OAuth 2.0 Authorization Flow Using Node.js and Express

OAuth 2.0 Authorization Flow Using Node.js and Express

I’ve built OAuth authentication for 40+ Node.js apps. The Authorization Code Flow is the gold standard for web applications - secure, battle-tested, and works with every major identity provider. Here’s how to implement it right. Visual Overview: sequenceDiagram participant User participant App as Client App participant AuthServer as Authorization Server participant Resource as Resource Server User->>App: 1. Click Login App->>AuthServer: 2. Authorization Request AuthServer->>User: 3. Login Page User->>AuthServer: 4. Authenticate AuthServer->>App: 5. Authorization Code App->>AuthServer: 6. Exchange Code for Token AuthServer->>App: 7. Access Token + Refresh Token App->>Resource: 8. API Request with Token Resource->>App: 9. Protected Resource Why This Matters Most developers think OAuth is complicated. It’s not - if you understand the flow and avoid common mistakes. I’ve seen teams spend weeks debugging CSRF attacks, token storage issues, and session hijacking because they skipped critical security steps. ...

Jun 04, 2025 · 10 min · 2117 words · IAMDevBox