant/session model review
Customer-admin SSO setup	SSO Setup Suite
SSO claim/group role assignment	SSO attribute mapping / group-to-role mapping
Programmatic SSO connection management	Descope Management API / SDK, if self-service is not used

Use AskUserQuestion to ask two things here:

1. Does any single customer use multiple IdPs or multiple Stytch Organizations to represent the same real-world customer?
2. Does the app need programmatic SSO configuration, or do customer admins configure SSO themselves?

For runtime login, prefer Descope's SSO-specific login path rather than generic social OAuth logic. The exact SDK method names differ by language/framework, so verify against the Descope MCP server before writing implementation code. Rule of thumb: tenant/enterprise SSO should use Descope's tenant-level SSO configuration; social login should use OAuth/social auth methods. Effort: Medium

SCIM → Descope SCIM / Tenant Provisioning

Stytch SCIM maps to Descope SCIM provisioning. Treat this as a continuing provisioning pipeline, not a one-time import — enterprise directories keep pushing create, update, group, and deprovisioning events after cutover.

Stytch SCIM	Descope
SCIM endpoint per Organization	Descope SCIM endpoint / token per tenant
User create/update/deactivate	Tenant user provisioning lifecycle
Groups	External groups / group-to-role mapping
SCIM group-to-role assignment	SCIM or SSO group mapping to Descope roles
Deprovisioning	User deactivation / tenant access removal behavior
SCIM tokens	Tenant-scoped SCIM-compatible access keys
SCIM webhooks / downstream sync handlers	Descope events, audit logs, webhooks, or app sync code

Identify every connected directory, which IdPs are used, whether groups are synced, whether groups map to roles, and what happens when a user is removed from a group. Pay special attention to whether Stytch deprovisioning revoked sessions immediately, removed membership, changed roles, or only updated status. Effort: Medium–High — lifecycle, groups, deprovisioning, and role mapping can be subtle.

Admin Portal → Descope SSO Setup Suite / Admin Widgets

Stytch Admin Portal provides customer-admin workflows for managing enterprise configuration such as SSO, SCIM, organization settings, members, and related admin tasks. Do not default to rebuilding these screens as custom code.

Stytch Admin Portal area	Descope replacement
AdminPortalMemberManagement	User Management Widget
Member search/update/invite	User Management Widget or Management SDK/API
Member role assignment	User Management Widget; Role Management Widget if tenant admins manage roles
AdminPortalOrgSettings	Tenant Profile Widget for tenant name, custom attributes, domains, and SSO enforcement
Organization auth method/JIT settings	Flow logic, tenant settings/custom attributes, or custom Management SDK/API UI
AdminPortalSSO	SSO Setup Suite
AdminPortalSCIM	SSO Setup Suite SCIM configuration
Custom member management UI	Prefer User Management Widget; otherwise Management SDK/API
Custom organization management UI	Prefer Tenant Profile Widget; otherwise Management SDK/API

Ask which Stytch Admin Portal workflows are actually used today. If a Descope Widget or SSO Setup Suite covers the workflow, prefer that over custom migration code. Effort: Medium — may remove custom code, but generated portal-link workflows need replacement.

RBAC → Descope RBAC

Stytch RBAC combines Resources, Actions, Permissions, and Roles — a Permission is a resource_id + action pair (e.g. documents:read, employees:update), grouped into Roles assigned to Members. Stytch evaluates via frontend SDK resource/action checks or backend session/JWT calls with organization_id, resource_id, and action. Descope has Roles and Permissions too, but permissions are strings, not first-class Resource + Action objects — encode each Stytch pair as a consistent permission string (resource.action or resource:action).

Descope supports project- and tenant-level roles and permissions. Stytch defines its RBAC Policy once at the project level (shared role/resource catalog); roles are assigned per Organization with no per-org policy divergence. Stytch's only org-scoped feature is implicit assignment (auto-grant a project role by email domain) — tenant-specific assignment, not definition. Default migration: map Stytch role definitions to Descope project-level roles, then assign users in the relevant tenant.

Stytch	Descope
Resource	Encoded in permission string
Action	Encoded in permission string
Permission = Resource + Action	Permission
Role	Role
Project-level RBAC policy	Project-level role/permission catalog
Role definition in RBAC policy	Usually project-level role
Member role assignment inside an Organization	User role assignment in a tenant
Same user has different roles in different Organizations	Same user has different roles in different tenants
Tenant-specific/custom role catalog	Use Descope tenant-level roles only if this behavior actually exists in the app

Confirm whether roles gate UI only or backend auth too; whether roles/permissions appear in tokens; whether the app stores assignments locally; and whether SSO/SCIM mappings are source of truth. Effort: Medium for normal RBAC; higher if mixed with Connected Apps scopes or app-defined resource authorization.

Authorization Beyond RBAC

If the Stytch app has authorization beyond RBAC — relationship-based or per-resource checks such as project membership, document ownership, workspace hierarchy, or shared/delegated access — do not assume a plain RBAC migration covers it. This maps to Descope ReBAC/FGA (only when the model truly depends on relationships between entities) or stays in the application database.

See references/implementation-nuances.md → Authorization beyond RBAC → Descope ReBAC for the decision guide, an example schema, the recommended-approach table, and effort estimate.

JIT Provisioning → Descope JIT Provisioning / Tenant Association

Stytch JIT auto-adds Members to Organizations from auth context — main paths: email-domain JIT, SSO Connection JIT, and OAuth-tenant JIT. Trusted Auth Tokens have a separate JIT option that can create Members or Organizations from external JWTs. Invitations are a distinct onboarding path, not JIT.

Descope supports tenant association, self-provisioning domains, domain-based SSO routing, SSO-driven JIT, SCIM, and Flow-based tenant/user logic. Preserve whichever Stytch provisioning model is configured; do not assume the customer picks only one.

Important: for each tenant, identify the source of truth for membership and role assignment — JIT, SCIM, invitations, manual admin membership, Trusted Auth Tokens, or app-side onboarding. SCIM and JIT can coexist, but mixed sources without clear precedence cause duplicate accounts, unexpected tenant access, missed deprovisioning, or role confusion. Confirm which paths are enabled per Organization in Stytch.

Stytch	Descope
Email-domain JIT provisioning	Tenant self-provisioning domains / Flow logic
email_allowed_domains	Tenant domains / self-provisioning domains
SSO Connection JIT provisioning	SSO JIT provisioning / tenant association
sso_jit_provisioning	Tenant SSO provisioning behavior
OAuth-tenant JIT provisioning	Custom Flow / Connector / app-side tenant logic
Allowed GitHub, Slack, or HubSpot tenants	Custom tenant association logic if still required
Member created on first login	User associated with tenant during login
JIT role assignment from SSO claims	SSO group/attribute mapping to roles
Trusted Auth Token JIT	JWT Bearer
Email invitations	Separate invite/admin onboarding flow, not JIT
JIT plus SCIM	Preserve both if both are configured

Effort: Medium — low for email-domain JIT only; higher with SSO/SCIM role assignment, Trusted Auth Tokens, OAuth-tenant membership, or custom onboarding.

MFA and Step-up Authentication → Descope MFA / Flow Conditions

Stytch MFA and step-up authentication can involve OTPs, TOTP, passkeys/WebAuthn, passwords, OAuth, magic links, and organization-specific MFA requirements. Descope maps this to MFA methods and conditional Flow logic.

Use Flows for MFA whenever possible because MFA is usually part of the user journey, not just a backend API call. Flow conditions can branch based on user state, tenant context, risk signals, completed auth methods, or sensitive actions.

Stytch	Descope
SMS/email OTP MFA	Descope OTP MFA
TOTP MFA	Descope Authenticator Apps / TOTP
Passkey/WebAuthn as MFA or step-up	Descope Passkeys / WebAuthn
Organization-specific MFA policy	Tenant-aware Flow condition
Step-up for sensitive actions	Step-up Flow or backend-triggered reauth pattern
Risk-based MFA	Flow condition using risk signals / fingerprinting
Recovery codes / fallback behavior	Confirm support and design fallback explicitly

Ask whether MFA is required globally, per organization, per role, per risk level, or only for sensitive actions. Effort: Low–Medium unless MFA is deeply customized or risk-based.

Sessions and Tokens → Descope Session Management + JWT Templates

Stytch sessions may use session_token, session_jwt, intermediate sessions, cookies, custom claims, organization context, and session revocation. Descope sessions should be validated with the appropriate backend SDK/session validation path, and claims should be shaped with JWT Templates or Flow Custom Claims where appropriate.

Stytch	Descope
session_token	Descope session token
session_jwt	Descope JWT
Intermediate sessions	Flow-driven intermediate state / MFA / step-up handling
Organization context in session	Tenant claims / active tenant context
Custom claims	JWT Templates or Custom Claims action
Session revocation	Descope session/user logout or revocation pattern
Cookie-based sessions	Descope SDK cookie/session configuration
Backend session authentication	Descope backend session validation

Search the codebase for direct reads of Stytch session fields, token claims, organization/session exchange calls, and middleware that assumes Stytch-specific token shapes. Effort: Medium — token differences often affect middleware, API routes, and frontend hydration.

Fraud & Risk / Device Fingerprinting → Descope Flow + Connectors

See references/implementation-nuances.md → Attack protection: Stytch Fraud & Risk → Descope Flow-based security for connector mappings (Arkose, reCAPTCHA, Fingerprint, Have I Been Pwned, AbuseIPDB), Flow branching guidance, and fraud/KYC connector docs. Ask whether Stytch verdicts are monitoring-only or actually gate login. Effort: Medium–High only when verdicts affect production login outcomes.

Connected Apps → Federated Apps + Inbound Apps

Stytch Connected Apps enables a Stytch-powered application to act as an OAuth/OIDC Authorization Server for first-party apps, third-party integrations, desktop apps, CLI tools, AI agents, MCP clients, and other clients that need scoped access to user data.

Do not map every Stytch Connected Apps client to Descope Inbound Apps. Stytch distinguishes first-party from third-party clients; Descope splits the equivalent workloads across two identity-federation features:

Stytch Connected Apps client	Descope equivalent	Purpose
First-party client	Federated Apps	SSO across apps you own — Descope acts as the IdP so users authenticate once and access multiple connected applications without signing in again to each
Third-party client	Inbound Apps	OAuth/OIDC authorization server — external clients obtain scoped tokens to access your Resources, with consent and permission management

Public vs. confidential applies only to Inbound Apps (Stytch third-party clients). Confidential clients are server-side apps that can securely store a client secret; public clients (SPAs, mobile apps, CLI tools) cannot store secrets and must use PKCE.

First-party clients → Federated Apps

Stytch Connected Apps (first-party)	Descope Federated Apps
First-party OAuth/OIDC client	Federated App (SAML or OIDC SSO connection)
Known first-party app	Federated App registration and callback URL
SSO across owned applications	Descope as IdP; users sign in once across connected apps
Session / ID token for owned apps	Federated App OIDC token or SSO session

Third-party clients → Inbound Apps

Stytch Connected Apps (third-party)	Descope Inbound Apps
OAuth/OIDC Authorization Server	Inbound Apps authorization server (/oauth2/v1/apps/*)
Public client + PKCE	Public Inbound App / PKCE-capable flow
Confidential client	Confidential Inbound App with client secret
Authorization Code flow	Inbound App Authorization Code flow
Refresh tokens	Inbound App refresh token support (confidential clients use client secret; public clients do not)
ID tokens	OIDC ID tokens
Access tokens	Descope-issued scoped access tokens
Consent screen	Inbound App consent / consent management
Custom scopes	Resources and scopes
RBAC-backed scopes	Role/scope/resource mapping review
Token revocation	Inbound App token revocation
Dynamic Client Registration	DCR / Agentic Identity Hub client registration, if needed

This is a high-complexity migration if real external clients depend on the current Stytch issuer, JWKS, token claims, scopes, refresh token lifetimes, consent records, or callback URLs. Inventory every client, redirect URI, grant type, scope, token audience, and resource server before writing code. Effort: High when third-party clients or AI agents are already in production.

AI Agent / MCP Authentication → Descope Agentic Identity Hub / MCP Servers / Inbound Apps

Stytch can use Connected Apps for AI agents, MCP clients, CLI tools, and agentic integrations that need delegated OAuth/OIDC access. Descope has Agentic Identity Hub, MCP server configuration, Inbound Apps, resources/scopes, client registration, and token issuance patterns for these use cases.

Do not treat AI/MCP auth as a generic OAuth migration without review. Agentic flows often require clear resource scopes, dynamic client registration, token lifetimes, consent design, and organization-level controls.

Stytch AI / MCP pattern	Descope
Connected App for AI agent	Agentic Identity Hub client
MCP client authorization	MCP Server authorization / Inbound App
Dynamic Client Registration	DCR / CIMD / known client registration
Agent scopes	Resource scopes / policies
Agent consent	Inbound App consent
CLI or desktop app client	Public client + PKCE
Organization-level agent control	Tenant-aware policy / scope / consent design

Ask whether Stytch is acting as the OAuth provider for agents, whether the app exposes MCP tools, and whether external agents already store refresh tokens. Effort: Medium–High — flag for dedicated review.

Machine-to-Machine Authentication → Resources + Inbound Apps + Policies

Stytch M2M authentication uses M2M clients, client credentials, access tokens, scopes, custom claims, and secret rotation for service-to-service authentication.

Default mapping: For most Stytch M2M use cases, use Resources + Inbound Apps + Policies — not Access Keys. Stytch defines scopes on the application itself; in Descope each protected API is a Resource (its identifier becomes the token aud) with an OAuth scope catalog, an Inbound App is the confidential OAuth client, and a Policy grants that client specific scopes on that Resource via the client_credentials grant (no consent screen).

1. Create a Resource per protected API with scopes (optionally mapped to RBAC roles).
2. Register a confidential Inbound App for each M2M service.
3. Create a Policy allowing that client M2M access (client_credentials) to the Resource scopes it needs.

Stytch M2M	Descope (default)
M2M client	Confidential Inbound App
Client ID / client secret	Inbound App client ID + secret
Client credentials flow	Inbound App client_credentials grant via Policy
M2M scopes	Resource scopes granted by Policy
Token audience	Resource identifier (aud)
Custom claims	JWT Template on Inbound App
Secret rotation	Inbound App client secret rotation

Use Access Keys only when the service needs a Descope-issued JWT without OAuth scope or audience enforcement — a simpler internal service-auth pattern, not a scoped API access model.

Ask which services use M2M credentials, which APIs they call, what scopes and audiences they enforce, and whether downstream APIs validate scope and aud. Effort: Medium — often straightforward with Resources + Policies, but production services require careful secret rotation and rollout.

Webhooks / Events / Event Logs → Descope Webhooks / Connectors / Audit Events

Stytch webhooks and event logs may be used to synchronize users, organizations, members, sessions, SCIM lifecycle events, fraud decisions, or Connected Apps consent/token events into the application. Descope can use audit events, webhook connectors, generic HTTP connectors, and audit/troubleshooting connectors depending on the use case.

Stytch	Descope
Webhook endpoint + signing secret	Descope webhook/HTTP connector + signature validation
User events	Descope user/audit events
Organization/Member events	Tenant/user events or app-side lifecycle sync
SCIM lifecycle events	Descope SCIM provisioning events / audit events
Fraud/Risk events	Flow branch + audit/webhook/logging connector
Connected App consent/token events	Inbound App consent/token event review
Event log streaming	Audit & Troubleshooting connectors
Compliance logs	Audit Webhook Connector / log destination connector

Search the codebase for Stytch webhook handlers and event-name switches. Update event names, signature validation, payload parsing, retry behavior, and downstream side effects. Identify which events are business-critical before cutover. Effort: Medium.

High-Complexity Stytch Areas to Flag Before Step 0.5

After mapping confirmed Stytch features, summarize findings and flag high-complexity items before proceeding to Step 0.5. The main high-complexity Stytch areas are:

• SCIM — lifecycle, group sync, deprovisioning, role mapping, IdP cutover.
• Enterprise SSO with JIT provisioning — routing, tenant mapping, domain behavior, SSO claim mapping.
• RBAC tied to SSO or SCIM — group-to-role mapping and token/permission enforcement.
• Authorization beyond RBAC — possible ReBAC/FGA or app-side authorization model review.
• Fraud & Risk / Device Fingerprinting — especially if verdicts block or challenge users.
• Protected Auth — must be redesigned as Flow-based risk handling.
• Connected Apps — OAuth/OIDC issuer, clients, scopes, consent, tokens, refresh tokens, resource servers.
• AI Agent / MCP Authentication — scopes, DCR/CIMD, MCP server authorization, token lifetimes, tenant controls.
• Machine-to-Machine Authentication — client credentials, access keys, secrets, rotation, scopes.
• Trusted Auth Tokens — external issuers, JWKS, JWT bearer exchange, claim mapping, provisioning.
• Provider token storage / external account connections — possible Outbound Apps migration.
• Webhooks/Event Streaming — event names, payloads, signing, retries, downstream sync.
• Custom domains and OAuth/OIDC issuer URLs — DNS, cookies, callbacks, token validation impact.

Step 4: Critical Gotchas (Always Cover These)

JWT Claims Are Not the Same

Descope session JWTs contain sub, amr, drn, tenants, roles, permissions, and dct by default. They do not contain email, name, or picture. Stytch returns profile fields on the member/user object (and may carry them as custom claims in the session_jwt), so code that reads those fields off the token or session response will break after migration.

dct and tenants only matter when you read a user's tenant context from their session at request time — not for tenant administration, which is done by tenant ID through management.tenant.* / management.user.*. When you do read the session, dct (Descope Current Tenant) is a flat string holding the active tenant ID — the direct equivalent of Stytch's organization_id — and tenants is a keyed object ({ [tenantId]: { roles, permissions } }) for per-tenant roles/permissions. Prefer the SDK's role/permission helpers (e.g. validateTenantRoles(authInfo, tenantId, [...])) over reading these claims by hand; reach for dct when you only need the active tenant ID.

Action required: Configure a JWT Template in the Descope Console to add email, name, and any other profile fields the app reads from the token.

Stytch Session Tokens Become a Single Descope Signed JWT

Stytch issues two session representations — an opaque session_token (validated by a network call to Stytch) and a session_jwt (a short-lived JWT validated locally), typically stored in the stytch_session and stytch_session_jwt cookies. Descope collapses this into one signed session JWT in the DS cookie (refresh in DSR). Code that stores, reads, or validates either Stytch session cookie must be replaced with Descope session validation (validateSession()), which returns decoded JWT claims. There is no opaque-token-vs-JWT distinction to maintain in Descope.

Logout Is Two Steps

1. Call descopeClient.logout(refreshToken) to invalidate server-side
2. Clear DS and DSR cookies

Skipping either step leaves a broken state.

Audience Validation Is Opt-In

Descope session tokens have no aud claim by default. Apps that rely on audience-scoped API access must (1) configure a custom aud claim in JWT Templates and (2) pass audience to validateSession() on the backend.

Organization Handling: Tenant IDs, Not Token Parsing

Most code that references a Stytch organization_id (and an SSO connection_id) is management/admin code — it becomes a Descope tenant ID passed to management.tenant.* / management.user.* calls. Only request-time code that read the organization off the Stytch session changes shape: Descope exposes the active tenant as dct and membership as the nested tenants object, read off the validated session (ideally via SDK helpers). Grep for all organization_id reads and sort them into these two buckets — by-ID management calls vs. session reads — before updating.

No Drop-In Middleware

Descope ships no drop-in auth-middleware package. Whatever validates Stytch sessions today — e.g. a Next.js middleware.ts calling sessions.authenticateJwt(), or Stytch's session helpers — becomes ~20 lines of custom code that reads the DS cookie and calls validateSession().

cookies() and headers() Are Async in Next.js 15

cookies() and headers() from next/headers return a Promise in Next.js 15+. Before generating any server-side helper that reads cookies:

1. Check the project's package.json for the Next.js version.
2. If ≥ 15: write await cookies() and mark the containing function async.
3. Trace upward — making a cookie-reading helper async cascades to every caller.

SCIM Is a Lifecycle, Not a One-Time Import

If SCIM is in use, re-point the SCIM pipeline at Descope before cutover.

Approved Domains Are Domain-Only (Not Stytch Callback URLs)

Stytch apps register full callback URLs (e.g. http://localhost:3000/authenticate). Descope uses Approved Domains (Console → Project Settings → Security) — domain only, no protocol, no path. For local dev: localhost:3000, not http://localhost:3000/authenticate. Descope embedded Flows complete auth client-side; there is no /authenticate route to whitelist.

Split-origin SPA + API: do NOT rely on the SDK's session cookies

See references/implementation-nuances.md → Cookie names: DS and DSR → Split-origin (separate SPA + API) gotcha for the full explanation, Go code example, and fix (manage DS/DSR yourself with dev-friendly cookie attributes).

Use Management.User().Load* (not Auth.MyTenants) to list a user's tenants

Auth.MyTenants requires exactly one of a dct flag or an explicit ids list and errors with E011004 ("should get only 1 of dct / ids") if you pass neither — it cannot enumerate "all of the user's tenants." To list every tenant a user belongs to (with names + roles), validate the session to get the user ID, then call Management.User().LoadByUserID(userId) and read UserTenants.

Magic-link testing gotchas

Magic-link tokens are single-use and short-lived. E062504 ("Token expired … or already used") almost always means: a stale link from an earlier email, a corporate email scanner that pre-clicked the link, or a page reload of /authenticate re-submitting a consumed token. Always test with a fresh link, clicked once, to an inbox you control.

Don't double-write the HTTP response

Calling w.WriteHeader(...) and then a JSON responder that also writes a status produces http: superfluous response.WriteHeader call. Let one place own the status. For SDK methods that write a redirect to the ResponseWriter (e.g. OAuth().SignUpOrIn), on error just log — don't then emit a second body.

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Step 5: Automated Testing

Run the app and verify it works — don't just hand over a checklist.

Phase 0: Final stale-import sweep (BLOCKING)

grep -rni "@stytch\|stytch\|com\.stytch" \
  --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.js" --include="*.py" --include="*.go" \
  --include="*.rb" --include="*.java" --include="*.kt" --include="*.swift" \
  --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=.next --exclude-dir=dist \
  .

If this returns any results, stop and fix them before proceeding.

Phase 1: Install, compile, and start

npm install   # or: pip install -r requirements.txt / go mod tidy

npx tsc --noEmit    # TypeScript
go build ./...      # Go
mvn compile -q      # Java/Maven
./gradlew compileJava compileKotlin  # Java/Gradle
dotnet build        # .NET

Do not proceed until compilation exits with zero errors.

If compilation fails, diagnose by error message:

• Cannot find module '@stytch/...' (or stytch) → stale import; re-run Phase 0
• Property 'X' does not exist on type '...' → wrapper built against the Stytch session/member response shape; re-derive from the Descope authInfo shape
• 'await' expression is not allowed in synchronous contexts → async cascade gap
• Object is possibly 'undefined' on session fields → add null check or early return

npm run dev   # or: python main.py / go run . / flask run / etc.

Phase 2: Run existing tests

npm test   # or: pytest / go test ./... / etc.

Auth-related test failures usually mean: a mock or fixture still uses Stytch shapes, or a test validates JWT claims that are now missing (e.g., email without a JWT Template), or a test still uses organization_id where the code now passes a Descope tenant ID (management calls) or reads dct/tenants off the validated session.

Phase 3: Smoke test the running app

# Root path
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" http://localhost:<port>/

# Unauthenticated protected route (expect 302 or 401)
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" http://localhost:<port>/dashboard

# Login page loads Descope component
curl -s http://localhost:<port>/login | grep -i "descope"

# Invalid token → 401
curl -s -H "Cookie: DS=invalid_token" http://localhost:<port>/api/me

Phase 4: Verify JWT claims (if JWT Template is configured)

echo "<DS_cookie_value>" | cut -d'.' -f2 | base64 -d 2>/dev/null | python3 -m json.tool

Check that email, name, and any other expected claims (including dct/tenants for B2B) are present.

Phase 5: Report results

## Test Results

**Server startup:** ✅ Started successfully on port 3000
**Existing tests:** ✅ 12 passed / ❌ 2 failed (list failures)
**Unauthenticated /dashboard:** ✅ 302 → /login
**Unauthenticated /api/protected:** ✅ 401
**Login page loads Descope component:** ✅
**JWT claims (email, name, dct):** ✅ Present / ❌ Missing — JWT Template not yet configured

**Blockers before going live:**
- [ ] (list anything that failed or needs manual action)

Do not proceed to Step 6 until ALL of the following are true:

• Phase 0 grep returns zero Stytch references
• Phase 1 compilation passes with zero errors
• Phase 1 server starts and stays running
• Phase 3 root path returns 2xx or 3xx (not 5xx)
• Phase 3 protected routes return 302 or 401 (not 500)

---

Step 6: Post-Migration Summary (Required)

Every migration produces a MIGRATION-SUMMARY.md covering what was done, manual setup remaining, and behavioral differences that matter before production.

MIGRATION-SUMMARY.md

1. What was migrated — a table mapping each Stytch concept to its Descope replacement
2. Behavioral differences and open questions — numbered list of significant differences between the Stytch and Descope implementations. For each item: Stytch behavior, Descope behavior, action required.
3. Pre-deploy checklist — actionable checkbox items for everything that must happen before the migrated app can run. Prominently include all Console setup tasks (project, Flow, JWT template, tenants, SSO/SCIM) and the SCIM re-point — these are the things easiest to forget because the code compiles without them.

---

Step 7: Output Format

Write a numbered migration guide in Markdown, scoped to the user's stack. Use code snippets and direct doc links. Always include the MIGRATION-SUMMARY.md deliverable (Step 6).

For complex migrations, flag the high-effort items explicitly with estimated complexity (Low/Medium/High) so the user can plan.

---

Reference Files

• references/implementation-nuances.md — Verified migration patterns, code-level diffs, and edge cases for several frameworks.
• Descope Docs: https://docs.descope.com
• Migration Guide: https://docs.descope.com/migrate
• User Import (Custom): https://docs.descope.com/migrate/custom
• Descope OIDC Endpoints: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/oidc-endpoints
• Descope Flows: https://docs.descope.com/flows
• JWT Templates: https://docs.descope.com/management/jwt-templates
• Resources: https://docs.descope.com/identity-federation/resources
• Policies: https://docs.descope.com/identity-federation/policies
• Inbound Apps: https://docs.descope.com/identity-federation/inbound-apps
• Access Keys (M2M — simple cases only): https://docs.descope.com/management/m2m-access-keys
• Messaging Templates: https://docs.descope.com/management/messaging-templates
• Audit Webhook: https://docs.descope.com/connectors/connector-configuration-guides/network/audit-webhook
• Custom Domains: https://docs.descope.com/how-to-deploy-to-production/custom-domain
• ReBAC: https://docs.descope.com/authorization/rebac
• Outbound Apps: https://docs.descope.com/identity-federation/outbound-apps

Session Validation by Language

• Node.js: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/nodejs#implement-session-validation
• Python: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/python#implement-session-validation
• Go: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/golang#implement-session-validation
• Ruby: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/ruby#implement-session-validation
• Java / Kotlin: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/java#implement-session-validation
• .NET / C#: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/dotnet#implement-session-validation
• Next.js: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/nextjs#implement-session-validation
• React: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/react#implement-session-validation
• Angular: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/angular#implement-session-validation
• Vue: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/vue#implement-session-validation
• Swift / iOS: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/swift#implement-session-validation
• Kotlin / Android: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/android#implement-session-validation
• Flutter: https://docs.descope.com/getting-started/flutter#implement-session-validation

SDKs (GitHub)

• Node SDK: https://github.com/descope/node-sdk
• Python SDK: https://github.com/descope/python-sdk
• Go SDK: https://github.com/descope/go-sdk
• Ruby SDK: https://github.com/descope/descope-ruby-sdk
• Java SDK: https://github.com/descope/descope-java
• .NET SDK: https://github.com/descope/descope-dotnet
• Swift SDK: https://github.com/descope/swift-sdk
• Kotlin SDK: https://github.com/descope/descope-kotlin
• Flutter SDK: https://github.com/descope/descope-flutter
• JS/TS monorepo (React, Angular, Vue, Next.js, Web Component, Web JS): https://github.com/descope/descope-js