What OAuth actually solves for you
When your app needs to act on a user's behalf in another system — pulling their QuickBooks data, posting to their calendar, reading their CRM — you don't want to be storing that user's password. OAuth lets them grant limited, revocable access instead, and hands your app a token scoped to exactly what it needs.
The same standard powers 'Sign in with Google/Microsoft/Apple' on your own product. We wire up the flow correctly so users get a clean login and you're not reinventing session security.
- Authorization Code flow with PKCE for web and mobile clients
- Client Credentials flow for server-to-server API calls with no user present
- OpenID Connect (OIDC) for 'Sign in with Google/Microsoft/Apple' on your product
- Scope design so each integration requests the minimum access it needs
- SAML SSO where an enterprise client requires it instead of OIDC
Token handling that doesn't break at 2 a.m.
Most OAuth pain shows up after launch: access tokens expire, refresh tokens rotate, a provider revokes access, or a token leaks into a log. The handling around tokens is where integrations quietly fail.
We build refresh and error handling as a first-class part of the work, and we keep secrets and tokens out of source control, URLs, and logs.
- Automatic access-token refresh with safe handling of rotating refresh tokens
- Encrypted token storage — never in query strings, source code, or plaintext logs
- JWT signature and claim validation (issuer, audience, expiry) on every request
- Graceful re-consent when a user or provider revokes access
- Clear separation of secrets per environment (dev, staging, production)
More on apis & integrations
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between OAuth and OpenID Connect?
OAuth 2.0 is about authorization — granting your app permission to access an API on a user's behalf. OpenID Connect is a thin identity layer on top of OAuth that also tells you who the user is, which is what powers social login. Most projects use one or both, and we pick based on whether you need access, identity, or both.
Can you add 'Sign in with Google' to our existing app?
Usually yes. We add the OIDC flow, map returning users to your existing accounts, and keep your current email/password login working alongside it if you want both. The main variables are how your current sessions and user records are structured, which we review up front.
Is OAuth enough on its own for security?
OAuth handles delegated access well, but it's one layer. We pair it with proper token storage, HTTPS everywhere, scope minimization, and revocation handling. If you're in a regulated space, tell us during the free consultation so we scope the extra controls in from the start.