How to implement authentication in React

Short answer

Use a context provider to manage auth state, store tokens securely, protect routes with guards, and refresh sessions as needed. For understanding auth concepts, see authentication vs authorization. For hashing and security, see how does hashing work.

Steps

1. Create an AuthContext to hold user state and login/logout methods
2. Build login and registration forms with validation
3. Store tokens in httpOnly cookies or secure storage
4. Protect routes by checking auth state before rendering
5. Implement token refresh logic silently in the background

Tips

• Prefer httpOnly cookies over localStorage for tokens to mitigate XSS
• Use short-lived access tokens and longer-lived refresh tokens
• For OAuth integration, see how to implement oauth 2.0 authorization code flow