How to Set Up Authentication in Xano

Securing your API endpoints is crucial, and setting up authentication in Xano is a straightforward process. Whether you’re building an app or a web service, here’s a simple guide to get you started with user authentication in Xano.

Step 1: Create Authentication Fields in the Database

Before anything, you need to set up your database to handle user credentials. Here are the steps:

1. Go to your Xano workspace: Navigate to the app you are working on.
2. Create a new table for users: Name it users or whatever suits your app's terminology.
3. Add necessary fields: Typically, you'll need fields like email, password, and other optional fields like username or role.

Make sure to set the email field to be unique to prevent duplicates. It's also advisable to specify the password field as a string with a reasonable max length.

Step 2: Configure User Signup Endpoint

To allow users to register, you'll need an endpoint that handles user signup.

1. Create a new endpoint: In the API section, add a new endpoint, usually a POST request.
2. Create input fields: Make sure to include email and password as inputs.
3. Hash the password: Use Xano’s built-in functions to hash the password before saving it to the database. This ensures that passwords are stored securely.

Here’s an example of what the endpoint might look like:

// Validate and hash password 
let hashedPassword = hash_password(inputs.password);

// Insert user into the database
db.users.insert(
  email: inputs.email,
  password: hashedPassword,
  // Add any other fields you need
);

Step 3: Create a Login Endpoint

Next, you'll need an endpoint to handle user login and generate tokens.

1. Create a login endpoint: Again, a POST endpoint.
2. Accept user credentials: The endpoint should accept email and password.
3. Validate credentials: Check the database for the user and compare hashed passwords.
4. Generate a token: Use a JWT (JSON Web Token) or any token mechanism Xano provides.

Example for login logic:

// Fetch user by email
let user = db.users.find( email: inputs.email );

if (!user) 
  throw new Error('User not found');

// Compare passwords
let isValid = compare_password(inputs.password, user.password);

if (!isValid) 
  throw new Error('Invalid password');

// Generate token
let token = generate_token( userId: user.id );

return 
  success: true,
  token: token
;

Step 4: Secure Other Endpoints

Now that you have signup and login in place, you’ll need to secure any other endpoints that require authenticated users.

1. Add an Authorization header: For each request that needs to be secure, require an Authorization header with the token.
2. Verify the token: Before processing the endpoint's main logic, verify the token and extract the user information.
3. Restrict access: Only proceed if the token is valid. Otherwise, return an unauthorized error.

Example of a secured endpoint:

// Extract and verify token
let user = verify_token(request.headers.authorization);

if (!user) 
  throw new Error('Unauthorized');

// Proceed with the main logic
// ...

Conclusion

Setting up authentication in Xano is essential for securing your applications. By following these steps, you’ll have a robust authentication system that ensures only authorized users can access protected endpoints. Happy coding!