如何将帐户从后端服务器绑定到Google助手用户

Question

I have a web application setup to handle webhook requests from an Actions-on-Google/Dialogflow application using the Google Assistant. Users don't need to sign-in to a google account in order to use my web application and I'd prefer to keep it that way, so that users can sign in with any email address.

I also want my users to be able to interact with my application using the Google Assistant, and be able to access personal/contextual data via the assistant (ie when a speaker says, "what's on my shopping list", the web app needs to be able to know what my means).

Currently, I have this working by using my web app to issue a unique short code to my user (in the web app UI) and then with an intent on the Assistant where the speaker says "My code is 1-2-3-4" and then my web app can identify the user from then on (by saving the userId from the webhook request to whatever user got the short code 1234 and then using that userId to lookup the user on each subsequent request.)

My question is, is there a better way to do this? Ideally, in my web app, I'd like to have something like an "Authorize Google Assistant" button, which would then link the user's google account to their web-app account, so that the conversation on the Assistant is seamless.

Has anyone done this before? Thanks

Answer 1

This is the perfect use case for Account Linking with the Google Assistant.

From your users' perspective, they will start to use your Action. If they're doing so through a speaker and they haven't linked the account yet, they'll be directed to a mobile device to do so. On a mobile device, they'll be redirected to a page on your website where they will been to authenticate themselves and authorize your server to let them in through the Assistant. Once they have done so, they won't need to log in again, the accounts will be linked, and they'll be able to use the voice Action without further obstruction.

From your perspective as a developer, you'll need to setup an OAuth2 server (I suggest the code flow). That login process I mentioned is the first step in the OAuth dance, and will end up with you issuing a code to Google. They will then exchange this code for an Auth Token (with a limited lifetime) and a Refresh Token (which does not expire). They will periodically use the Refresh Token to get new, valid, Auth Tokens for this user. When the user issues a voice command, the Auth Token will be passed as a field in the JSON to your fulfillment server, and you can use this to verify who the user is and that they are authorized to use your service.