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Tutorial Intro

Welcome to the JWT Smith tutorial! This guide will help you get started with JWT Smith, a robust and customizable JWT authentication module built on top of jsonwebtoken. Whether you're new to authentication or a seasoned developer, this tutorial will walk you through the core features, setup process, and real-world use cases of JWT Smith.

What is JWT Smith?​

JWT Smith is an open-source npm module written in TypeScript that simplifies JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication for your applications. It extends the capabilities of the popular jsonwebtoken library by adding powerful features like:

  • Token Signing and Verification
  • Refresh Token Handling
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
  • Middleware for Express
  • Token Blacklisting and Revocation
  • Token Rotation
  • Configuration Validation with Joi
  • Customizable Security Middleware

With JWT Smith, you can seamlessly integrate JWT-based authentication into your Node.js applications while maintaining flexibility and scalability.

Who is This For?​

This tutorial is designed for:

  • Backend Developers: Looking to implement secure authentication in their APIs.
  • Frontend Developers: Who want to understand the backend process of token management.
  • Anyone New to JWTs: If you’re unfamiliar with JSON Web Tokens, this guide will help you understand the basics and beyond.

What You'll Learn​

By the end of this tutorial, you will:

  1. Understand how JWT Smith works and its core components.
  2. Set up JWT Smith in your Node.js/TypeScript project.
  3. Use prebuilt middlewares to secure your API routes.
  4. Implement token signing, verification, and refresh token handling.
  5. Use advanced features like role-based access control and token revocation.
  6. Configure JWT Smith for custom use cases.

Prerequisites​

To follow this tutorial, you’ll need:

  1. Basic knowledge of Node.js and JavaScript or TypeScript.
  2. Familiarity with JSON Web Tokens (optional but helpful).
  3. A development environment with Node.js (v18 or higher).
  4. A package manager like npm or yarn.

Getting Started​

Let’s begin by setting up JWT Smith in your project. In the next section, we’ll guide you through the installation process and walk you through its basic configuration.