Authentication
Authentication is the layer that establishes who is making a request. Authorization then determines what that identity is allowed to do. This guide explains the authentication model, credential types, session security and real-time connection patterns for Gaming API.
Identity
Establish the identity of a user, developer or trusted application before protected operations are allowed.
Authorization
Authentication alone does not grant permissions. Every sensitive operation should be authorized against the authenticated identity.
Credentials
Use appropriately scoped credentials and keep their lifetime and exposure as small as practical.
Auditability
Security-sensitive events should be observable through safe logs and operational monitoring without recording secret values.
API keys
API keys identify an integration. Treat them as secrets whenever the key grants access to protected resources or operations.
Send credentials through an HTTPS authorization mechanism defined by your deployed API contract. The exact header name and endpoint should match the production API documentation.
Access tokens
Short-lived access tokens are commonly used when an authenticated session needs temporary access to protected API resources.
Session management
Expiration
Sessions should expire after an appropriate period and sensitive actions may require renewed authentication.
Revocation
Users should have a way to invalidate active sessions when a device is lost or suspicious activity is detected.
Device awareness
Where supported, display useful session metadata so users can recognize active devices and locations.
Cookie security
For cookie-based sessions, use secure server-side settings such as Secure, HttpOnly and an appropriate SameSite policy.
MFA & passkeys
A password or primary credential can be compromised. Additional authentication factors and phishing-resistant passkeys provide stronger account protection.
Multi-factor authentication
Use a second factor when available, especially before sensitive developer actions such as credential management.
Passkeys
Passkeys can provide a modern phishing-resistant sign-in experience using public-key cryptography.
Recovery
Recovery mechanisms should be protected carefully because a weak recovery path can undermine strong authentication.
Step-up authentication
Consider requesting stronger verification again before high-impact security or account operations.
WebSocket authentication
Real-time connections require their own authentication strategy. Never place long-lived privileged secrets in a public WebSocket URL.
Authentication errors
401 · Unauthenticated
The request does not contain valid authentication credentials, or the credential has expired.
403 · Forbidden
The identity was recognized but is not authorized to perform the requested operation.
429 · Rate limited
Too many requests were received. Respect server-provided retry guidance and implement backoff.
5xx · Service error
A server-side failure occurred. Retry only when appropriate and avoid aggressive retry loops.
Authentication best practices
Keep secrets server-side
Private credentials belong in secure server-side configuration, never in public frontend bundles.
Use HTTPS / WSS
Encrypt authentication traffic in production and never send credentials over plain HTTP.
Rotate credentials
Replace credentials periodically or immediately after suspected exposure.
Least privilege
Grant only the permissions required by each integration and separate credentials by environment.
Validate every request
Do not rely on the frontend to enforce permissions. Re-check authentication and authorization server-side.
Protect logs
Never log passwords, full API keys, access tokens or other secrets.
Authentication service monitor
Last check: —
Common questions
Should an API key be stored in frontend JavaScript?
No. A user can inspect browser source, network requests and bundled JavaScript. Privileged keys should be kept server-side.
Is authentication the same as authorization?
No. Authentication answers who you are. Authorization determines what that identity can access or do.
What should happen if an API key is exposed?
Revoke or rotate it immediately, investigate where it was exposed and issue a replacement with the minimum required permissions.
Can WebSocket connections be authenticated?
Yes. The production implementation should define how the connection is authenticated and how subscriptions or protected actions are authorized.