Beginner LevelREST APIs & Web Services
How does Bearer Token authentication work in HTTP Authorization headers?
❓ Interview Prompt: Explain HTTP `Authorization` header, `Bearer` scheme, token transmission, and stateless API authentication.
Bearer Token Authentication (defined in RFC 6750) is the standard method for transmitting security tokens (like JWTs or API keys) over HTTP:
Header Format:
'Authorization: Bearer <token_string>'
How It Works:
The term "Bearer" signifies that the bearer of the token is granted access. The client includes this header on every authenticated HTTP request. The API gateway or middleware extracts the token, verifies its cryptographic signature, and grants access statelessly.
Code Implementation Example
http
GET /api/v1/account HTTP/1.1
Host: api.example.com
Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdWIiOiIxMjM0NTY3ODkwIn0.s6K5g...💡HTTP Authorization header transmitting a Bearer JWT token.
🎯 Interview Key Takeaway
Pass authentication tokens in the HTTP Authorization header using the Bearer scheme.
#Authentication#Bearer Token#Headers#Beginner
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