Authentication Flows - Django Allauth

This guide covers the authentication flows and REST API endpoints provided by django-allauth headless.

API Base URLs

The headless API provides two base URLs for different client types:

Browser clients: /_allauth/browser/v1/
App clients: /_allauth/app/v1/

Client Types

Browser Clients

For single-page applications on the same domain:

Uses Django sessions and CSRF tokens
Authentication state stored in session cookies
Requires X-CSRFToken header in POST requests
No additional token management needed

App Clients

For mobile apps or cross-origin SPAs:

Uses session tokens or JWT tokens
Authentication state stored in X-Session-Token header
No CSRF protection (stateless)
Requires token storage in the client

Authentication API Endpoints

Get Configuration

Retrieve API configuration and available features:

GET /_allauth/browser/v1/config

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "account": {
      "authentication_method": "email",
      "is_open_for_signup": true,
      "login_methods": ["email"],
      "email_verification_by_code_enabled": true,
      "login_by_code_enabled": true,
      "password_reset_by_code_enabled": false
    },
    "socialaccount": {
      "providers": [
        {
          "id": "google",
          "name": "Google",
          "flows": ["login"]
        }
      ]
    },
    "mfa": {
      "supported_types": ["totp", "recovery_codes", "webauthn"]
    }
  }
}

Get Session Status

Check current authentication status:

GET /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/session

Response (authenticated):

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {
      "id": 1,
      "username": "john",
      "email": "john@example.com",
      "display": "john@example.com"
    },
    "methods": [
      {
        "method": "password",
        "at": 1678901234.56,
        "email": "john@example.com"
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": true
  }
}

Response (not authenticated):

{
  "status": 401,
  "data": {
    "flows": [
      {"id": "login"},
      {"id": "login_by_code"},
      {"id": "signup"},
      {"id": "provider_signup"},
      {"id": "mfa_login_webauthn"}
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": false
  }
}

Create Account

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/signup
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "password": "SecurePass123!"
}

Response:

{
  "status": 401,
  "data": {
    "flows": [
      {
        "id": "verify_email",
        "is_pending": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": false,
    "session_token": "abc123..."  // For app clients
  }
}

With ACCOUNT_EMAIL_VERIFICATION = "mandatory", the user must verify their email before logging in.

Verify Email

When the user clicks the link in their email, extract the key from the URL and verify:

GET /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/email/verify
X-Email-Verification-Key: the-verification-key

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "email": "user@example.com",
    "user": null
  }
}

Then confirm the verification:

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/email/verify
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "key": "the-verification-key"
}

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {
      "id": 1,
      "email": "user@example.com",
      "username": "",
      "display": "user@example.com"
    },
    "methods": [
      {
        "method": "password",
        "at": 1678901234.56,
        "email": "user@example.com"
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": true,
    "access_token": "eyJ0eXAi...",  // If using JWT
    "refresh_token": "abc123..."   // If using JWT
  }
}

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/login
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com",
  "password": "SecurePass123!"
}

Success Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {
      "id": 1,
      "email": "user@example.com",
      "username": "",
      "display": "user@example.com"
    },
    "methods": [
      {
        "method": "password",
        "at": 1678901234.56,
        "email": "user@example.com"
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": true,
    "access_token": "eyJ0eXAi...",  // JWT only
    "refresh_token": "abc123..."   // JWT only
  }
}

Error Response:

{
  "status": 400,
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "invalid_credentials",
      "message": "The email address and/or password you specified are not correct."
    }
  ]
}

Request a login code:

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/code/request
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com"
}

Response:

{
  "status": 401,
  "data": {
    "flows": [
      {
        "id": "login_by_code",
        "is_pending": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": false,
    "session_token": "temp-session-token"
  }
}

Confirm the code:

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/code/confirm
X-Session-Token: temp-session-token
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "code": "123456"
}

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {
      "id": 1,
      "email": "user@example.com"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": true
  }
}

Password Reset

Request Password Reset

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/password/request
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "user@example.com"
}

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {},
  "meta": {}
}

Verify Reset Key

GET /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/password/reset
X-Password-Reset-Key: the-reset-key

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {
      "email": "user@example.com"
    }
  }
}

Reset Password

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/password/reset
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "key": "the-reset-key",
  "password": "NewSecurePass123!"
}

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {
      "id": 1,
      "email": "user@example.com"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": true
  }
}

Logout

DELETE /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/session

Response:

{
  "status": 401,
  "data": {
    "flows": [
      {"id": "login"},
      {"id": "signup"}
    ]
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": false
  }
}

JWT Token Management

When using JWT token strategy, tokens are returned in the meta field:

Initial Authentication

After successful login or signup:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {...}
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": true,
    "access_token": "eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiJ9...",
    "refresh_token": "def50200a1b2c3d4e5f6..."
  }
}

Using Access Tokens

Include the access token in the Authorization header:

GET /_allauth/app/v1/account/email
Authorization: Bearer eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiJ9...

Refreshing Tokens

When the access token expires, use the refresh token:

POST /_allauth/app/v1/auth/session
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "refresh_token": "def50200a1b2c3d4e5f6..."
}

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {...}
  },
  "meta": {
    "access_token": "eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiJ9...",
    "refresh_token": "new-refresh-token-here"  // If rotation enabled
  }
}

Account Management

Get Email Addresses

GET /_allauth/browser/v1/account/email

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": [
    {
      "email": "user@example.com",
      "primary": true,
      "verified": true
    },
    {
      "email": "alternate@example.com",
      "primary": false,
      "verified": false
    }
  ]
}

Add Email Address

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/account/email
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "email": "newemail@example.com"
}

Change Password

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/account/password/change
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "current_password": "OldPass123!",
  "new_password": "NewSecurePass456!"
}

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {...}
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": true
  }
}

Reauthentication

For sensitive operations, request reauthentication:

POST /_allauth/browser/v1/auth/reauthenticate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "password": "CurrentPass123!"
}

Response:

{
  "status": 200,
  "data": {
    "user": {...}
  },
  "meta": {
    "is_authenticated": true
  }
}

Securing Your API Endpoints

Django REST Framework

Use the provided authentication classes:

from rest_framework import permissions
from rest_framework.views import APIView
from allauth.headless.contrib.rest_framework.authentication import (
    JWTTokenAuthentication,
    XSessionTokenAuthentication,
)

class MyAPIView(APIView):
    # For JWT tokens
    authentication_classes = [JWTTokenAuthentication]
    # Or for session tokens
    # authentication_classes = [XSessionTokenAuthentication]
    
    permission_classes = [permissions.IsAuthenticated]
    
    def get(self, request):
        return Response({
            "message": f"Hello, {request.user.email}!"
        })

Django Ninja

Use the provided security classes:

from ninja import NinjaAPI
from allauth.headless.contrib.ninja.security import (
    jwt_token_auth,
    x_session_token_auth,
)

api = NinjaAPI()

@api.get("/protected", auth=[jwt_token_auth])
def protected_endpoint(request):
    return {
        "message": f"Hello, {request.user.email}!"
    }

# Or with session tokens
@api.get("/protected", auth=[x_session_token_auth])
def protected_endpoint(request):
    return {
        "message": f"Hello, {request.user.email}!"
    }

Error Handling

All error responses follow this format:

{
  "status": 400,
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "invalid_credentials",
      "message": "The email address and/or password you specified are not correct.",
      "param": "password"  // Optional, field-specific error
    }
  ]
}

Common HTTP status codes:

200 - Success
400 - Bad request (validation error)
401 - Not authenticated
403 - Forbidden (e.g., signup disabled)
409 - Conflict (e.g., invalid flow state)
429 - Rate limited
500 - Internal server error

Next Steps

Configure CORS for cross-origin requests
Customize JWT settings
Explore the OpenAPI specification at /_allauth/openapi.html

Documentation Index

​API Base URLs

​Client Types

​Browser Clients

​App Clients

​Authentication API Endpoints

​Get Configuration

​Get Session Status

​User Registration (Signup)

​Create Account

​Verify Email

​Login Flows

​Standard Login (Email/Password)

​Login by Code (Passwordless)

​Password Reset

​Request Password Reset

​Verify Reset Key

​Reset Password

​Logout

​JWT Token Management

​Initial Authentication

​Using Access Tokens

​Refreshing Tokens

​Account Management

​Get Email Addresses

​Add Email Address

​Change Password

​Reauthentication

​Securing Your API Endpoints

​Django REST Framework

​Django Ninja

​Error Handling

​Next Steps

API Base URLs

Client Types

Browser Clients

App Clients

Authentication API Endpoints

Get Configuration

Get Session Status

User Registration (Signup)

Create Account

Verify Email

Login Flows

Standard Login (Email/Password)

Login by Code (Passwordless)

Password Reset

Request Password Reset

Verify Reset Key

Reset Password

Logout

JWT Token Management

Initial Authentication

Using Access Tokens

Refreshing Tokens

Account Management

Get Email Addresses

Add Email Address

Change Password

Reauthentication

Securing Your API Endpoints

Django REST Framework

Django Ninja

Error Handling

Next Steps