Token Based Authentication

Token Based Authentication is a security mechanism where a server generates a token (typically a JSON Web Token or similar) upon user login, which is then sent to the client and included in subsequent requests to authenticate the user. It is stateless, meaning the server does not need to store session data, and tokens often contain encoded user information and expiration details. This approach is widely used in modern web and mobile applications to secure APIs and manage user access.

Also known as: Token Authentication, JWT Authentication, Bearer Token Authentication, Token Auth, Stateless Authentication

Why learn Token Based Authentication?

Developers should use Token Based Authentication when building stateless APIs, such as RESTful or GraphQL services, as it scales well by eliminating server-side session storage and supports cross-origin requests in Single Page Applications (SPAs) and mobile apps. It is ideal for microservices architectures where services need to verify user identity without shared session stores, and for implementing features like single sign-on (SSO) across multiple applications.

Learning Resources

• docs: JWT.io Introduction
• docs: Auth0: Token Based Authentication
• docs: MDN Web Docs: Authentication
• video: YouTube: Token Based Authentication Explained
• tutorial: FreeCodeCamp: JWT Authentication Tutorial