Authentication enables secure access control for agents, managing user identities, permissions, OAuth flows, and multi-tenant isolation to ensure agents operate within proper security boundaries.
Overview
The Authentication primitive provides comprehensive identity and access management for agent operations. Whether you’re building user-facing applications, multi-tenant platforms, or enterprise integrations, authentication ensures agents respect security boundaries and access controls. Authentication is essential for:- User Identity: Link agent executions to specific users
- Access Control: Enforce permissions and role-based access
- OAuth Integration: Handle OAuth flows for third-party services
- Multi-Tenancy: Isolate data and operations by organization
- Session Management: Maintain secure user sessions
- API Security: Authenticate API requests and webhooks
OAuth 2.0
Complete OAuth 2.0 flow support for external integrations
JWT Tokens
Secure token-based authentication and authorization
RBAC
Role-based access control for fine-grained permissions
SSO Support
Single sign-on with SAML, OAuth, and OpenID Connect
How Authentication Works
When you implement authentication:- Identity Establishment: User authenticates via credentials, OAuth, or SSO
- Token Generation: System issues secure JWT or session token
- Context Injection: User identity and permissions attached to agent context
- Authorization Check: Agent verifies permissions before operations
- Scope Enforcement: Operations restricted to user’s authorized scope
- Audit Logging: All authenticated actions logged for compliance
Security First: All authentication tokens are encrypted, have expiration times, and support automatic rotation.
Authentication Methods
API Key Authentication
JWT Token Authentication
OAuth 2.0
SSO (SAML/OpenID)
Code Examples
Basic API Key Authentication
JWT Token Authentication
OAuth Integration
Role-Based Access Control
Multi-Tenant Isolation
Session Management
API Key Management
Webhook Signature Verification
Use Cases
1. Multi-Tenant SaaS Application
Isolate data by organization:2. OAuth-Powered Integrations
Access user’s third-party services:3. Enterprise SSO Integration
Support enterprise single sign-on:4. Permission-Based Operations
Enforce fine-grained permissions:5. API Rate Limiting by User
Implement user-based rate limits:6. Audit Logging
Track all authenticated actions:Best Practices
Security
Secure Token Storage
Secure Token Storage
Use Short-Lived Tokens
Use Short-Lived Tokens
Implement Token Rotation
Implement Token Rotation
Validate All Inputs
Validate All Inputs
Access Control
Define Clear Permission Scopes
Define Clear Permission Scopes
Implement Role Hierarchy
Implement Role Hierarchy
Check Permissions in Agent
Check Permissions in Agent
OAuth Best Practices
Use PKCE for OAuth
Use PKCE for OAuth
Handle Token Refresh
Handle Token Refresh
Scope Minimization
Scope Minimization
Integration with Other Primitives
With Memory
User-scoped memory:With Data Connectors
Tenant-isolated database access:With Integrations
OAuth-authenticated integrations:Performance Considerations
Token Validation
- JWT Validation: < 10ms per request
- API Key Lookup: < 5ms (cached)
- OAuth Token Refresh: 100-500ms
Session Management
- Session Creation: < 50ms
- Session Lookup: < 5ms (cached)
- Concurrent Sessions: Thousands per user
Scalability
Troubleshooting
Authentication Failures
Authentication Failures
Problem: User cannot authenticateSolutions:
- Verify API key is valid and not expired
- Check JWT token signature
- Ensure OAuth tokens not revoked
- Verify user account is active
- Check for clock skew issues
Permission Denied
Permission Denied
Problem: User lacks permissions for operationSolutions:
- Review user’s assigned permissions
- Check role configuration
- Verify tenant isolation is correct
- Audit permission requirements
- Update user permissions if appropriate
OAuth Token Expired
OAuth Token Expired
Problem: OAuth access token expiredSolutions:
- Implement automatic token refresh
- Handle refresh token expiration
- Re-authenticate user if needed
- Check token expiration before use
Advanced Patterns
Custom Authentication Provider
Implement custom auth:Context-Based Access Control
Dynamic permissions based on context:Federated Identity
Support multiple identity providers:Related Primitives
Integrations
OAuth-powered third-party integrations
Data Connectors
Tenant-isolated database access
Memory
User-scoped memory storage
Hooks
Authentication in webhook handlers
Additional Resources
API Reference
Complete authentication API
Security Guide
Security best practices
OAuth Guide
OAuth 2.0 implementation guide