MCPInstall

jwt-authentication

by pluginagentmarketplaceBackend & APIs

Implement secure JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication in Node.js applications with access/refresh tokens and role-based access control

Installs
226
Last 24h
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Trending rank
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Security
Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/pluginagentmarketplace/custom-plugin-nodejs --skill jwt-authentication
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads jwt-authentication automatically when relevant.

  3. 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.

JWT Authentication Skill

Implement secure, scalable authentication in Node.js applications using JSON Web Tokens.

Quick Start

JWT authentication in 4 steps:

  1. Install - npm install jsonwebtoken bcryptjs
  2. Register - Hash password, create user, generate token
  3. Login - Verify password, generate token
  4. Protect - Verify token in middleware

Core Concepts

Generate JWT

const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');

function generateToken(userId) {
  return jwt.sign(
    { id: userId },
    process.env.JWT_SECRET,
    { expiresIn: '1h' }
  );
}

function generateRefreshToken(userId) {
  return jwt.sign(
    { id: userId },
    process.env.JWT_REFRESH_SECRET,
    { expiresIn: '7d' }
  );
}

User Registration

const bcrypt = require('bcryptjs');

async function register(req, res) {
  const { email, password, name } = req.body;

  // Check if user exists
  const existingUser = await User.findOne({ email });
  if (existingUser) {
    return res.status(409).json({ error: 'User already exists' });
  }

  // Hash password
  const hashedPassword = await bcrypt.hash(password, 10);

  // Create user
  const user = await User.create({
    email,
    password: hashedPassword,
    name
  });

  // Generate tokens
  const accessToken = generateToken(user._id);
  const refreshToken = generateRefreshToken(user._id);

  res.status(201).json({
    user: { id: user._id, email, name },
    accessToken,
    refreshToken
  });
}

User Login

async function login(req, res) {
  const { email, password } = req.body;

  // Find user
  const user = await User.findOne({ email });
  if (!user) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid credentials' });
  }

  // Verify password
  const isValid = await bcrypt.compare(password, user.password);
  if (!isValid) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid credentials' });
  }

  // Generate tokens
  const accessToken = generateToken(user._id);
  const refreshToken = generateRefreshToken(user._id);

  res.json({
    user: { id: user._id, email: user.email },
    accessToken,
    refreshToken
  });
}

Authentication Middleware

async function authenticate(req, res, next) {
  try {
    // Get token from header
    const authHeader = req.headers.authorization;
    if (!authHeader || !authHeader.startsWith('Bearer ')) {
      return res.status(401).json({ error: 'No token provided' });
    }

    const token = authHeader.split(' ')[1];

    // Verify token
    const decoded = jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET);

    // Get user
    const user = await User.findById(decoded.id).select('-password');
    if (!user) {
      return res.status(401).json({ error: 'User not found' });
    }

    req.user = user;
    next();
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid token' });
  }
}

// Usage
router.get('/profile', authenticate, getProfile);

Learning Path

Beginner (1-2 weeks)

  • ✅ Understand JWT structure
  • ✅ Implement registration/login
  • ✅ Create authentication middleware
  • ✅ Protect routes

Intermediate (3-4 weeks)

  • ✅ Refresh token flow
  • ✅ Role-based access control
  • ✅ Password reset flow
  • ✅ Token blacklisting

Advanced (5-6 weeks)

  • ✅ OAuth integration
  • ✅ Two-factor authentication
  • ✅ Session management
  • ✅ Security best practices

Advanced Patterns

Role-Based Access Control

const authorize = (...roles) => {
  return (req, res, next) => {
    if (!req.user) {
      return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Not authenticated' });
    }

    if (!roles.includes(req.user.role)) {
      return res.status(403).json({ error: 'Insufficient permissions' });
    }

    next();
  };
};

// Usage
router.delete('/users/:id',
  authenticate,
  authorize('admin', 'moderator'),
  deleteUser
);

Token Refresh

async function refreshAccessToken(req, res) {
  const { refreshToken } = req.body;

  try {
    const decoded = jwt.verify(refreshToken, process.env.JWT_REFRESH_SECRET);

    // Verify refresh token exists in database
    const stored = await RefreshToken.findOne({
      token: refreshToken,
      userId: decoded.id
    });

    if (!stored) {
      return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid refresh token' });
    }

    // Generate new access token
    const accessToken = generateToken(decoded.id);

    res.json({ accessToken });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(401).json({ error: 'Token refresh failed' });
  }
}

Password Reset Flow

async function requestPasswordReset(req, res) {
  const { email } = req.body;
  const user = await User.findOne({ email });

  if (!user) {
    return res.status(404).json({ error: 'User not found' });
  }

  // Generate reset token (short expiry)
  const resetToken = jwt.sign(
    { id: user._id, purpose: 'reset' },
    process.env.JWT_SECRET,
    { expiresIn: '15m' }
  );

  // Send email with reset link
  await sendResetEmail(user.email, resetToken);

  res.json({ message: 'Reset email sent' });
}

async function resetPassword(req, res) {
  const { token, newPassword } = req.body;

  try {
    const decoded = jwt.verify(token, process.env.JWT_SECRET);

    if (decoded.purpose !== 'reset') {
      return res.status(400).json({ error: 'Invalid token' });
    }

    const hashedPassword = await bcrypt.hash(newPassword, 10);
    await User.findByIdAndUpdate(decoded.id, { password: hashedPassword });

    res.json({ message: 'Password reset successful' });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(400).json({ error: 'Invalid or expired token' });
  }
}

Security Best Practices

  • ✅ Use strong JWT secrets (32+ characters, random)
  • ✅ Short expiry for access tokens (15min - 1h)
  • ✅ Longer expiry for refresh tokens (7d - 30d)
  • ✅ Store refresh tokens in database
  • ✅ Hash passwords with bcrypt (10+ rounds)
  • ✅ Use HTTPS in production
  • ✅ Implement rate limiting
  • ✅ Validate all inputs
  • ✅ Don't store sensitive data in JWT payload

JWT Structure

header.payload.signature

Header (base64):
{
  "alg": "HS256",
  "typ": "JWT"
}

Payload (base64):
{
  "id": "user123",
  "iat": 1516239022,
  "exp": 1516242622
}

Signature:
HMACSHA256(
  base64UrlEncode(header) + "." + base64UrlEncode(payload),
  secret
)

Common JWT Claims

  • iss - Issuer
  • sub - Subject (user ID)
  • aud - Audience
  • exp - Expiration time
  • iat - Issued at
  • nbf - Not before

When to Use

Use JWT authentication when:

  • Building stateless REST APIs
  • Need scalability (no server-side sessions)
  • Mobile app authentication
  • Microservices architecture
  • Single sign-on (SSO)

Related Skills

  • Express REST API (protect API endpoints)
  • Database Integration (store users)
  • Testing & Debugging (test auth flows)
  • Performance Optimization (token caching)

Resources

FAQ

What does the jwt-authentication skill do?

Implement secure JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication in Node.js applications with access/refresh tokens and role-based access control

How do I install jwt-authentication?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/pluginagentmarketplace/custom-plugin-nodejs --skill jwt-authentication 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/jwt-authentication/ (personal) or .claude/skills/jwt-authentication/ (project).

Which AI agents can use jwt-authentication?

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 jwt-authentication 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 jwt-authentication?

It is published by pluginagentmarketplace in pluginagentmarketplace/custom-plugin-nodejs. It has 226 recorded installs.

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