Almost every application needs user accounts. Authentication (proving who you are) and authorization (what you're allowed to do) are fundamental skills for any web developer.
Security is critical here. You'll learn how to store passwords safely using hashing, which means even if someone steals your database, they can't read the passwords. You'll also learn about JWT tokens for managing user sessions.
This project covers the complete user lifecycle - registration, email verification, login, password reset, and role-based access. These are features you'll implement over and over in your career.
Almost every application needs user accounts. Authentication (proving who you are) and authorization (what you're allowed to do) are fundamental skills for any web developer.
Security is critical here. You'll learn how to store passwords safely using hashing, which means even if someone steals your database, they can't read the passwords. You'll also learn about JWT tokens for managing user sessions.
This project covers the complete user lifecycle - registration, email verification, login, password reset, and role-based access. These are features you'll implement over and over in your career.
Implement a complete authentication and authorization system with user roles, permissions, password reset, email verification, and protected routes. This project is crucial for understanding security fundamentals and building applications that handle user accounts safely.
You'll build a robust auth system that can be reused in future projects, learning industry-standard practices for handling passwords, tokens, and sensitive user data.
Understand authentication vs authorization
Implement secure password hashing with bcrypt
Use JWT tokens for stateless authentication
Build role-based access control (RBAC)
Implement password reset flows securely
Handle email verification
Protect routes on both frontend and backend
User registration with email and password
Email verification with expiring tokens
User login with JWT token generation
Password hashing with bcrypt (10 rounds minimum)
JWT-based authentication for protected routes
Role-based access control (admin, user roles)
Password reset flow with email tokens
Logout functionality (token invalidation)
Protected API routes that require authentication
Frontend route guards for authenticated pages
id, email (unique), password (hashed), username
role (enum: user, admin), isVerified (boolean)
verificationToken, verificationExpires
resetPasswordToken, resetPasswordExpires
createdAt, updatedAt, lastLogin
POST /api/auth/register - Create new user account
POST /api/auth/login - Authenticate and get JWT token
POST /api/auth/logout - Invalidate current session
GET /api/auth/verify/:token - Verify email address
POST /api/auth/forgot-password - Request password reset
POST /api/auth/reset-password/:token - Reset password
GET /api/auth/me - Get current user profile (protected)
PUT /api/auth/me - Update user profile (protected)
GET /api/users - Get all users (admin only)
DELETE /api/users/:id - Delete user (admin only)
Never store passwords in plain text (use bcrypt)
Use strong JWT secrets stored in environment variables
Set reasonable JWT expiration (1 hour for access tokens)
Validate all inputs (email format, password strength)
Rate limit authentication endpoints (max 5 attempts per 15 min)
Use HTTPS in production (note this in documentation)
Implement CORS properly for frontend domain
Clear sensitive data from responses (no password field)
Registration form with validation (email, password requirements)
Login form with "remember me" option
Forgot password form
Reset password form (accessed via email link)
User profile page showing account details
Protected routes that redirect to login if not authenticated
Admin dashboard visible only to admin users
Persistent login (token stored in localStorage or httpOnly cookie)
Automatic logout when token expires
Display user info in navigation bar when logged in
Create authentication middleware for protected routes
Implement role-checking middleware for authorization
Generate secure random tokens for email verification and password reset
Send emails (use nodemailer with test SMTP like Ethereal Email)
Handle JWT expiration and refresh tokens (optional but valuable)
Create React context or Redux slice for auth state
Implement private route component for React Router
Handle authentication errors gracefully (expired token, invalid credentials)
User requests password reset by entering email
Server generates unique token and expiration time (1 hour)
Server sends email with reset link containing token
User clicks link and is taken to reset password form
Server validates token is not expired
User enters new password
Server hashes new password and clears reset token
User can now login with new password
Implement refresh tokens for extended sessions
Add two-factor authentication (2FA) with email codes
Track login history (IP, device, timestamp)
Add social login (Google OAuth)
Implement account lockout after failed login attempts
Add password strength meter on registration
Send email notification on password change
Implement "remember this device" feature
bcrypt: Search for "bcrypt explained" or "password hashing tutorial". Understand why we hash passwords.
JWT: jwt.io has an introduction and debugger. Learn what's inside a JWT token.
Authentication vs Authorization: Search for articles explaining the difference. It's important to understand both.
Nodemailer: Nodemailer docs show how to send emails. Use Ethereal Email for testing (it's free).
Express Middleware: Learn about middleware authentication patterns. They protect your routes.
Security Best Practices: Search for "web authentication security" or "OWASP authentication guidelines".
bcrypt: Search for "bcrypt explained" or "password hashing tutorial". Understand why we hash passwords.
JWT: jwt.io has an introduction and debugger. Learn what's inside a JWT token.
Authentication vs Authorization: Search for articles explaining the difference. It's important to understand both.
Nodemailer: Nodemailer docs show how to send emails. Use Ethereal Email for testing (it's free).
Express Middleware: Learn about middleware authentication patterns. They protect your routes.
Security Best Practices: Search for "web authentication security" or "OWASP authentication guidelines".
Users can register and receive verification email
Only verified users can login successfully
Protected routes return 401 for unauthenticated requests
Admin routes return 403 for non-admin users
Password reset flow works end-to-end
Tokens expire correctly and are validated properly
Passwords are never exposed in API responses
Frontend gracefully handles all auth states
Study JWT structure and claims
Research bcrypt and password hashing algorithms
Learn about OWASP authentication best practices
Explore nodemailer for sending emails
Understand CORS and its security implications
Hint: Store JWT in httpOnly cookies instead of localStorage for better security against XSS attacks. If you use localStorage, be extra careful with third-party scripts.
Always validate tokens on the server side. Never trust the frontend to enforce authorization. A malicious user can modify frontend code, but they can't modify your server's validation logic.
Submit Your Project
Once you've completed this project, submit your GitHub repository link below: