Node.js Authentication: A Guide to Using Passport

Unlocking Secure Authentication in Node.js Applications

When it comes to building a robust Node.js application, implementing authentication from scratch can be a daunting task. If not done correctly, it can lead to vulnerabilities that compromise the entire system. In this article, we’ll explore how to integrate authentication into a Node.js application using the Passport library and MongoDB.

What is Passport.js?

Passport.js is a popular, modular authentication middleware for Node.js applications. With its extensive range of over 500 authentication mechanisms, including OAuth, JWT, and simple username and password-based authentication, Passport makes it easy to integrate multiple types of authentication into your application.

Building the Application Structure

To get started, let’s create a folder structure for our Node.js application. We’ll need the following folders:

• routes: containing files for all routes
• views: containing EJS files for displaying views
• layout: containing EJS layout code
• .env: storing environment variables
• index.js: the application’s starting point
• userDetails.js: containing the Mongoose schema

Setting Up MongoDB

Before we dive into building the application, we need a MongoDB cluster. You can either use a self-hosted version of MongoDB or MongoDB Atlas. Create a MongoDB database and store the SRV URI in the .env file.

Initializing Node and Installing Packages

Next, let’s initialize the folder with npm init -y and install the required dependencies:

• express: for building the web application
• mongoose: for connecting to MongoDB
• ejs: for templating
• express-ejs-layouts: for layouts
• dotenv: for loading environment variables
• connect-ensure-login: for protecting pages that require authentication
• passport and passport-local-mongoose: for implementing authentication
• express-session: for creating and managing sessions

Creating Views and Layouts

We’ll use EJS as our templating engine and create a views folder with a layout folder inside. Create a main.ejs file inside the layout folder, which will serve as our default layout.

Setting Up the Server

Now, let’s set up the server by importing the necessary packages in the index.js file. We’ll initialize Express and Express-EJS-Layouts, set up the main file as the layout, and create our server on port 3000.

Defining Routes

Create a new folder called routes and add a router.js file inside. We’ll define three GET routes and one POST route. The connectEnsureLogin.ensureLoggedIn() middleware ensures that users are prohibited from entering the secret page without logging in.

Setting Up User Schema with MongoDB

Create a new file called userDetails.js in the root directory. We’ll require Mongoose to connect with MongoDB and use Passport-Local-Mongoose to integrate username and password authentication.

Initializing Passport in the Node App

Finally, let’s import the Passport and Express-Session modules, router.js, and userDetails.js file in the index.js file. We’ll set up the session using Express-Session and initialize Passport with local authentication.

Testing the Application

Run the application and check the MongoDB database to see the registered user. You can now test the authentication process by logging in and out of the application.

Conclusion

Implementing authentication in a Node.js application using Passport and MongoDB is a straightforward process. With this guide, you’ve learned how to integrate authentication into your application and ensure a secure user experience.