How to handle JWT in Elixir

JWT handling in Elixir can use OTP primitives to manage key caching, rotation, and refresh through supervised GenServers and ETS, while the JOSE, Joken, and JokenJwks libraries respectively provide low-level cryptography, an Elixir-oriented JWT API with claim validation, and JWKS retrieval and caching. The guide explains JWT structure, including readable but unencrypted claims and signatures that establish integrity, and demonstrates RS256 key generation, token creation, decoding for debugging only, and verification with local public keys or external JWKS endpoints. It recommends strict algorithm allowlists when using JOSE directly, validating expiration, issuer, and audience claims, and using Joken.Config modules to centralize token policy. For external identity providers, it outlines configuring JokenJwks as a supervised process that resolves keys by the token’s kid header, retains last-known-good keys during fetch failures, and limits refetches to reduce kid-flooding risks. It also presents Phoenix plugs for Bearer-token authentication and role authorization, alongside production guidance such as short-lived access tokens, runtime configuration, structured failure logging without token contents, and tests for invalid or tampered tokens. The text concludes by describing WorkOS as a service for enterprise authentication, SSO, directory management, and token issuance.

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