> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://playground.e107sk.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://playground.e107sk.com/alt-auth-plugin/reference/preferences.md).

# Preferences

`alt_auth` stores its settings in two places.

## Core preferences

These five are added to e107's **core preferences** at install (`<mainPrefs>` in `plugin.xml`) and are edited on [Main configuration](/alt-auth-plugin/admin-area/main-configuration.md).

| Preference         | Default               | What it does                                                                  |
| ------------------ | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `auth_method`      | `e107`                | Primary authorisation type.                                                   |
| `auth_method2`     | `0` (shown as `none`) | Secondary type, used when the primary does not know the user.                 |
| `auth_noconn`      | `0`                   | Failed connection action. `0` = fail the login, `1` = use the secondary type. |
| `auth_badpassword` | `0`                   | Failed password action. `0` = fail the login, `1` = use the secondary type.   |
| `auth_extended`    | *(empty)*             | Comma-separated list of extended user fields made available for mapping.      |
| `auth_signup`      | `0`                   | Create missing users in the `otherdb` source on login.                        |

An older preference, `auth_nouser`, is converted automatically to `auth_method2` the first time the configuration page is opened, and then removed.

## Method parameters

Everything else — servers, ports, database names, credentials, field mappings, password methods — lives in the plugin's own `alt_auth` table, one row per parameter. See [Database and logs](/alt-auth-plugin/reference/database-and-logs.md).