Authentication

Version: 1.0 Last Updated: 2026-02-03 Security Level: Production-Ready

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Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Authentication Methods
3. JWT Token Authentication
4. API Key Authentication
5. OAuth2 Integration
6. Security Best Practices
7. Token Management
8. Troubleshooting

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Overview

AINative Studio uses industry-standard authentication mechanisms to secure API access. We support multiple authentication methods to accommodate different use cases:

• JWT Bearer Tokens: For user-facing applications and session management
• API Keys: For server-to-server communication and long-lived integrations
• OAuth2: For third-party integrations (GitHub, LinkedIn)

Authentication Flow Diagram

User Registration/Login
         │
         ▼
   Generate JWT Token
         │
         ├──────> Store in localStorage (web)
         ├──────> Store in keychain (mobile)
         └──────> Store in memory (server)
         │
         ▼
   API Request with Token
         │
         ▼
   Backend Validates Token
         │
         ├──────> Valid ──────> Process Request
         │
         └──────> Invalid ────> 401 Unauthorized

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Authentication Methods

Comparison Table

Method	Use Case	Expiration	Revocable	Best For
JWT Token	User sessions	8 hours	Yes (blacklist)	Web/mobile apps
API Key	Service integration	90 days (configurable)	Yes	Server-to-server
OAuth2	Third-party auth	N/A	Yes	Social login

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JWT Token Authentication

How JWT Tokens Work

JSON Web Tokens (JWT) are self-contained tokens that include:

1. Header: Algorithm and token type
2. Payload: User claims (id, email, role, expiration)
3. Signature: Cryptographic signature to verify authenticity

Token Structure

eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9           <- Header
.eyJzdWIiOiI1NTBlODQwMC1lMjliLTQxZDQtYTcxNi00NDY2NTU0NDAwMDAiLCJlbWFpbCI6InVzZXJAZXhhbXBsZS5jb20iLCJyb2xlIjoiVVNFUiIsImV4cCI6MTcwNDExMDQwMH0  <- Payload
.xyz123abc                                       <- Signature

Decoded Payload

{
  "sub": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",  // User ID
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "role": "USER",
  "exp": 1704110400,  // Expiration timestamp
  "iat": 1704082400   // Issued at timestamp
}

Obtaining a JWT Token

Method 1: Email/Password Registration

POST /v1/auth/register
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "password": "SecurePass123!",
  "full_name": "John Doe"
}

Response:

{
  "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "token_type": "bearer",
  "expires_in": 28800
}

Method 2: Email/Password Login

POST /v1/auth/login-json
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "username": "user@example.com",
  "password": "SecurePass123!"
}

Response:

{
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "token_type": "bearer",
  "expires_in": 28800
}

Using JWT Tokens

Include the token in the Authorization header:

GET /v1/auth/me
Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...

Python Example

import requests

# Login and get token
login_response = requests.post(
    "https://api.ainative.studio/v1/auth/login-json",
    json={
        "username": "user@example.com",
        "password": "SecurePass123!"
    }
)

token = login_response.json()["access_token"]

# Use token for authenticated requests
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}

user_response = requests.get(
    "https://api.ainative.studio/v1/auth/me",
    headers=headers
)

print(user_response.json())

JavaScript Example

// Login and get token
const loginResponse = await fetch(
  'https://api.ainative.studio/v1/auth/login-json',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      username: 'user@example.com',
      password: 'SecurePass123!'
    })
  }
);

const { access_token } = await loginResponse.json();

// Use token for authenticated requests
const userResponse = await fetch(
  'https://api.ainative.studio/v1/auth/me',
  {
    headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${access_token}` }
  }
);

const userData = await userResponse.json();
console.log(userData);

Token Refresh

Tokens expire after 8 hours. Refresh before expiration:

POST /v1/auth/refresh
Authorization: Bearer <current_token>

Response:

{
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "token_type": "bearer",
  "expires_in": 28800
}

Automatic Token Refresh (Python)

import requests
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

class AuthClient:
    def __init__(self, email, password):
        self.email = email
        self.password = password
        self.token = None
        self.token_expires_at = None
        self.login()

    def login(self):
        response = requests.post(
            "https://api.ainative.studio/v1/auth/login-json",
            json={"username": self.email, "password": self.password}
        )
        data = response.json()
        self.token = data["access_token"]
        self.token_expires_at = datetime.now() + timedelta(seconds=data["expires_in"])

    def get_token(self):
        # Refresh 5 minutes before expiration
        if datetime.now() >= self.token_expires_at - timedelta(minutes=5):
            self.refresh_token()
        return self.token

    def refresh_token(self):
        response = requests.post(
            "https://api.ainative.studio/v1/auth/refresh",
            headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.token}"}
        )
        data = response.json()
        self.token = data["access_token"]
        self.token_expires_at = datetime.now() + timedelta(seconds=data["expires_in"])

    def make_request(self, url, **kwargs):
        headers = kwargs.get("headers", {})
        headers["Authorization"] = f"Bearer {self.get_token()}"
        kwargs["headers"] = headers
        return requests.get(url, **kwargs)

# Usage
client = AuthClient("user@example.com", "SecurePass123!")
response = client.make_request("https://api.ainative.studio/v1/database/projects")
print(response.json())

---

API Key Authentication

When to Use API Keys

Use API keys for:

• Server-to-server communication
• CI/CD pipelines
• Long-running services
• Background jobs
• Webhook endpoints

Do NOT use API keys for:

• Client-side JavaScript (keys will be exposed)
• Mobile apps (use JWT tokens instead)
• User-facing applications

Creating an API Key

POST /v1/api-keys
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JWT_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Production Server Key",
  "expires_in_days": 90
}

Response:

{
  "id": "key_550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "api_key": "sk_live_abcdef1234567890wxyz",
  "name": "Production Server Key",
  "prefix": "sk_live",
  "expires_at": "2026-05-03T00:00:00Z",
  "created_at": "2026-02-03T12:00:00Z"
}

Critical: Save the api_key value immediately - it's only shown once!

API Key Formats

Prefix	Environment	Usage
sk_live_	Production	Real data, billed usage
sk_test_	Testing	Sandbox environment

Using API Keys

Option 1: X-API-Key Header (Recommended)

GET /v1/database/projects
X-API-Key: sk_live_abcdef1234567890wxyz

Option 2: Authorization Header

GET /v1/database/projects
Authorization: Bearer sk_live_abcdef1234567890wxyz

Python Example with API Key

import requests
import os

API_KEY = os.getenv("AINATIVE_API_KEY")

headers = {"X-API-Key": API_KEY}

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.ainative.studio/v1/database/projects",
    headers=headers
)

print(response.json())

Managing API Keys

List All Your API Keys

GET /v1/api-keys
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JWT_TOKEN

Response:

[
  {
    "id": "key_123",
    "name": "Production Server Key",
    "prefix": "sk_live",
    "is_active": true,
    "last_used_at": "2026-02-03T11:45:00Z",
    "usage_count": 15432,
    "expires_at": "2026-05-03T00:00:00Z",
    "created_at": "2026-02-03T12:00:00Z"
  }
]

Revoke an API Key

DELETE /v1/api-keys/{key_id}
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_JWT_TOKEN

Response:

{
  "message": "API key revoked successfully"
}

API Key Rotation Strategy

Best practice: Rotate keys every 90 days

import requests
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

def rotate_api_key(old_key_id: str, jwt_token: str):
    """
    Rotate API key: create new key, update services, revoke old key
    """
    # Step 1: Create new key
    create_response = requests.post(
        "https://api.ainative.studio/v1/api-keys",
        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {jwt_token}"},
        json={"name": f"Rotated Key {datetime.now()}", "expires_in_days": 90}
    )
    new_key = create_response.json()["api_key"]

    print(f"New API Key: {new_key}")
    print("Update your services with this new key, then press Enter to revoke the old key...")
    input()

    # Step 2: Revoke old key
    revoke_response = requests.delete(
        f"https://api.ainative.studio/v1/api-keys/{old_key_id}",
        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {jwt_token}"}
    )

    print("Old key revoked successfully")
    return new_key

---

OAuth2 Integration

Supported OAuth Providers

• GitHub
• LinkedIn

GitHub OAuth Flow

Step 1: Redirect User to GitHub

https://github.com/login/oauth/authorize?client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&redirect_uri=YOUR_REDIRECT_URI&scope=user:email

Step 2: Exchange Code for Token

POST /v1/auth/github/callback
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "code": "github_authorization_code",
  "redirect_uri": "https://yourapp.com/callback"
}

Response:

{
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "token_type": "bearer",
  "user": {
    "id": "github_user_id",
    "email": "user@example.com",
    "name": "John Doe",
    "avatar_url": "https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/..."
  }
}

LinkedIn OAuth Flow

Step 1: Redirect User to LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/authorization?response_type=code&client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&redirect_uri=YOUR_REDIRECT_URI&scope=openid%20profile%20email

Step 2: Exchange Code for Token

POST /v1/auth/linkedin/callback
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "code": "linkedin_authorization_code",
  "redirect_uri": "https://yourapp.com/callback"
}

Response:

{
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "token_type": "bearer",
  "expires_in": 28800,
  "user": {
    "id": "linkedin_user_id",
    "email": "user@example.com",
    "name": "John Doe",
    "picture": "https://media.licdn.com/..."
  }
}

---

Security Best Practices

1. Token Storage

Platform	Recommended Storage
Web (Browser)	localStorage or sessionStorage (XSS risk), prefer secure HttpOnly cookies
Mobile (iOS/Android)	Keychain (iOS) or KeyStore (Android)
Server	Environment variables or secrets manager
Desktop App	OS-specific secure storage

2. Never Commit Credentials

# .gitignore
.env
.env.local
*.pem
*.key
config/secrets.json

3. Use Environment Variables

# ❌ WRONG - Hardcoded
API_KEY = "sk_live_abc123"

# ✅ CORRECT - Environment variable
import os
API_KEY = os.getenv("AINATIVE_API_KEY")

4. Implement Token Expiration Handling

import requests

def make_authenticated_request(url, token):
    try:
        response = requests.get(
            url,
            headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}
        )
        response.raise_for_status()
        return response.json()
    except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as e:
        if e.response.status_code == 401:
            # Token expired - refresh or re-login
            new_token = refresh_token(token)
            return make_authenticated_request(url, new_token)
        raise

5. Use HTTPS Only

# ❌ WRONG
base_url = "http://api.ainative.studio"

# ✅ CORRECT
base_url = "https://api.ainative.studio"

6. Implement Rate Limiting

from time import sleep
import requests

class RateLimitedClient:
    def __init__(self, api_key, requests_per_minute=60):
        self.api_key = api_key
        self.requests_per_minute = requests_per_minute
        self.request_times = []

    def make_request(self, url, **kwargs):
        # Remove old requests from tracking
        current_time = time.time()
        self.request_times = [
            t for t in self.request_times
            if current_time - t < 60
        ]

        # Wait if rate limit reached
        if len(self.request_times) >= self.requests_per_minute:
            sleep_time = 60 - (current_time - self.request_times[0])
            sleep(sleep_time)

        # Make request
        headers = kwargs.get("headers", {})
        headers["X-API-Key"] = self.api_key
        kwargs["headers"] = headers

        response = requests.get(url, **kwargs)
        self.request_times.append(time.time())

        return response

7. Validate SSL Certificates

import requests

# ✅ Always verify SSL (default)
response = requests.get(url, verify=True)

# ❌ NEVER do this in production
response = requests.get(url, verify=False)  # Insecure!

8. Password Requirements

When creating user accounts:

• Minimum 8 characters
• At least one uppercase letter (A-Z)
• At least one lowercase letter (a-z)
• At least one number (0-9)
• At least one special character (!@#$%^&*)

---

Token Management

Token Blacklist

Logout invalidates tokens by adding them to a blacklist:

POST /v1/auth/logout
Authorization: Bearer <token>

Password Reset Flow

Step 1: Request Reset

POST /v1/auth/forgot-password
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com"
}

Step 2: Reset with Token from Email

POST /v1/auth/reset-password
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "token": "reset_token_from_email",
  "new_password": "NewSecurePass456!"
}

Change Password

POST /v1/auth/change-password
Authorization: Bearer <token>
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "current_password": "OldPass123!",
  "new_password": "NewPass456!"
}

---

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. 401 Unauthorized

Cause: Invalid or expired token

Solution:

# Refresh token or re-login
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.ainative.studio/v1/auth/refresh",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}
)
new_token = response.json()["access_token"]

2. 403 Forbidden

Cause: Insufficient permissions

Solution: Verify your account has the required role/permissions

3. Token Not Working After Logout

Cause: Token is blacklisted

Solution: Generate a new token by logging in again

4. API Key Invalid

Cause: Key was revoked or expired

Solution: Create a new API key

---

Testing Authentication

Test Endpoints

# Test authentication status
GET /v1/test-auth/auth-status

# Create test user
POST /v1/test-auth/create-test-user
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "email": "test@example.com",
  "password": "TestPass123!"
}

# Test login
POST /v1/test-auth/test-login
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "email": "test@example.com",
  "password": "TestPass123!"
}

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Additional Resources

• API Reference
• Quick Start Guide
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Security Best Practices

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Last Updated: 2026-02-03 Version: 1.0 Security Review: Completed

Refs #1015