What is Bearer Token Authentication?

Bearer Token Authentication is a widely used method for securing API requests. In this approach, a bearer token is issued to the client after successful authentication, often through OAuth 2.0, and is used to access protected resources.

The client includes the token in the HTTP request's Authorization header, formatted as:

Authorization: Bearer <token>

The server validates the token, and if it is valid and not expired, the server grants access to the requested resource. The token typically contains encoded information about the user and their permissions.

Bearer tokens are considered secure as long as they are transmitted over HTTPS, preventing interception. They are stateless, meaning the server doesn't need to store session data, and they are ideal for modern web services and APIs where a token can represent a user's session without needing repeated authentication.