Access Tokens and Refresh Tokens Explained

What is an Access Token?

In developing our backend application, access token serve a crucial role in Authorization. These tokens grant users access to specific features within the application, ensuring secure interactions.

Why is it used?

For instance, upon logging into an e-commerce website, users are granted access to tailored features based on their unique access token. Therefore, access tokens play a vital role in maintaining authorization integrity and providing users with a seamless experience.

What is a Refresh Token?

Access Tokens are short-lived, meaning they have a brief expiration time. The duration of their validity depends on individual preferences; for instance, it could be set to expire after 15 minutes. Once expired, users must log in again with their password to regain access, creating a cumbersome process. This is where the refresh token comes into play.

Why is it used?

Refresh Tokens are long-lived, with extended expiration times. While access tokens validate users, refresh tokens serve to prevent frequent logins when access tokens expire. When a refresh token is generated, it is stored both on the user's end and in the database. Users can access their refresh token in the database. In practice, we create an endpoint where, if the access token expires, users can request a new one by comparing their refresh token with the one stored in the database. If they match, we issue a new access token, thus alleviating the inconvenience of multiple logins.

This is how access tokens and refresh tokens are utilized in applications to provide authorization, validation, and a seamless user experience with reduced cumbersome processes.

If you found this explanation helpful and informative, please consider liking it and following me for future insightful articles.

I'd also like to acknowledge that I gained an in-depth understanding of these concepts through the Chai aur Code YouTube Channel by Hitesh Chaudhary Sir. You can check out his videos at the link below for further insights.

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