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Sign users in to your SPA using redirect and Auth JS
The Okta JavaScript Auth SDK (opens new window) (Auth JS) helps implement many Web Authentication solutions for both the redirect and embedded models. This guide creates a simple redirect authentication solution using Auth JS. Once created, you can drop the solution into just about any front-end or server-side web application.
Learning outcomes
- Understand how to implement a simple redirect sign-in using Auth JS.
- Understand basic installation and code configurations using Auth JS.
What you need
Okta Developer Edition organization (opens new window)
About the Okta Auth JavaScript SDK
The Okta Auth JS SDK builds on top of the following:
Sign-in experiences
These experiences include fully branded embedded authentication, as with Auth JS fundamentals and redirect authentication. Auth JS is used by the Okta Sign-In Widget (opens new window), which powers the default Okta sign-in page. Your application initializes the SDK, which automatically redirects you to this authentication page. Okta hosts this page and enforces the policies you configured for your sign-in experience.
Auth JS also powers our other redirect SDKs that provide simple authentication for server-side web apps and single-page JavaScript apps (SPA). See the Quickstart guides.
Auth JS and redirect authentication
In this guide, you don't need to use an Okta-supported server-side or front-end framework to get access to redirect authentication. It's possible to use Auth JS to create a drop-in solution that works with most web apps. This solution works whether you're adding a centralized sign-in flow to a new app or retrofitting it to an existing app.
To see examples of Auth JS with other front-end frameworks, go to Sign in to SPA.
If you'd like to explore the entire Auth JS SDK, see Okta Auth JS JavaScript SDK (opens new window).
Create an Okta app integration
An Okta app integration represents your app in your Okta org. The integration configures how your app integrates with Okta services, which include the following:
- Users and groups that have access
- Authentication policies
- Token refresh requirements
- Redirect URLs
The integration includes configuration information required by the app to access Okta.
- Sign in to your Okta organization (opens new window) with your administrator account.
- Click Admin in the upper-right corner of the page.
- Open the Applications configuration pane by selecting Applications > Applications.
- Click Create App Integration, and then select a Sign-in method of OIDC - OpenID Connect.
- Select an Application type of Single-Page Application, then click Next.
Note: If you choose an inappropriate application type, it breaks the sign-in or sign-out flow. It breaks the flow by requiring the verification of a client secret, which public clients don't have.
- Enter an App integration name, and then ensure that the Authorization Code grant type is selected.
- Enter the Sign-in redirect URIs for local development. For this sample, use
http://localhost:9000. - Enter the Sign-out redirect URIs for local development. For this sample, use
http://localhost:9000. - Enter the Base URIs for the trusted origin. For this sample, use
http://localhost:9000. See Trusted Origins. - In the Assignments section, define the type of Controlled access for your app. Select Allow everyone in your organization to access. See Assign app integrations (opens new window).
- Clear the Enable immediate access with Federation Broker Mode checkbox.
- Click Save to create the app integration. The configuration pane for the integration opens after it's saved. Keep this pane open as you need to copy the Client ID and your org domain name when configuring your app.
About Trusted Origins
Reduce possible attack vectors by defining Trusted Origins, which are the websites allowed to access the Okta API for your app integration. Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) enables JavaScript requests using XMLHttpRequest with the Okta session cookie. See Grant cross-origin access to websites.
Note: To reduce risk, only grant access to the Okta API to specific websites (origins) that you both control and trust.
To review or set trusted origins go to Security > API and select the Trusted Origins tab. See Enable Trusted Origins.
Create a basic app
To make this sample as versatile as possible, the following starter app redirects to Okta to sign in as you load it into the browser. In your own apps, you might want to initiate the redirect using a sign-in button. You might want to initiate the redirect when visiting a certain route that requires authentication (such as an admin page). The key is that you initiate the sign-in flow through the redirect.
Create a simple HTML UI
In your app directory, create an HTML file called index.html. Add the following markup to this file:
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Okta Auth JS - Redirect SPA</title>
</head>
<body>
<b>Okta Auth JS Simple Redirect App</b>
<hr />
<div id="content-jwt"></div>
</body>
</html>
The content in the body tags represents a simple app. The content-jwt reference displays user information after you add some upcoming JavaScript.
Install the Auth JS SDK
Include this script in your target HTML page (index.html) by including the following after the <title> element:
<!-- Latest CDN production Auth JS SDK-->
<script src="https://global.oktacdn.com/okta-auth-js/7.2.0/okta-auth-js.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
Note: If you're using a package manager, you can also install it through the appropriate command, for example
yarn add @okta/okta-auth-jsornpm install @okta/okta-auth-js.
Add JavaScript to initialize the SDK
In the same index.html file, add the following JavaScript code after the Auth JS SDK reference. Update the baseOktaURL to your org and the appClientID to the client ID from the Create an Okta app integration section.
<script type="text/javascript">
// UPDATE THESE FOR YOUR OKTA TENANT
var baseOktaURL = "https:${yourOKtaDomain}"; //For example, https://dev-08607539.okta.com
var appClientID = "${yourClientID}"; // For example, 0oa73hm5sh9jf6s5e1d6
// Bootstrap the AuthJS Client
const authClient = new OktaAuth({
// Required Fields for OIDC client
url: baseOktaURL,
clientId: appClientID,
redirectUri: "http://localhost:9000/", //or the redirect URI for your app
issuer: baseOktaURL , // oidc
scopes: ['openid', 'profile', 'email']
});
</script>
This code initializes the SDK by creating an instance of the OktaAuth() object. The object stores all the necessary config information for your auth session and is used to control subsequent steps of the process.
Get info about the user
Include the following JavaScript within the <script> tags and after the code that initializes the SDK:
if (authClient.isLoginRedirect()) {
// Parse token from redirect url
console.log("Parse token from redirect url");
authClient.token.parseFromUrl()
.then(data => {
const { idToken } = data.tokens;
// Display the Token
const str1 = document.createElement('p');
str1.innerHTML = `<b>${idToken.claims.email}</b> (email)<br /><b>${idToken.claims.sub}</b> (sub)<br /><br />Token Response:<br /><code style="word-wrap: break-word;">${JSON.stringify(idToken)}</code><br /><br/>Parsed from JWT<br />Client ID: <b>${authClient.options.clientId}</b><br />Issuer: <b>${authClient.options.issuer}</b>`;
document.getElementById('content-jwt').appendChild(str1);
});
} else {
// Always Redirect to get a "Fresh JWT" - Skipping the Token Manager in this example
console.log("Attempt to retrieve ID Token from redirect");
authClient.token.getWithRedirect({
responseType: ['id_token']
});
}
By default, the SDK returns the JWT with the user's information. The JWT contains the encoded ID and access tokens. The previous JavaScript parses the ID token and prints the data to your web page. See token.parseFromUrl() (opens new window) in the Auth JS SDK.
Add a sign-out function
Include the following function within the body tags after the content-jwt reference:
<hr />
<div id="uxActiveOptions">
<b>Functions:</b>
<br /><button onclick="authClient.signOut();">Close Okta Session</button>
</div>
This function signs the user out of the Okta session. See signOut() (opens new window) in the Auth JS SDK.
Test your app
You can now run your app by using a local web server. For example, with a macOS, go to your sample app directly and use the Python web server command:
python3 -m http.server 9000
Open a private or incognito browser window and go to http://localhost:9000 or the port for your local web server. The sample app starts the redirect flow when the page opens, and the Sign-In Widget for your org appears. Sign in with a user assigned to your app, and with a successful authentication, your app's index.html page displays the ID token for the signed-in user.
Troubleshoot your app
If your app isn't functional, ensure that:
- Your org URL is accurate and formatted correctly, including the secure protocol,
https://. - Your client ID is accurate from your Okta app integration.
- Your
redirectUriis accurate or the port number for your local web server is correct. - You've enabled a Trusted Origin for
http://localhost:9000. See About Trusted Origins. - If your app is bypassing the Okta Sign-In Widget, your user is already signed in. Use a new private or incognito browser window or optionally set the Authentication Policy for your app to always sign in. That is, Re-authentication frequency is set to Every sign-in attempt.
Enable profile enrollment (self-service registration)
The profile enrollment or self-service registration feature provides a Sign-up link on the Sign-In Widget. Your end users use this link to register their user profile and sign in to your app.
By default, self-service registration isn't enabled for all apps. Use the following steps to understand the policy configurations and to make this feature only available to your application. See Self-Service Registration (opens new window).
Ensure that your app is assigned to the Everyone group:
- Go to Applications > Applications and select your app.
- Click the Assignments tab.
- Click the Groups filter.
- If the Everyone group isn't assigned, add it by clicking Assign > Assign to Groups, and assigning to the Everyone group.
Go to Security > Profile Enrollment and edit the Default Policy.
Note: If you enabled Multiple Identifiers, go to Security > User Profile Policies. See Manage Early Access and Beta features (opens new window).
Notice in the Profile Enrollment section, Denied is selected for Self-service registration by default. This setting removes the self-registration option for all apps assigned to the default policy.
Test your app and note that the Sign-up link doesn't appear under the sign-in page.
Return to the Admin Console, and then select Back to all Profile Enrollment Policies to return to the Security > Profile Enrollment page.
Note: If you enabled Multiple Identifiers, go to Security > User Profile Policies. See Manage Early Access and Beta features (opens new window).
Click Add Profile Enrollment Policy, and then create a name for the policy (for example, "App self-service registration").
Edit the new policy and note that self-service registration is Allowed by default.
Clear the Email verification checkbox for ease of testing and to allow your new user to sign in to the app immediately. Click Save.
Click Manage Apps and then Add an App to This Policy. Add or apply your sample app to this new policy.
Test your app again and note that the text Don't have an account? Sign up link now appears for your app under the Sign-In Widget. Click the link to add a user:
- Enter a first name, family name, and email address and click Sign up.
- Click Set up to add a password. (Click Set up later for any other authenticators.) You're now logged into the app with the new user's profile.
Based on other policy configurations, the self-service registration flow may be different or include other authenticators. See Sign-in flows (opens new window).
Note: All new users through the self-registration process receive a welcome email. This email activates user access to the apps on your dev org and demonstrates ownership of the email authenticator. If you complete this process, ensure you're in the same browser window as the application sign-in tab.
Enable progressive profile enrollment
Progressive profile enrollment builds out a user's profile incrementally during sign-in. The profile enrollment policy is evaluated every time a user signs in. Based on the profile fields you want to add, this data is requested from users before signing in. At least one field must be set as required to enable the progressive profile enrollment feature. If a user's profile already has the requested data, the user signs in directly.
Go to Security > Profile Enrollment and click Add Profile Enrollment Policy.
Note: If you enabled Multiple Identifiers, go to Security > User Profile Policies. See Manage Early Access and Beta features (opens new window).
Create a name for the policy and Save.
Click edit from the Actions column for your new policy.
Click Edit in the policy and then for Progressive Profiling, select the Enabled option.
Note: You can also enable profile enrollment (self-service registration) and progressive profile enrollment with the same policy. Select Allowed for the Self-service registration option of your profile enrollment policy. New users can then enroll with the enhanced profile enrollment form. Existing users use progressive profile enrollment for any new required fields.
Clear the Email verification checkbox, for ease of testing.
Add the other user profile fields that you want existing users to provide in the Profile enrollment form. In this example, add the city field:
- Click Add form input and select the City (city) field. If the field is read only, you must change the attribute permission. See Create a custom profile enrollment form (opens new window).
- Repeat this step for the number of fields that you want to add. At least one of these fields must be set as Required.
Click Manage Apps and then Add an App to This Policy. Add or apply your sample app to this new policy.
Test your app. Sign in with a user that doesn't have a city added to their profile.
- After entering the user's credentials, a new dialog requests the required user profile data. In this scenario, the City field. Add a city to this user's profile and fill out any other required or optional fields that you configured. After the user adds the data, they’re signed in as normal.
- Sign out of the sample app by clicking Close Okta Session.
- Sign in again with the same user. With the data already added to the user's profile, the user is signed in directly.
Add MFA with a mandatory second factor
By default, your dev org isn't configured for multifactor authentication. Use the following steps to understand the policy configurations and set up this use case. This setup requires an end user to authenticate with a password and a phone authenticator.
Go to Security > Authenticators and ensure that the phone authenticator is available in the Authenticators list on the Setup tab.
- If it isn't listed, click Add Authenticator, and then click Add in the Phone tile.
- For User can verify with, select SMS.
- Set This authenticator can be used for to Authentication and recovery, and click Add.
Go to Security > Authentication policies, click Add a policy.
Add a name for the policy. For example: Mandatory MFA.
Click Edit under the Actions dropdown menu.
Select Password / IdP + Another factor for User must authenticate with. Ensure that the Possession factor constraints are doesn't have the Exclude phone and email authenticators checkbox selected. Click Save.
Go to Applications > Applications and select your app.
Click the Sign On tab, scroll down to the User authentication section, and click Edit.
Select your new authentication policy, Mandatory MFA, from the Authentication policy dropdown menu, and click Save.
Test the new configurations by signing in to your app. If your test user doesn't have a phone number enrolled, the user is prompted for the enrollment during sign-in. Enroll the test user, add the SMS code, and the user is signed-in to your sample app.
After your users have enrolled in the phone authenticator, future sign-in flows require both a password and SMS code to access your app.
Enable password recovery with email magic link
By default, the dev org is configured for a self-service password reset. Review the following steps to understand the policy configurations and to enable your sample app users to self-recover their password through an email magic link.
Go to Security > Authenticators. Ensure that the email authenticator is available in the Authenticators list on the Setup tab, and that it's used for Recovery.
- If it isn't listed, click Add Authenticator, and then click Add in the Email tile.
- Set This authenticator can be used for to Recovery, and click Add.
Go to Security > Authenticators and edit the Password authenticator by clicking Actions > Edit.
Scroll to the bottom of the Default Policy and edit the Default Rule.
Ensure that Password reset is selected for the Users can perform self-service section.
Ensure that Email is selected for the Users can initiate recovery with section.
Click Not required for the additional verification is question, and then click Update rule.
If you previously set the sign-on policy for your app as Mandatory MFA, go to Applications > Applications and select your app. Click the Sign On tab and scroll down to the User authentication section and click Edit. From the Authentication policy dropdown menu, select One factor access and click Save.
Test the new configurations by recovering a password for a user of your sample app:
Start your app. On the Sign-In Widget, click the Forgot password? link.
Add the email address for your test user.
Click the Send me an email link.
Check your test user's email inbox and wait for the Account password reset email from your Okta dev org.
Note: Stay in the same browser window as the application sign-in tab.
Click the Reset Password link in the body of the email.
Create and verify a new password. Click Reset Password. Your test user is now signed in to your sample app with a new password.
See Self-service account recovery (opens new window).
Enable passwordless authentication
Enable passwordless authentication for your existing users by configuring your Okta org's authenticator enrollment policy, authentication policy, and global session policy. This example uses the email authenticator to authenticate your users instead of a password. For full details and other passwordless implementation options, see Set up passwordless sign-in experience (opens new window).
- Go to Directory > Groups and click Add group. Give the group a name, for example, Passwordless Users, and click Save.
- Select your new group, and click Assign people from the People tab. Add one or more users to your new group.
- Go to Security > Authenticators and edit or ensure that the Email authenticator is set to Authentication and recovery.
- Click the Enrollment tab, and then click Add a policy to add an enrollment policy targeted at your new group. Configure the following fields, and then click Create Policy:
- Policy name: Any name for this policy, for example, Passwordless Enrollment
- Assign to Groups: Your new group, Passwordless Users
- Email authenticator: Set to required
- Password authenticator: Set to disabled
- Add a rule name, for example, Passwordless Enrollment Rule, and click Create rule to complete the enrollment policy setup.
- Click Authentication Policies and assign your sample application to a one-factor authentication policy, if it's not already. In the policy, click Add rule, and make the following configurations and then click Save:
- Rule name: Any name for this rule, for example, Passwordless Authentication rule
- User's group membership includes: Your new group, Passwordless Users
- User must authenticate with: Any one factor type or IdP
- Click Global Session Policy and click Add policy. Give the policy a name, for example, Global Passwordless Policy, and assign the policy to your new group, Passwordless Users. Click Create policy and add rule.
- Configure the following fields in the Add rule dialog and then click Create rule:
- Rule name: Any name for this rule, for example, Global Passwordless rule
- Establish the session with: Any factor used to meet the Authentication Policy requirements
Test the new configurations by signing in to your sample app with a user added to your Passwordless Users group:
- Start your app. On the Okta sign-in page, add the email address of your test user. Notice that there’s no password field on the page.
- Add the email address for your test user and click Next.
- Click the Send me an email link to receive a verification email.
- Open the email and use either the verification code or the email link to verify the user. The user is signed in to your sample app without a password.