Auth Implementation Patterns Agent Skill
Master authentication and authorization patterns including JWT, OAuth2, session management, and RBAC to build secure, scalable access control systems. Use when implementing auth systems, securing APIs, or debugging security issues.
Install
one command, takes just this skill from the repositorynpx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill auth-implementation-patternsThe instruction itself
8 sections, as written by the authorAuthentication & Authorization Implementation Patterns
Build secure, scalable authentication and authorization systems using industry-standard patterns and modern best practices.
When to Use This Skill
- Implementing user authentication systems
- Securing REST or GraphQL APIs
- Adding OAuth2/social login
- Implementing role-based access control (RBAC)
- Designing session management
- Migrating authentication systems
- Debugging auth issues
- Implementing SSO or multi-tenancy
Core Concepts
1. Authentication vs Authorization
Authentication (AuthN): Who are you?
- Verifying identity (username/password, OAuth, biometrics)
- Issuing credentials (sessions, tokens)
- Managing login/logout
Authorization (AuthZ): What can you do?
- Permission checking
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Resource ownership validation
- Policy enforcement
2. Authentication Strategies
Session-Based:
- Server stores session state
- Session ID in cookie
- Traditional, simple, stateful
Token-Based (JWT):
- Stateless, self-contained
- Scales horizontally
- Can store claims
OAuth2/OpenID Connect:
- Delegate authentication
- Social login (Google, GitHub)
- Enterprise SSO
Detailed patterns and worked examples
Detailed pattern documentation lives in references/details.md. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.
Best Practices
- Never Store Plain Passwords: Always hash with bcrypt/argon2
- Use HTTPS: Encrypt data in transit
- Short-Lived Access Tokens: 15-30 minutes max
- Secure Cookies: httpOnly, secure, sameSite flags
- Validate All Input: Email format, password strength
- Rate Limit Auth Endpoints: Prevent brute force attacks
- Implement CSRF Protection: For session-based auth
- Rotate Secrets Regularly: JWT secrets, session secrets
- Log Security Events: Login attempts, failed auth
10. Use MFA When Possible: Extra security layer
Common Pitfalls
- Weak Passwords: Enforce strong password policies
- JWT in localStorage: Vulnerable to XSS, use httpOnly cookies
- No Token Expiration: Tokens should expire
- Client-Side Auth Checks Only: Always validate server-side
- Insecure Password Reset: Use secure tokens with expiration
- No Rate Limiting: Vulnerable to brute force
- Trusting Client Data: Always validate on server
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How to use it
Take wshobson/auth-implementation-patterns from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the
same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.