What is JWT (JSON Web Tokens)?

JSON Web Tokens (JWT) are compact, URL-safe tokens for securely transmitting information between parties. JWTs are commonly used for authentication and authorization in Frontend Accelerator, allowing stateless authentication without server-side sessions.

JWT Structure:

Header.Payload.Signature

eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1c2VySWQiOiIxMjMiLCJlbWFpbCI6InVzZXJAZXhhbXBsZS5jb20iLCJleHAiOjE3MzAwMDAwMDB9.signature

JWT usage:

import { SignJWT, jwtVerify } from 'jose';

const token = await new SignJWT({ userId: user.id })
  .setProtectedHeader({ alg: 'HS256' })
  .setExpirationTime('7d')
  .sign(secret);

const { payload } = await jwtVerify(token, secret);

Key components:

• Header: Algorithm and token type
• Payload: Claims (user data, expiration)
• Signature: Cryptographic signature for verification

Key benefits:

• Stateless: No server-side session storage required
• Portable: Tokens work across multiple domains
• Secure: Cryptographically signed and tamper-proof
• Efficient: Reduces database queries for authentication

AI-Friendly: JWTs follow a well-defined standard that AI can implement correctly. AI can generate secure token creation, implement proper expiration handling, add refresh token logic, and ensure secure storage practices.