confirmation: Replace RealmCreationKey - use Confirmation instead.

Fixes #20028.

There's no reason to have a special `RealmCreationKey` class - the
`Confirmation` system already does this job.

This is somewhat complicated by the need to write a migration for
`RealmCreationKey`->`Confirmation` for pre-existing, valid objects, to
avoid breaking realm creation links that haven't been used yet.

confirmation/migrations/0016_realmcreationkey_to_realmcreationstatus.py

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.3 on 2025-07-04 20:33
+
+from datetime import timedelta
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import migrations, transaction
+from django.db.backends.base.schema import BaseDatabaseSchemaEditor
+from django.db.migrations.state import StateApps
+from django.db.models import Max
+
+
+def migrate_realmcreationkey_to_realmcreationstatus(
+    apps: StateApps, schema_editor: BaseDatabaseSchemaEditor
+) -> None:
+    """
+    This migration is for switching from using a separate RealmCreationKey class
+    for realm creation keys to just using the Confirmation system.
+
+    The aim is to iterate through all the existing RealmCreationKey and create
+    a corresponding Confirmation+RealmCreationStatus.
+
+    For validity of these objects, we only need to worry about RealmCreationKeys
+    expired due to time. This is taken care of by making sure we set expiry_date
+    on the Confirmation we're creating.
+    The way the RealmCreationKey system worked was to .delete() the RealmCreationKey
+    objects when they were used - so those simply no longer exist and we don't need to
+    worry about this case.
+    """
+    CAN_CREATE_REALM = 11
+
+    Confirmation = apps.get_model("confirmation", "Confirmation")
+    ContentType = apps.get_model("contenttypes", "ContentType")
+    RealmCreationKey = apps.get_model("confirmation", "RealmCreationKey")
+    RealmCreationStatus = apps.get_model("zerver", "RealmCreationStatus")
+    realm_creation_status_content_type, created = ContentType.objects.get_or_create(
+        model="realmcreationstatus", app_label="zerver"
+    )
+
+    BATCH_SIZE = 10000
+    max_id = RealmCreationKey.objects.aggregate(Max("id"))["id__max"]
+    if max_id is None:
+        # Nothing to do.
+        return
+
+    lower_bound = 1
+    while lower_bound <= max_id + (BATCH_SIZE / 2):
+        upper_bound = lower_bound + BATCH_SIZE - 1
+        creation_keys = RealmCreationKey.objects.filter(id__range=(lower_bound, upper_bound))
+        creation_statuses_to_create = []
+        confirmations_to_create = []
+        for creation_key in creation_keys:
+            # These keys were generated in the same way as keys for Confirmation objects,
+            # so we can copy them over without breaking anything.
+            key = creation_key.creation_key
+            date_created = creation_key.date_created
+            presume_email_valid = creation_key.presume_email_valid
+
+            creation_status = RealmCreationStatus(
+                status=0, date_created=date_created, presume_email_valid=presume_email_valid
+            )
+            confirmation = Confirmation(
+                content_type=realm_creation_status_content_type,
+                type=CAN_CREATE_REALM,
+                confirmation_key=key,
+                date_sent=date_created,
+                expiry_date=date_created
+                + timedelta(days=settings.CAN_CREATE_REALM_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS),
+            )
+
+            # To attach the Confirmations to RealmCreationStatus objects we need to set the
+            # confirmation.object_id to their respective ids. But we haven't saved
+            # the RealmCreationStatus objs to the database yet - so we don't have ids.
+            #
+            # After we .bulk_create() them, their .id attributes will be populated.
+            # So for now we just link the RealmCreationStatus to the Confirmation
+            # via a temporary ._object attribute - which we'll use later to set
+            # the .object_id as intended.
+            confirmation._object = creation_status
+
+            creation_statuses_to_create.append(creation_status)
+            confirmations_to_create.append(confirmation)
+        with transaction.atomic():
+            RealmCreationStatus.objects.bulk_create(creation_statuses_to_create)
+
+            # Now the objects in creation_statuses_to_create have had their .id
+            # attrs populated. For every confirmation, confirmation._object
+            # points to its corresponding RealmCreationStatus - so now we can
+            # set the confirmation.object_id values and clear out the temporary
+            # ._object attr.
+            for confirmation in confirmations_to_create:
+                confirmation.object_id = confirmation._object.id
+                delattr(confirmation, "_object")
+            Confirmation.objects.bulk_create(confirmations_to_create)
+
+        lower_bound += BATCH_SIZE
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    atomic = False
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("confirmation", "0015_alter_confirmation_object_id"),
+        ("zerver", "0743_realmcreationstatus"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.RunPython(
+            migrate_realmcreationkey_to_realmcreationstatus,
+            reverse_code=migrations.RunPython.noop,
+            elidable=True,
+        ),
+    ]

confirmation/migrations/0017_delete_realmcreationkey.py

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.3 on 2025-07-04 19:08
+
+from django.db import migrations
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ("confirmation", "0016_realmcreationkey_to_realmcreationstatus"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.DeleteModel(
+            name="RealmCreationKey",
+        ),
+    ]

confirmation/models.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import secrets
 from base64 import b32encode
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 from datetime import timedelta
-from typing import Optional, TypeAlias, Union, cast
+from typing import TypeAlias, Union, cast
 from urllib.parse import urljoin
 
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from zerver.models import (
     RealmReactivationStatus,
     UserProfile,
 )
+from zerver.models.prereg_users import RealmCreationStatus
 
 if settings.ZILENCER_ENABLED:
     from zilencer.models import (
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ NoZilencerConfirmationObjT: TypeAlias = (
     | EmailChangeStatus
     | UserProfile
     | RealmReactivationStatus
+    | RealmCreationStatus
 )
 ZilencerConfirmationObjT: TypeAlias = Union[
     NoZilencerConfirmationObjT,
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ def create_confirmation_object(
         realm = None
     else:
         obj = cast(NoZilencerConfirmationObjT, obj)
-        assert not isinstance(obj, PreregistrationRealm)
+        assert not isinstance(obj, PreregistrationRealm | RealmCreationStatus)
         realm = obj.realm
 
     current_time = timezone_now()
@@ -185,15 +187,17 @@ def create_confirmation_link(
     url_args: Mapping[str, str] = {},
     no_associated_realm_object: bool = False,
 ) -> str:
-    return confirmation_url_for(
+    conf = create_confirmation_object(
-        create_confirmation_object(
+        obj,
-            obj,
+        confirmation_type,
-            confirmation_type,
+        validity_in_minutes=validity_in_minutes,
-            validity_in_minutes=validity_in_minutes,
+        no_associated_realm_object=no_associated_realm_object,
-            no_associated_realm_object=no_associated_realm_object,
+    )
-        ),
+    result = confirmation_url_for(
+        conf,
         url_args=url_args,
     )
+    return result
 
 
 def confirmation_url_for(confirmation_obj: "Confirmation", url_args: Mapping[str, str] = {}) -> str:
@@ -236,6 +240,7 @@ class Confirmation(models.Model):
     REALM_REACTIVATION = 8
     REMOTE_SERVER_BILLING_LEGACY_LOGIN = 9
     REMOTE_REALM_BILLING_LEGACY_LOGIN = 10
+    CAN_CREATE_REALM = 11
     type = models.PositiveSmallIntegerField()
 
     class Meta:
@@ -272,6 +277,9 @@ _properties = {
     Confirmation.MULTIUSE_INVITE: ConfirmationType(
         "join", validity_in_days=settings.INVITATION_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS
     ),
+    Confirmation.CAN_CREATE_REALM: ConfirmationType(
+        "create_realm", validity_in_days=settings.CAN_CREATE_REALM_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS
+    ),
     Confirmation.NEW_REALM_USER_REGISTRATION: ConfirmationType("get_prereg_key_and_redirect"),
     Confirmation.REALM_REACTIVATION: ConfirmationType("realm_reactivation_get"),
 }
@@ -294,47 +302,7 @@ def one_click_unsubscribe_link(user_profile: UserProfile, email_type: str) -> st
     )
 
 
-# Functions related to links generated by the generate_realm_creation_link.py
-# management command.
-# Note that being validated here will just allow the user to access the create_realm
-# form, where they will enter their email and go through the regular
-# Confirmation.NEW_REALM_USER_REGISTRATION pathway.
-# Arguably RealmCreationKey should just be another ConfirmationObjT and we should
-# add another Confirmation.type for this; it's this way for historical reasons.
-
-
-def validate_key(creation_key: str | None) -> Optional["RealmCreationKey"]:
-    """Get the record for this key, raising InvalidCreationKey if non-None but invalid."""
-    if creation_key is None:
-        return None
-    try:
-        key_record = RealmCreationKey.objects.get(creation_key=creation_key)
-    except RealmCreationKey.DoesNotExist:
-        raise RealmCreationKey.InvalidError
-    time_elapsed = timezone_now() - key_record.date_created
-    if time_elapsed.total_seconds() > settings.REALM_CREATION_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS * 24 * 3600:
-        raise RealmCreationKey.InvalidError
-    return key_record
-
-
 def generate_realm_creation_url(by_admin: bool = False) -> str:
-    key = generate_key()
+    from zerver.views.registration import prepare_realm_creation_url
-    RealmCreationKey.objects.create(
-        creation_key=key, date_created=timezone_now(), presume_email_valid=by_admin
-    )
-    return urljoin(
-        settings.ROOT_DOMAIN_URI,
-        reverse("create_realm", kwargs={"creation_key": key}),
-    )
 
-
+    return prepare_realm_creation_url(presume_email_valid=by_admin)
-class RealmCreationKey(models.Model):
-    creation_key = models.CharField("activation key", db_index=True, max_length=40)
-    date_created = models.DateTimeField("created", default=timezone_now)
-
-    # True just if we should presume the email address the user enters
-    # is theirs, and skip sending mail to it to confirm that.
-    presume_email_valid = models.BooleanField(default=False)
-
-    class InvalidError(Exception):
-        pass

docs/overview/changelog.md

@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@ _Released 2025-07-29_
   preserve and update your `postfix` configuration.
 - The `SOCIAL_AUTH_SYNC_CUSTOM_ATTRS_DICT` setting has been removed.
   It was deprecated in favor of `SOCIAL_AUTH_SYNC_ATTRS_DICT` in 10.0.
+- The obscure `REALM_CREATION_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS` setting was renamed to
+  `CAN_CREATE_REALM_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS`.
 
 ## Zulip Server 10.x series
 

docs/subsystems/realms.md

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ The above command will output a URL which can be used for creating a
 new realm and an administrator user for that realm. The link expires
 after the creation of the realm. The link also expires if not used
 within 7 days. The expiration period can be changed by modifying
-`REALM_CREATION_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS` in settings.py.
+`CAN_CREATE_REALM_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS` in settings.py.
 
 ## Subdomains
 

zerver/lib/export.py

@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ ALL_ZULIP_TABLES = {
     "zerver_realm",
     "zerver_realmauditlog",
     "zerver_realmauthenticationmethod",
+    "zerver_realmcreationstatus",
     "zerver_realmdomain",
     "zerver_realmemoji",
     "zerver_realmexport",
@@ -230,6 +231,7 @@ NON_EXPORTED_TABLES = {
     "zerver_preregistrationuser_streams",
     "zerver_preregistrationuser_groups",
     "zerver_realmreactivationstatus",
+    "zerver_realmcreationstatus",
     # Missed message addresses are low value to export since
     # missed-message email addresses include the server's hostname and
     # expire after a few days.

zerver/management/commands/generate_realm_creation_link.py

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class Command(ZulipBaseCommand):
     Outputs a randomly generated, 1-time-use link for Organization creation.
     Whoever visits the link can create a new organization on this server, regardless of whether
     settings.OPEN_REALM_CREATION is enabled. The link would expire automatically after
-    settings.REALM_CREATION_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS.
+    settings.CAN_CREATE_REALM_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS.
 
     Usage: ./manage.py generate_realm_creation_link """
 

zerver/migrations/0747_realmcreationstatus.py

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.3 on 2025-07-04 19:08
+
+import django.utils.timezone
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ("zerver", "0746_alter_channelfolder_unique_together_and_more"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="RealmCreationStatus",
+            fields=[
+                (
+                    "id",
+                    models.BigAutoField(
+                        auto_created=True, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name="ID"
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("status", models.IntegerField(default=0)),
+                ("date_created", models.DateTimeField(default=django.utils.timezone.now)),
+                ("presume_email_valid", models.BooleanField(default=False)),
+            ],
+        ),
+    ]

zerver/models/prereg_users.py

@@ -170,3 +170,14 @@ class RealmReactivationStatus(models.Model):
     status = models.IntegerField(default=0)
 
     realm = models.ForeignKey(Realm, on_delete=CASCADE)
+
+
+class RealmCreationStatus(models.Model):
+    # status: whether an object has been confirmed.
+    #   if confirmed, set to confirmation.settings.STATUS_USED
+    status = models.IntegerField(default=0)
+    date_created = models.DateTimeField(default=timezone_now)
+
+    # True just if we should presume the email address the user enters
+    # is theirs, and skip sending mail to it to confirm that.
+    presume_email_valid = models.BooleanField(default=False)

zerver/tests/test_management_commands.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from django.core.management.base import CommandError
 from django.test import override_settings
 from typing_extensions import override
 
-from confirmation.models import RealmCreationKey, generate_realm_creation_url
+from confirmation.models import Confirmation, generate_realm_creation_url
 from zerver.actions.create_user import do_create_user
 from zerver.actions.user_settings import do_change_user_setting
 from zerver.lib.management import ZulipBaseCommand, check_config
@@ -360,11 +360,13 @@ class TestGenerateRealmCreationLink(ZulipTestCase):
     @override_settings(OPEN_REALM_CREATION=False)
     def test_realm_creation_with_expired_link(self) -> None:
         generated_link = generate_realm_creation_url(by_admin=True)
-        key = generated_link[-24:]
+        key = generated_link.split("/")[-1]
-        # Manually expire the link by changing the date of creation
+        # Manually expire the link by changing the date of expiry.
-        obj = RealmCreationKey.objects.get(creation_key=key)
+        confirmation = Confirmation.objects.get(confirmation_key=key)
-        obj.date_created -= timedelta(days=settings.REALM_CREATION_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS + 1)
+        assert confirmation.expiry_date is not None
-        obj.save()
+
+        confirmation.expiry_date -= timedelta(days=settings.CAN_CREATE_REALM_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS + 1)
+        confirmation.save()
 
         result = self.client_get(generated_link)
         self.assert_in_success_response(["Organization creation link expired or invalid"], result)

zerver/views/registration.py

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import logging
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from contextlib import suppress
-from typing import Annotated, Any
+from typing import Annotated, Any, cast
 from urllib.parse import urlencode, urljoin
 
 import orjson
@@ -27,11 +27,9 @@ from confirmation import settings as confirmation_settings
 from confirmation.models import (
     Confirmation,
     ConfirmationKeyError,
-    RealmCreationKey,
     create_confirmation_link,
     get_object_from_key,
     render_confirmation_key_error,
-    validate_key,
 )
 from zerver.actions.create_realm import do_create_realm
 from zerver.actions.create_user import do_activate_mirror_dummy_user, do_create_user
@@ -101,6 +99,7 @@ from zerver.models import (
     UserProfile,
 )
 from zerver.models.constants import MAX_LANGUAGE_ID_LENGTH
+from zerver.models.prereg_users import RealmCreationStatus
 from zerver.models.realm_audit_logs import AuditLogEventType, RealmAuditLog
 from zerver.models.realms import (
     DisposableEmailError,
@@ -1006,6 +1005,19 @@ def prepare_realm_activation_url(
     return activation_url
 
 
+def prepare_realm_creation_url(
+    presume_email_valid: bool = False,
+) -> str:
+    realm_creation_status = RealmCreationStatus.objects.create(
+        presume_email_valid=presume_email_valid
+    )
+    confirmation_url = create_confirmation_link(
+        realm_creation_status, Confirmation.CAN_CREATE_REALM, no_associated_realm_object=True
+    )
+
+    return confirmation_url
+
+
 def send_confirm_registration_email(
     email: str,
     activation_url: str,
@@ -1246,15 +1258,9 @@ def realm_import_post_process(
 
 
 @add_google_analytics
-def create_realm(request: HttpRequest, creation_key: str | None = None) -> HttpResponse:
+def create_realm(request: HttpRequest, confirmation_key: str | None = None) -> HttpResponse:
-    try:
+    if confirmation_key is None:
-        key_record = validate_key(creation_key)
+        realm_creation_obj: RealmCreationStatus | None = None
-    except RealmCreationKey.InvalidError:
-        return TemplateResponse(
-            request,
-            "zerver/portico_error_pages/realm_creation_link_invalid.html",
-        )
-    if key_record is None:
         if not settings.OPEN_REALM_CREATION:
             return TemplateResponse(
                 request,
@@ -1265,6 +1271,19 @@ def create_realm(request: HttpRequest, creation_key: str | None = None) -> HttpR
                 request,
                 "zerver/portico_error_pages/realm_creation_disabled.html",
             )
+    else:
+        try:
+            realm_creation_obj = cast(
+                RealmCreationStatus,
+                get_object_from_key(
+                    confirmation_key, [Confirmation.CAN_CREATE_REALM], mark_object_used=False
+                ),
+            )
+        except ConfirmationKeyError:
+            return TemplateResponse(
+                request,
+                "zerver/portico_error_pages/realm_creation_link_invalid.html",
+            )
 
     # When settings.OPEN_REALM_CREATION is enabled, anyone can create a new realm,
     # with a few restrictions on their email address.
@@ -1300,12 +1319,13 @@ def create_realm(request: HttpRequest, creation_key: str | None = None) -> HttpR
                 realm_default_language,
                 import_from,
             )
-            if key_record is not None and key_record.presume_email_valid:
+            if realm_creation_obj is not None and realm_creation_obj.presume_email_valid:
                 # The user has a token created from the server command line;
                 # skip confirming the email is theirs, taking their word for it.
                 # This is essential on first install if the admin hasn't stopped
                 # to configure outbound email up front, or it isn't working yet.
-                key_record.delete()
+                realm_creation_obj.status = getattr(settings, "STATUS_USED", 1)
+                realm_creation_obj.save(update_fields=["status"])
                 return HttpResponseRedirect(activation_url)
 
             try:
@@ -1322,8 +1342,10 @@ def create_realm(request: HttpRequest, creation_key: str | None = None) -> HttpR
                     return render(request, "500.html", status=500)
                 return config_error(request, "smtp")
 
-            if key_record is not None:
+            if realm_creation_obj is not None:
-                key_record.delete()
+                realm_creation_obj.status = getattr(settings, "STATUS_USED", 1)
+                realm_creation_obj.save(update_fields=["status"])
+
             url = reverse(
                 "new_realm_send_confirm",
                 query={

zproject/default_settings.py

@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ PERSONAL_ZMIRROR_SERVER: str | None = None
 # When security-relevant links in emails expire.
 CONFIRMATION_LINK_DEFAULT_VALIDITY_DAYS = 1
 INVITATION_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS = 10
-REALM_CREATION_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS = 7
+CAN_CREATE_REALM_LINK_VALIDITY_DAYS = 7
 
 # Version number for ToS.  Change this if you want to force every
 # user to click through to re-accept terms of service before using

zproject/urls.py

@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ i18n_urls = [
     # Realm creation
     path("json/antispam_challenge", get_challenge),
     path("new/", create_realm),
-    path("new/<creation_key>", create_realm, name="create_realm"),
+    path("new/<confirmation_key>", create_realm, name="create_realm"),
     # Realm reactivation
     path("reactivate/", realm_reactivation, name="realm_reactivation"),
     path("reactivate/<confirmation_key>", realm_reactivation_get, name="realm_reactivation_get"),