What is the best way to incorporate auto refresh in a client-side application using vue.js?

Question

What is the best way to incorporate auto refresh in a client-side application using vue.js?

Disclaimer: I have separated my client application (Vue.js) from the server side (DjangoRest). I am utilizing JWT for validating each request sent from the client to the server. Here is how it works - The client forwards user credentials to the server, and if the credentials are valid, the server responds with a refresh token and an access token. The client then stores these tokens. I have defined the refresh token expiry as 1 week and the access token expiry as 30 minutes. Now, I aim to ensure that the access token gets automatically refreshed 15 minutes prior to its expiration. This involves sending the stored refresh token from the client to the server, which will issue new access and refresh tokens in return. How can I incorporate this into the Vuex store? As someone new to web development and Vue.js, any code snippet or detailed explanation would be greatly appreciated.

I have successfully implemented functions like loginUser, logoutUser, registerUser in the store, and they work fine. However, I am facing difficulty in implementing the auto-refresh logic. My assumption is that the client needs to periodically check the remaining expiry time of the access token. When there's around 15 minutes left, the autorefresh function should kick in. Can someone guide me through this process?

Below is a snippet of my Vuex store:

import Vue from 'vue'
import Vuex from 'vuex'
import axiosBase from './api/axios-base'
Vue.use(Vuex)

export default new Vuex.Store({
  state: {
     accessToken: '' || null,
     refreshToken: '' || null
  },
  getters: {
    loggedIn (state) {
      return state.accessToken != null
    }
  },
  mutations: {
    loginUser (state) {
      state.accessToken = localStorage.getItem('access_token')
      state.refreshToken = localStorage.getItem('refresh_token')
    },
    destroyToken (state) {
      state.accessToken = null
      state.refreshToken = null
    }
  },
  actions: {
    registerUser (context, data) {
      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        this.axios.post('/register', {
          name: data.name,
          email: data.email,
          username: data.username,
          password: data.password,
          confirm: data.confirm
        })
          .then(response => {
            resolve(response)
          })
          .catch(error => {
            reject(error)
          })
      })
    },
    
    // More action functions can be added here...

  }
})

Any assistance provided would be highly valued. Thank you!

javascript authentication vue.js jwt refresh-token

Answer 1

Answer №1

This question presents a variety of solutions to consider, emphasizing the importance of avoiding polling whenever possible.

An effective approach involves leveraging the time-based nature of JWT tokens. By decoding the access token using a library like jwt-decode, you can extract vital information such as the expiration time.

Regularly check the token before executing requests to determine if a refresh is needed
Utilize `setTimeout` to automatically refresh the token a set number of seconds before it expires

The implementation below provides a guide on how this can be achieved:

export default new Vuex.Store({
  ...
  actions: {
    refreshTokens (context, credentials) {
      // Implementation for exchanging refresh token with access token
      ...
      // Initiate autoRefresh to establish the new timeout
      dispatch('autoRefresh', credentials)
    },
    autoRefresh (context, credentials) {
      const { state, commit, dispatch } = context
      const { accessToken } = state
      const { exp } = jwt_decode(accessToken)
      const now = Date.now() / 1000 
      let timeUntilRefresh = exp - now
      timeUntilRefresh -= (15 * 60) // Refresh 15 minutes prior to expiry
      const refreshTask = setTimeout(() => dispatch('refreshTokens', credentials), timeUntilRefresh * 1000)
      commit('refreshTask', refreshTask) // To potentially cancel task upon logout
    }
  }
})

Answer 2

This question presents a variety of solutions to consider, emphasizing the importance of avoiding polling whenever possible.

An effective approach involves leveraging the time-based nature of JWT tokens. By decoding the access token using a library like jwt-decode, you can extract vital information such as the expiration time.

Regularly check the token before executing requests to determine if a refresh is needed
Utilize `setTimeout` to automatically refresh the token a set number of seconds before it expires

The implementation below provides a guide on how this can be achieved:

export default new Vuex.Store({
  ...
  actions: {
    refreshTokens (context, credentials) {
      // Implementation for exchanging refresh token with access token
      ...
      // Initiate autoRefresh to establish the new timeout
      dispatch('autoRefresh', credentials)
    },
    autoRefresh (context, credentials) {
      const { state, commit, dispatch } = context
      const { accessToken } = state
      const { exp } = jwt_decode(accessToken)
      const now = Date.now() / 1000 
      let timeUntilRefresh = exp - now
      timeUntilRefresh -= (15 * 60) // Refresh 15 minutes prior to expiry
      const refreshTask = setTimeout(() => dispatch('refreshTokens', credentials), timeUntilRefresh * 1000)
      commit('refreshTask', refreshTask) // To potentially cancel task upon logout
    }
  }
})

Answer 3

Answer №2

It's always more reliable to depend on your server response code rather than the expiration time of data. If you encounter a 401 error when trying to access a protected route, prompt for a new access token and retry the request. Should the refresh route also return a 401 error, it is best to request the user to log in again.

An axios interceptor can be incredibly useful in handling these scenarios.

I personally implemented an axios interceptor for one of my projects:

import axios from 'axios'
import router from './router'
import store from './store'
import Promise from 'es6-promise'

const customAxios = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'http://localhost:3000',
  headers: {
    'Content-type': 'application/json'
  }
})

customAxios.interceptors.response.use(
  (response) => {
    return response
  },
  (err) => {
    console.log(err.response.config.url)
    // handle other errors
    if (err.response.status !== 401) {
      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        reject(err)
      })
    }
    // handle login error
    if (err.response.config.url === '/auth/login') {
      return new Proimise((resolve, reject) => {
        reject(err)
      })
    }
    // handle refresh error
    if (err.response.config.url === '/auth/refresh') {
      console.log('ERROR IN REFRESH')
      router.push('/logout')
      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        reject(err)
      })
    }
    // implement token refresh
    return customAxios.get('/auth/refresh', { withCredentials: true }).then(
      success => {
        const config = err.response.config
        config.headers.Authorization = 'Bearer ' + success.data.access_token
        store.commit('setToken', success.data.access_token)
        return customAxios(config)
      }
    )
  }
)

export default customAxios

Answer 4

It's always more reliable to depend on your server response code rather than the expiration time of data. If you encounter a 401 error when trying to access a protected route, prompt for a new access token and retry the request. Should the refresh route also return a 401 error, it is best to request the user to log in again.

An axios interceptor can be incredibly useful in handling these scenarios.

I personally implemented an axios interceptor for one of my projects:

import axios from 'axios'
import router from './router'
import store from './store'
import Promise from 'es6-promise'

const customAxios = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'http://localhost:3000',
  headers: {
    'Content-type': 'application/json'
  }
})

customAxios.interceptors.response.use(
  (response) => {
    return response
  },
  (err) => {
    console.log(err.response.config.url)
    // handle other errors
    if (err.response.status !== 401) {
      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        reject(err)
      })
    }
    // handle login error
    if (err.response.config.url === '/auth/login') {
      return new Proimise((resolve, reject) => {
        reject(err)
      })
    }
    // handle refresh error
    if (err.response.config.url === '/auth/refresh') {
      console.log('ERROR IN REFRESH')
      router.push('/logout')
      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
        reject(err)
      })
    }
    // implement token refresh
    return customAxios.get('/auth/refresh', { withCredentials: true }).then(
      success => {
        const config = err.response.config
        config.headers.Authorization = 'Bearer ' + success.data.access_token
        store.commit('setToken', success.data.access_token)
        return customAxios(config)
      }
    )
  }
)

export default customAxios

What is the best way to incorporate auto refresh in a client-side application using vue.js?

Answer №1

Answer №2

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