SaaS APIs often require authentication, commonly using secret keys, which can pose security risks if exposed directly to client applications. To address this, many APIs, such as Ably, offer token-based authentication systems that provide short-lived tokens with customizable access controls. This blog post demonstrates how to securely authenticate an Ably client in a React application using Token Requests generated server-side with the Ably SDK, avoiding direct exposure of secret keys. The tutorial guides setting up a Vite project, using the vite-plugin-api to add API routes, and creating an endpoint that generates and returns a Token Request, which client applications can use to authenticate with Ably. This approach ensures that secret keys remain secure while allowing client applications to access authenticated services through short-lived tokens, enhancing both security and functionality.