dev/OAuth2-Backend-Approach.md

OAuth2 purpose

A way for the user to tell google to give an access to myapp app

Flow:

When	What	How
1	Get Code	Front ⇢ Google ⇢ Back
2	Exchange Code with Token	Back ⇢ Google ⇢ Back ⇢ Front
4	Use Token	Front ⇢ Back ⇢ Google ⇢ Back ⇢ Front

Details:

⭐️ 1. Get Authorization Code

1. Frontend **Navigate** to Google URL with a callback url
2. Google **Redirect** to Backend's callback url with the authorization code

⭐️ 2. Exchange Code with Token

1. Backend **POST** the `code` to Google
2. Google **Response** to Backend with an `access_token` and a `refresh token`
3. Backend **Redirect** to Frontend with the `access_token` in a `cookie`

⭐️ 3. Use Token

1. Frontend **GET** profile data from Backend using the `cookie`
2. Backend **GET** profile data from Google using the `access_token`
3. Google **Response** to Backend with profile data
4. Backend **Response** to Frontend with profile data

⭐️ 1. Get Authorization Code

1. Frontend Navigate to Google https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2 with a callback url
2. Google Redirect to Backend callback url https://myapp/api/auth/callback with authorization code

⚙️ 1. Front GET to Google

GET https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/v2/auth?
    response_type=code&                             # This indicates you're using the "authorization code" flow.
    client_id=ABC34JHS9D&                           # Your Google API client ID created on the google API console.
    redirect_uri=https://myapp/api/auth/callback&   # The URI Google will redirect to after the user consents.
    scope=email%20profile&                          # The permissions you're requesting (e.g., email, profile).
    state=xyz123                                    # A random string to protect against CSRF attacks.

⚙️ 2. Google 302 to Back

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: https://myapp/api/auth/callback?code=4/0AX4XfWgyVyz-uT8k7WiyLg0Q&state=xyz123
Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
Content-Length: 0

Security: the state string should be validated upon receiving the response from Google, as it ensures that the response corresponds to the request.

⭐️ 2. Exchange Code with Token

1. Backend POST the code to Google https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token
2. Google Response to Backend with an access_token and a refresh token
3. Backend Redirect to Frontend with the access_token in a cookie

⚙️ 1. Backend POST the code to Google

POST https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

grant_type=authorization_code&
code=AAAABCX4XfWgyVyziyLg0QHHHHH&
client_id=ABC34JHS9D&
client_secret=PASS1234&
redirect_uri=https://myapp/callback

⚙️ 2. Google Response to Backend

{
  "access_token": "ya29.a0AfH6SMC8Op6zkVX-VoA",
  "token_type": "Bearer",
  "expires_in": 3600,
  "refresh_token": "1//04d5lrjAqU4kS3vGdMvckw",
  "scope": "email profile"
}

⚙️ 3. Backend Redirect to Frontend success page

This redirect will place a cookie in the browser that contains the access token

HTTP/1.1 302 Found
Location: http://localhost:3000/dashboard
Set-Cookie: access_token=ya29.a0AfH6SMC8Op6zkVX-VoA; HttpOnly; Secure; Max-Age=3600; Path=/;

💾 Backend code

Implements the endpoint /auth/google/callback

1. Recieves authorization code from Google
2. POST send the authorization code to https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token
3. POST response the access & refresh tokens
4. Redirect to Fronend success page with a cookie contains the access token

app.get('/callback', async (req, res) => {
  try {

    //
    // 1. Get the authorization code from Google's redirect
    //
    const { code } = req.query;
    
    //
    // 2. POST the authorization code to Google
    //
    const tokenResponse = await fetch('https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        code,
        client_id: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID,
        client_secret: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET,
        redirect_uri: 'https://myapp/callback',
        grant_type: 'authorization_code',
      }),
    });
    
    //
    // 3. Get Response tokens from Google
    //
    const { access_token, refresh_token } = await tokenResponse.json();
    
    //
    // 4. Redirect to Fronend success page with a cookie contains the access token
    //
    res.cookie('access', access_token, {
      httpOnly: true,              // Cannot be accessed by client-side JavaScript
      secure: true,                // Only sent over HTTPS
      sameSite: 'strict',          // CSRF protection
      maxAge: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // 24 hours
    });
    res.redirect('https://myapp/dashboard');


  } catch (error) {
    res.redirect('https://myapp/login');
  }
});

The redirect_uri in the token exchange POST request needs to match EXACTLY the same redirect_uri that was used in the initial authorization request to Google. It's part of OAuth2 security verification.

⭐️ 3. Use Token

⚙️ 1. Frontend GET profile data from Backend

curl -X GET https://myapp/api/auth/profile \
  -H "Cookie: access_token=ya29.a0AfH6SMC8Op6zkVX-VoA" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

⚙️ 2. Backend GET profile data from Google

curl -X GET "https://www.googleapis.com/oauth2/v3/userinfo" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {access_token}" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

⚙️ 3. Google response to Backend with profile data

{
  "sub": "1234567890",
  "name": "John Doe",
  "given_name": "John",
  "family_name": "Doe",
  "profile": "https://plus.google.com/1234567890",
  "picture": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a-/AOh14GgIXXl5JXzW0c1Szbl-e1Jch1vhl5rHhH65vlK6J5g5PqkGjj1O0p3t8bgVEOykQ6ykFSQ=s96",
  "email": "john.doe@example.com",
  "email_verified": true,
  "locale": "en"
}

⚙️ 4. Backend response to Front with profile data

{
  "sub": "1234567890",
  "name": "John Doe",
  "picture": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8bgVEOykQ6ykFSQ=s96",
  "email": "john.doe@example.com",
}

💾 Frontend Dashboard Code

import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';

function DashboardPage() {
  const navigate = useNavigate();
  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
  const [dashboardData, setDashboardData] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    async function loadDashboard() {
      try {
        
        // 
        // Single request that both verifies auth and gets data
        //
        const response = await fetch('https://myapp/api/dashboard-data', {
          credentials: 'include'  // Sends the auth cookie
        });

        if (!response.ok) {
          //
          // If auth is invalid, the backend will return 401
          //
          if (response.status === 401) {
            navigate('/login');
            return;
          }
          throw new Error('Failed to load dashboard');
        }

        const data = await response.json();
        setDashboardData(data);
        setIsLoading(false);
      } catch (err) {
        navigate('/login');
      }
    }

    loadDashboard();
  }, [navigate]);

  if (isLoading) {
    return <div>Loading...</div>;
  }

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Welcome to Dashboard</h1>
    </div>
  );
}

💾 Backend Dashboard

If the frontend token is valid, the backend will response to the request.

If the frontend token is not valid, the backend will:

1. Get new tokens using refresh token
2. Set new cookie with new access token
3. Continue with the original request using new token

or login again

app.get('/api/dashboard-data', async (req, res) => {
  const authToken = req.cookies.auth_token;
  const refreshToken = await getRefreshTokenFromDB(); // Get from your DB

  try {
    //
    // If the token is still valid
    //
    const userData = verifyToken(authToken);
    const dashboardData = await getDashboardData(userData);
    res.json(dashboardData);
  } catch (err) {
    if (err.name === 'TokenExpiredError') {
      try {
        //
        // 1. Get new tokens using refresh token
        //
        const response = await fetch('https://oauth2.googleapis.com/token', {
          method: 'POST',
          body: JSON.stringify({
            refresh_token: refreshToken,
            client_id: CLIENT_ID,
            client_secret: CLIENT_SECRET,
            grant_type: 'refresh_token'
          })
        });

        const { access_token } = await response.json();

        //
        // 2. Set new cookie with new access token
        //
        res.cookie('auth_token', access_token, {
          httpOnly: true,
          secure: true,
          sameSite: 'strict'
        });

        //
        // 3. Continue with the original request using new token
        //
        const userData = verifyToken(access_token);
        const dashboardData = await getDashboardData(userData);
        res.json(dashboardData);
      } catch (refreshError) {
        //
        // If refresh fails, user needs to login again
        //
        res.status(401).json({ error: 'Session expired' });
      }
    } else {
      res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid token' });
    }
  }
});