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Version: Next

Auth0 Authentication Provider

info

This documentation is written for the old backend which has been replaced by the new backend system, being the default since Backstage version 1.24. If have migrated to the new backend system, you may want to read its own article instead. Otherwise, consider migrating!

The Backstage core-plugin-api package comes with an Auth0 authentication provider that can authenticate users using OAuth.

Create an Auth0 Application​

  1. Log in to the Auth0 dashboard
  2. Navigate to Applications
  3. Create an Application
    • Name: Backstage (or your custom app name)
    • Application type: Single Page Web Application
  4. Click on the Settings tab
  5. Add under Application URIs > Allowed Callback URLs: http://localhost:7007/api/auth/auth0/handler/frame
  6. Click Save Changes

Configuration​

The provider configuration can then be added to your app-config.yaml under the root auth configuration:

auth:
  environment: development
  providers:
    auth0:
      development:
        clientId: ${AUTH_AUTH0_CLIENT_ID}
        clientSecret: ${AUTH_AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET}
        domain: ${AUTH_AUTH0_DOMAIN_ID}
        audience: ${AUTH_AUTH0_AUDIENCE}
        connection: ${AUTH_AUTH0_CONNECTION}
        connectionScope: ${AUTH_AUTH0_CONNECTION_SCOPE}
  session:
    secret: ${AUTH_SESSION_SECRET}

The Auth0 provider is a structure with these configuration keys:

  • clientId: The Application client ID, found on the Auth0 Application page
  • clientSecret: The Application client secret, found on the Auth0 Application page
  • domain: The Application domain, found on the Auth0 Application page

It additionally relies on the following configuration to function:

  • session.secret: The session secret is a key used for signing and/or encrypting cookies set by the application to maintain session state. In this case, 'your session secret' should be replaced with a long, complex, and unique string that only your application knows.

Auth0 requires a session, so you need to give the session a secret key.

Optional Configuration​

  • audience: The intended recipients of the token
  • connection: Social identity provider name. To check the available social connections, please visit Auth0 Social Connections.
  • connectionScope: Additional scopes in the interactive token request. It should always be used in combination with the connection parameter

Adding the provider to the Backstage frontend​

To add the provider to the frontend, add the auth0AuthApi reference and SignInPage component as shown in Adding the provider to the sign-in page.