# Authentication

Authentication verifies client identity based on credentials such as usernames, passwords, tokens, or external HTTP services. EMQX Edge provides a flexible authentication mechanism that supports multiple backends, allowing you to control client access securely and efficiently.

## Authentication Methods

EMQX Edge currently supports the following authentication mechanisms to verify the client connections:

- [Built-in File Authentication](./authn-file.md)

- [Authentication via HTTP Query](./authn-http.md)


Authentication methods can be configured via the Dashboard UI or by editing the configuration file (`nanomq.conf`). This section introduces both methods and explains how to set them up.