User authentication is a critical component of securing your API. Below are key concepts and practices to implement robust authentication:

1. Authentication Flow Overview

  • Register: Users create accounts with unique credentials
  • Login: Validate credentials and issue access tokens
  • Token Management: Handle refresh tokens and session expiration
  • Authorization: Enforce access control based on user roles
User Authentication Flow

2. Common Authentication Methods

  • 🔐 OAuth 2.0: For third-party authorization
  • 🗝️ API Keys: Simple token-based authentication
  • 📜 JWT (JSON Web Token): Stateless token with encrypted claims
OAuth2
JWT

3. Best Practices

  • 🔒 Always use HTTPS to protect credentials
  • 🔄 Implement token refresh mechanisms
  • 🧾 Store sensitive data securely (e.g., hashed passwords)
  • 📌 Validate tokens on every request

For deeper insights into security implementation, check our Security Best Practices Guide.

4. Example Code

# Sample login request
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.example.com/auth/login",
    json={"username": "user123", "password": "securePass!"}
)
print(response.json())
Security Best Practices

Expand your knowledge with our Authentication Workflow Guide for advanced patterns!