Creating authentication for an application can be a daunting and repetitive task. Over the years, I’ve faced this challenge repeatedly while working on various projects. Whether you’re a solo developer or part of a team, implementing secure, robust, and scalable authentication can eat up valuable time—time better spent building unique features for your app.
That’s why I decided to create an open-source authentication boilerplate—a foundation that includes all the essential features you need to get started, so you can focus on what truly matters: building great apps.
The Why: My Journey to Building This Boilerplate
As a developer, I’ve often found myself implementing the same core authentication functionality for multiple projects. From email verification to protected routes, the requirements rarely change. But ensuring these features are secure and work seamlessly can be time-consuming, especially when starting from scratch.
I thought, “Why not create a reusable solution?” Something that balances simplicity, security, and scalability. After weeks of brainstorming and coding, I built this boilerplate to save developers (like you!) countless hours of setup time.
The Tech Stack
I’ve carefully selected a modern, reliable tech stack that ensures performance and scalability:
MongoDB: A NoSQL database for flexible and efficient data storage.
Express.js: A lightweight and fast backend framework.
React: A powerful frontend library for building dynamic and interactive UIs.
Node.js: The runtime environment that ties everything together.
Tailwind CSS: A utility-first CSS framework for fast and responsive UI design.
Nodemailer: Simplifies email sending, such as for email verification and password resets.
JWT (JSON Web Tokens): Ensures secure and stateless user authentication.
Features of the Boilerplate
This boilerplate comes packed with all the essential features you’d expect from a full-fledged authentication system. Here’s what you get:
1. User Registration with Email Verification
Users can sign up and receive a verification email to activate their accounts. This ensures only valid users can access your app.
2. User Login with JWT Authentication
Securely log in users using JSON Web Tokens, ensuring that sessions are stateless and scalable.
3. Password Reset Functionality
Allow users to reset their passwords securely via email, giving them a seamless recovery process.
4. Role-Based Access Control
Implement user roles (e.g., admin, editor, viewer) to restrict access to certain parts of your app based on user permissions.
5. Protected Routes
Easily secure your app’s routes to ensure that only authenticated users can access them.
"Routing made so easy, even your grandma could do it. This boilerplate got all the paths covered so you can focus on the fun stuff."
6. Refresh Token Mechanism
Support seamless session management with refresh tokens, ensuring users stay logged in without compromising security.
7. Profile Page
A ready-to-use profile page where users can view and update their information.
8. Responsive UI with Tailwind CSS
A modern, responsive design ensures your app looks great on any device, out of the box.
Why Use This Boilerplate?
Save Time: Focus on building the unique aspects of your application instead of spending days on authentication setup.
Secure and Scalable: Built with best practices for secure authentication and designed to grow with your application.
Customizable: The codebase is modular and easy to adapt to your specific requirements.
Completely Free: Available on GitHub for everyone to use and contribute to.
Try It Out!
The boilerplate is available for free on my GitHub repository. You can clone it, customize it, and start building your app today.
Whole documentation is given in Readme.md file
👉 Check out the GitHub repo here
I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or suggestions! Let’s make this boilerplate even better together.
Happy coding! 🚀