The authentication flow is the process of verifying the identity of a user or

system trying to access a protected resource, ensuring that only legitimate users
can interact with the application or service. This flow involves multiple steps
that typically include verifying credentials (such as username and password),
generating authentication tokens, and validating user identity in subsequent
requests.
Below is the step-by-step explanation of a typical authentication flow:
1. User Initiates Login Request
• The process begins when a user tries to access a system, website, or
service that requires authentication.
• The user is prompted to enter their credentials (usually a username or
email and a password). In some cases, the user may also use other factors such as a
one-time password (OTP) or biometric data (fingerprint, facial recognition, etc.).
2. Client Sends Authentication Request to Server
• The client (e.g., web browser, mobile app, etc.) sends an HTTP request to
the server, typically via a POST request to a login endpoint (e.g., /login or
/auth).
• The request includes the credentials provided by the user, which are often
sent in the request body. In some cases, credentials may be sent as query
parameters (although this is less secure).
Example:

http
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POST /login
Content-Type: application/json
Body: {"username": "user1", "password": "password123"}
3. Server Validates the Credentials
• Upon receiving the login request, the authentication service on the server
checks if the provided username and password match the records stored in the user
database.
• Password Validation: In secure systems, passwords are hashed using
algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2 before being stored in the database. When the
server compares the password, it hashes the provided password and compares it with
the stored hash.
If the credentials are valid:
• The server will generate an authentication token (e.g., JWT (JSON Web
Token) or OAuth token).
If the credentials are invalid:
• The server will return an error response, typically with a 401 Unauthorized
HTTP status code, indicating that the credentials are incorrect.
4. Generate Authentication Token (e.g., JWT)
• Once the user is successfully authenticated, the server generates an
authentication token. In token-based authentication, this token is commonly a JWT
(JSON Web Token).
• The JWT contains claims such as the user ID, roles, expiration time, and
other relevant information. The token is signed with a secret key to ensure its
integrity and authenticity.
Example of a JWT:

json
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{
"sub": "user1",
"exp": 1609459200,
"role": "admin"
}
The token is then sent back to the client as part of the response.
5. Client Receives Token and Stores It
 • After receiving the token, the client stores it for future use. Typically,
the token is stored in:
○ Local Storage (for web applications),
○ Session Storage (for session-based apps),
○ Cookies (with HTTPOnly and Secure flags to prevent XSS attacks).
Example Response:

json
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{
"token":
"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1c2VyMSIsImV4cCI6MTYwOTQ1NjAwMCwic
m9sZSI6ImFkbWluIn0"
}
6. Subsequent Requests with Authentication Token
• For every subsequent request to protected resources, the client sends the
authentication token in the Authorization header.
• The typical format for sending the token is:

text
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Authorization: Bearer <token>
Example:

http
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GET /protected-resource
Authorization: Bearer
eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1c2VyMSIsImV4cCI6MTYwOTQ1NjAwMCwicm
9sZSI6ImFkbWluIn0
7. Server Verifies the Token
• The server receives the token and verifies its authenticity. The server
typically checks:
○ Signature Validation: Ensure the token was signed with a valid secret
key.
○ Expiration: Check if the token has expired.
○ Claims Validation: Verify user roles or permissions, if included in
the token's claims.
• If the token is valid, the server processes the request and returns the
requested resource.
Example Response:

json
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{
"message": "Access granted to protected resource"
}
8. Token Expiry or Invalid Token Handling
• Authentication tokens (like JWT) typically have an expiration time (e.g., 1
hour).
• When the token expires or becomes invalid, the client will need to obtain a
new token, often through a refresh token mechanism or by prompting the user to log
in again.
• Refresh Token: A refresh token is a long-lived token that can be used to
obtain a new short-lived access token without requiring the user to log in again.
The client sends the refresh token to the server, and the server issues a new
access token.
Example:
http
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POST /refresh-token
Authorization: Bearer <refresh-token>
9. User Logout
• When the user logs out, the client deletes the authentication token (or
refresh token) from storage. This prevents the token from being used in future
requests.
• The server may also invalidate the session (in the case of session-based
authentication), effectively ending the user's session.
Common Authentication Methods
1. Basic Authentication:
○ Sends the username and password in the Authorization header using
base64 encoding. Not secure unless used over HTTPS.
2. Session-Based Authentication:
○ The server creates a session after successful login and stores the
session information on the server side. A session ID is returned to the client, and
subsequent requests use this ID to authenticate.
3. Token-Based Authentication (JWT):
○ Uses a stateless token (like JWT) that the client includes in the
Authorization header. This token can be verified by the server without maintaining
session information.
4. OAuth:
○ OAuth is used for delegated authentication where users log in using
their accounts from third-party services (e.g., Google, Facebook). OAuth allows
users to authorize access without revealing their credentials.
5. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):
○ Adds an extra layer of security by requiring the user to authenticate
using multiple factors, such as a password and a one-time password (OTP) sent to
their phone.
Benefits of Authentication
1. Security:
○ Ensures that only authorized users can access protected resources,
preventing unauthorized access and securing sensitive information.
2. User Experience:
○ Token-based authentication (like JWT) provides a seamless user
experience by allowing the user to remain logged in for a long time without needing
to authenticate repeatedly.
3. Scalability:
○ Token-based authentication is stateless, meaning no session storage
is required on the server side, making it scalable in distributed systems (e.g.,
microservices).
Conclusion
The authentication flow is a process that ensures only legitimate users can access
protected resources in an application. The flow typically involves the user
providing credentials, the server validating those credentials, generating tokens
for future requests, and handling token expiration or invalidation. Authentication
is a critical component of application security, and the methods used depend on the
application architecture and security requirements. Common authentication methods
include basic authentication, session-based authentication, token-based
authentication (e.g., JWT), OAuth, and multi-factor authentication.