Laravel Passport

Laravel Passport is an OAuth2 authentication package for Laravel that provides a full implementation of API authentication. It simplifies issuing and managing access tokens for secure communication between clients and your Laravel API.

Origin

Passport was introduced to offer a native Laravel solution for API authentication, making it easier to implement OAuth2 in Laravel applications.

Why is Laravel Passport Used?

1. Simplifies API Authentication: Provides out-of-the-box OAuth2 functionality.
2. Enhances Security: Issues access tokens securely to authorized clients.
3. Supports Multiple Grant Types: Handles password, client credentials, and personal access tokens.

Best Practices

1. Use HTTPS: Always use secure connections for API endpoints.
2. Set Expiry Dates: Define appropriate token lifetimes to enhance security.
3. Restrict Scopes: Use scopes to limit token permissions.

Example in Action

Install Passport:

composer require laravel/passport
php artisan migrate
php artisan passport:install

Configure Passport in AuthServiceProvider:

use Laravel\Passport\Passport;

public function boot()
{
    Passport::routes();
}

Protect API routes:

Route::middleware('auth:api')->get('/user', function (Request $request) {
    return $request->user();
});