auth0-express
Use when adding session-based login, logout, or protected routes to an Express.js web application. Integrates express-openid-connect — use even if the user says "add login to my Express app" or "protect my Express routes".
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/auth0/agent-skills --skill auth0-express- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads auth0-express automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Auth0 Express Integration
Add authentication to Express.js web applications using express-openid-connect.
Prerequisites
- Express.js application
- Auth0 account and application configured
- If you don't have Auth0 set up yet, use the
auth0-quickstartskill first
When NOT to Use
- Single Page Applications - Use
auth0-react,auth0-vue, orauth0-angularfor client-side auth - Next.js applications - Use
auth0-nextjsskill which handles both client and server - Mobile applications - Use
auth0-react-nativefor React Native/Expo - Stateless APIs - Use JWT validation middleware instead of session-based auth
- Microservices - Use JWT validation for service-to-service auth
Quick Start Workflow
1. Install SDK
npm install express-openid-connect dotenv
2. Configure Environment
For automated setup with Auth0 CLI, see Setup Guide for complete scripts.
For manual setup:
Create .env:
SECRET=<openssl-rand-hex-32>
BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000
CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
CLIENT_SECRET=your-client-secret
ISSUER_BASE_URL=https://your-tenant.auth0.com
AUDIENCE=https://your-api-identifier # only required if calling external APIs (Step 3a)
Generate secret: openssl rand -hex 32
3. Configure Auth Middleware
Update your Express app (app.js or index.js):
require('dotenv').config();
const express = require('express');
const { auth, requiresAuth } = require('express-openid-connect');
const app = express();
// Configure Auth0 middleware
app.use(auth({
authRequired: false, // Don't require auth for all routes
auth0Logout: true, // Enable logout endpoint
secret: process.env.SECRET,
baseURL: process.env.BASE_URL,
clientID: process.env.CLIENT_ID,
issuerBaseURL: process.env.ISSUER_BASE_URL,
clientSecret: process.env.CLIENT_SECRET
}));
app.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server running on http://localhost:3000');
});
Calling external APIs? If you need an access token for a downstream API, you must add
authorizationParams— see Step 3a below.
This automatically creates:
/login- Login endpoint/logout- Logout endpoint/callback- OAuth callback
3a. Configure Middleware for API Access (when calling external APIs)
When you need an access token for an external API, audience must go inside authorizationParams — putting it at the top level is silently ignored and no access token is issued.
// SDK auto-loads SECRET, BASE_URL, CLIENT_ID, ISSUER_BASE_URL, CLIENT_SECRET from env vars
app.use(auth({
authRequired: false,
auth0Logout: true,
authorizationParams: { // ← required for access tokens
response_type: 'code', // ← required: authorization code flow
audience: process.env.AUDIENCE, // ← API identifier (never top-level)
scope: 'openid profile email'
}
}));
Then access the token in your route:
app.get('/api-call', requiresAuth(), async (req, res) => {
const { access_token } = req.oidc.accessToken; // object, not a string
const response = await fetch('https://your-api.com/data', {
headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${access_token}` }
});
res.json(await response.json());
});
4. Add Routes
// Public route
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.send(req.oidc.isAuthenticated() ? 'Logged in' : 'Logged out');
});
// Protected route
app.get('/profile', requiresAuth(), (req, res) => {
res.send(`
<h1>Profile</h1>
<p>Name: ${req.oidc.user.name}</p>
<p>Email: ${req.oidc.user.email}</p>
<pre>${JSON.stringify(req.oidc.user, null, 2)}</pre>
<a href="/logout">Logout</a>
`);
});
// Login/logout links
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.send(`
${req.oidc.isAuthenticated() ? `
<p>Welcome, ${req.oidc.user.name}!</p>
<a href="/profile">Profile</a>
<a href="/logout">Logout</a>
` : `
<a href="/login">Login</a>
`}
`);
});
5. Test Authentication
Start your server:
node app.js
Visit http://localhost:3000 and test the login flow.
Detailed Documentation
- Setup Guide - Automated setup scripts, environment configuration, Auth0 CLI usage
- Integration Guide - Protected routes, sessions, API integration, error handling
- API Reference - Complete middleware API, configuration options, request properties
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Forgot to add callback URL in Auth0 Dashboard | Add /callback path to Allowed Callback URLs (e.g., http://localhost:3000/callback) |
| Missing or weak SECRET | Generate secure secret with openssl rand -hex 32 and store in .env as SECRET |
| Setting authRequired: true globally | Set to false and use requiresAuth() middleware on specific routes |
| App created as SPA type in Auth0 | Must be Regular Web Application type for server-side auth |
| Session secret exposed in code | Always use environment variables, never hardcode secrets |
| Wrong baseURL for production | Update BASE_URL to match your production domain |
| Not handling logout returnTo | Add your domain to Allowed Logout URLs in Auth0 Dashboard |
audience as a top-level config key | Move audience inside authorizationParams with response_type: 'code' and scope — top-level audience is silently ignored, no access token is issued |
req.oidc.accessToken used as a string | It is an object — destructure with const { access_token } = req.oidc.accessToken |
Related Skills
auth0-quickstart- Basic Auth0 setupauth0-migration- Migrate from another auth providerauth0-mfa- Add Multi-Factor Authenticationauth0-cli- Manage Auth0 resources from the terminal
Quick Reference
Middleware Options:
authRequired- Require auth for all routes (default: false)auth0Logout- Enable /logout endpoint (default: false)secret- Session secret (required)baseURL- Application URL (required)clientID- Auth0 client ID (required)issuerBaseURL- Auth0 tenant URL (required)
Request Properties:
req.oidc.isAuthenticated()- Check if user is logged inreq.oidc.user- User profile objectreq.oidc.accessToken- Access token object ({ access_token, token_type, expires_in });expires_inis seconds remaining. Destructure withconst { access_token } = req.oidc.accessToken. Also exposesisExpired()andrefresh()methods. Only populated whenauthorizationParamswithaudience+response_type: 'code'is configuredreq.oidc.idToken- ID tokenreq.oidc.refreshToken- Refresh token
Common Use Cases:
- Protected routes → Use
requiresAuth()middleware (see Step 4) - Check auth status →
req.oidc.isAuthenticated() - Get user info →
req.oidc.user - Call APIs → Integration Guide
References
FAQ
What does the auth0-express skill do?
Use when adding session-based login, logout, or protected routes to an Express.js web application. Integrates express-openid-connect — use even if the user says "add login to my Express app" or "protect my Express routes".
How do I install auth0-express?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/auth0/agent-skills --skill auth0-express in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/auth0-express/ (personal) or .claude/skills/auth0-express/ (project).
Which AI agents can use auth0-express?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is auth0-express safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains auth0-express?
It is published by auth0 in auth0/agent-skills, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 816 recorded installs.
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