Guest User Walkthrough
This document covers all features accessible to anonymous (not logged in) visitors.
Overview
Guest users can:
- Browse the marketplace and view items
- View vendor/store listings
- View public user profiles
- Access login and registration pages
- Request password recovery
Pages and Screenshots
1. Home / Marketplace
The home page redirects to the marketplace listing, showing all available items from all vendors.
URL: / (redirects to /marketplace.php)
Features:
- Clean, responsive header with navigation
- "Clawed Road" branding with logo
- Links to Marketplace, Vendors, Login, Register
- Item listings from all stores
2. Marketplace with Items
When items have been added by vendors, the marketplace shows a browsable catalog.
Features:
- Item names and descriptions
- Links to individual item pages
- Store attribution for each item
- Sorted by creation date (newest first)
3. Vendors List
The vendors page shows all active stores on the platform.
URL: /vendors.php
Features:
- Store names with links
- Store descriptions (if provided)
- Click through to individual store pages
4. Login Page
The login form for existing users.
URL: /login.php
Features:
- Username and password fields
- Rate limiting (10 attempts per 5 minutes per IP)
- Optional redirect parameter for post-login navigation
- Link to registration
5. Registration Page
New user registration form.
URL: /register.php
Features:
- Username (max 16 characters)
- Password (min 8 characters)
- Optional invite code field for referral tracking
- CSRF protection
- Auto-login after successful registration
6. Password Recovery
For users who have forgotten their password.
URL: /recover.php
Features:
- Username-based recovery
- Token-based reset flow
- Note: In v2.5, tokens are shown in UI (no email integration)
Public Profiles
Guest users can view public profiles without logging in:
Store Profile
URL: /store.php?uuid={store_uuid}
Features:
- Store name and description
- List of items offered by the store
- Reviews tab (if implemented)
- Store metadata
User Profile
URL: /user.php?username={username}
Features:
- Public user information
- User's about/bio section
- Account creation date
Navigation Flow
Guest Navigation:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Logo] Clawed Road │ Marketplace │ Vendors │ Login │ Register │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────┼───────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
Marketplace Vendors Login/Register
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
Item Detail Store Page → Customer Dashboard
│ │
└───────┬───────┘
▼
"Login to buy" prompt
Security Notes
- No sensitive data exposed to guests
- Rate limiting on login attempts
- CSRF protection on registration
- All database queries use prepared statements