API Auth Is Deeper Than It Looks

Integrating with external APIs requires a complex authentication process that can be deceptively deep, as experienced by a team that spent three years implementing authentication for over 400 APIs. OAuth, often mistaken for a protocol, presents challenges due to non-standard extensions and customizations by different APIs, which complicates debugging and implementation. API keys, while seemingly straightforward, pose usability issues for non-technical users and require extensive documentation, validation, and support. Custom authentication flows, like those from GitHub and Shopify, further complicate integration with their unique requirements and structures. Additionally, managing token refreshes, revoked credentials, and required parameters adds layers of complexity, necessitating careful handling of scopes, permissions, and security measures. Despite the availability of numerous libraries, most focus on user login and do not address the intricacies of accessing data across various APIs, leading the team to develop and open-source their own solution to address these needs comprehensively.