I'm wondering about the best practice for handling user authentication when I have both traditional email/username plus password logins and OAuth logins. Is it advisable to create separate authentication endpoints for each method, or should I consolidate everything into a single login/signup endpoint that determines which method a user has selected? I know that the authentication flows differ between these methods, so I'm curious about what the standard approach is and what others have experienced.
3 Answers
Having separate authentication endpoints is generally easier to maintain. A single endpoint could turn into a complicated mess and might raise security issues. I personally recommend using two endpoints to keep your security tight and organized.
If you want to keep things straightforward, a single central login/signup endpoint is perfectly fine. It can check whether the user is going for OAuth or email/password and handle the workflow accordingly. This keeps the frontend clean and avoids cluttering with multiple forms. Just ensure your backend processes each method securely.
It might be wiser to create your own OAuth provider instead of juggling two different signup methods. With OAuth, you can centralize user management and keep your implementation smoother. For instance, I structure my data around key details like issuer and profile picture, which has worked well for me. Frameworks like Spring can help build both the provider and consumer, making integration easier.
Absolutely! This approach is great for developing scalable, secure microservices, especially in enterprise-level applications.