Authentication

The Tandex Electronics API uses JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for authentication. This guide explains how to authenticate, use tokens, and handle common authentication scenarios.

How JWT Authentication Works

The API implements a two-tier routing system with JWT middleware protection:

Public Routes - No authentication required
Secured Routes - Require valid JWT token in Authorization header

All routes under /secured/* are protected by JWT middleware that validates tokens before allowing access to the endpoint.

JWT Middleware Implementation

The authentication middleware is implemented in routes/setup/routes_setup.js:9-27:

routes/setup/routes_setup.js

var secureapp = express.Router()
app.use('/secured', secureapp)
secureapp.use((req,res,next) => {
    const bearer = req.headers['authorization']
    if(bearer){
        jwt.verify(bearer,process.env.JWT_SECRET, function(err,decode){
            if(err){
                res.status(401).json({
                    msg:'Token_invalido'
                })
            }else{
                next()
            }
        })
    }else{
        res.status(401).json({
            msg:'Sin autorización'
        })
    }
})

This middleware:

Extracts the token from the Authorization header
Verifies the token against the JWT secret
Returns 401 if token is missing, invalid, or expired
Allows the request to proceed if token is valid

Authentication Endpoint

POST /login Authenticate a user and receive a JWT token.

Request Format

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "password": "your_password"
  }'

Authentication Flow

The login process is implemented in routes/setup/servicios/cliente.js:54-90:

User lookup

The API queries the database for the user by email:

dbconn.query('SELECT * FROM heroku_1a378f873641606.usuarios where correo= ?',[email])

Password verification

The submitted password is compared with the stored bcrypt hash:

const encriptada = rows[0].password
bcrypt.compare(password, encriptada, function(err, result) {
    if(result == true){
        // Password is correct, generate token
    }
})

JWT token generation

If authentication succeeds, a JWT token is generated with 1-hour expiration:

routes/setup/servicios/cliente.js:68-70

const accessToken = jwt.sign(
    { userId: rows[0].correo, nombre: rows[0].password },
    process.env.JWT_SECRET,
    { expiresIn: "1h" }
);

Token response

The token is returned to the client:

res.status(200).json({
    msg:'Autenticación correcta',
    token: accessToken
})

Response Examples

{
  "msg": "Autenticación correcta",
  "token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1c2VySWQiOiJhZG1pbkBleGFtcGxlLmNvbSIsIm5vbWJyZSI6IiQyYiQxMCRhYmNkZWYuLi4iLCJpYXQiOjE2MzA1MDAwMDAsImV4cCI6MTYzMDUwMzYwMH0.signature"
}

Token Format and Expiration

Token Structure

JWT tokens consist of three parts separated by dots:

eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1c2VySWQiOiJhZG1pbkBleGFtcGxlLmNvbSIsImlhdCI6MTYzMDUwMDAwMCwiZXhwIjoxNjMwNTAzNjAwfQ.signature

Header - Algorithm and token type
Payload - User data (userId, nombre)
Signature - Verification signature using JWT_SECRET

Token Payload

The token payload contains:

{
  "userId": "[email protected]",
  "nombre": "$2b$10$...",
  "iat": 1630500000,
  "exp": 1630503600
}

userId - User’s email address
nome - User’s hashed password (used as additional identifier)
iat - Issued at timestamp
exp - Expiration timestamp

Token Expiration

Tokens expire after 1 hour from the time of issuance. After expiration, you must authenticate again to receive a new token.

The expiration is configured in cliente.js:69:

expiresIn: "1h"

Using Tokens in Requests

Authorization Header Format

To access secured endpoints, include the JWT token in the Authorization header of your requests:

curl http://localhost:8080/secured/ENDPOINT \
  -H "Authorization: YOUR_JWT_TOKEN"

Unlike Bearer token schemes, this API expects the raw token value directly in the Authorization header (without “Bearer” prefix).

Example: Get Products

curl http://localhost:8080/secured/getProductos \
  -H "Authorization: eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1c2VySWQiOiJhZG1pbkBleGFtcGxlLmNvbSIsImlhdCI6MTYzMDUwMDAwMCwiZXhwIjoxNjMwNTAzNjAwfQ.signature"

Example: Update Product

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/secured/update_products \
  -H "Authorization: eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "clave": "PROD001",
    "descripcion": "Updated description",
    "precio": "399.99"
  }'

Example: Upload to WooCommerce

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/secured/post_products \
  -H "Authorization: eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "user: [email protected]" \
  -d '[{
    "claveProducto": "PROD001",
    "descripcionP": "Electronic Component",
    "precio": "299.99"
  }]'

Some endpoints like post_products also require a user header containing the authenticated user’s email for audit logging purposes.

Protected Endpoints

The following endpoints require JWT authentication (defined in routes_setup.js:39-56):

Product Management

POST /secured/update_products - Update product information
POST /secured/deleteProducto - Delete a product
POST /secured/add_producto - Add new product
GET /secured/getProductos - List all products
GET /secured/getProductosPublicados - List published products

User Management

POST /secured/upload_user - Create new user
POST /secured/update_user - Update user information
POST /secured/delete_user - Delete user
GET /secured/getUsers - List all users

WooCommerce Integration

POST /secured/post_products - Publish products to WooCommerce

Audit Log

GET /secured/getBitacora - View activity log

Error Handling

Missing Token

Request without Authorization header:

curl http://localhost:8080/secured/getProductos

Response (401):

{
  "msg": "Sin autorización"
}

This error is returned by the middleware when no Authorization header is present (routes_setup.js:23-25).

Invalid Token

Request with malformed or tampered token:

curl http://localhost:8080/secured/getProductos \
  -H "Authorization: invalid.token.here"

Response (401):

{
  "msg": "Token_invalido"
}

This error occurs when:

Token signature is invalid
Token format is malformed
Token was signed with different JWT_SECRET

Expired Token

Request with expired token (>1 hour old):

curl http://localhost:8080/secured/getProductos \
  -H "Authorization: eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...[expired]"

Response (401):

{
  "msg": "Token_invalido"
}

Expired tokens return the same error message as invalid tokens. When you receive “Token_invalido”, first try re-authenticating to get a fresh token.

Security Best Practices

Keep JWT_SECRET Secure

The JWT_SECRET in config/default.json is critical for token security. Never commit it to version control or expose it publicly.

Use HTTPS in Production

Always use HTTPS in production to prevent token interception. Tokens sent over HTTP can be captured and reused.

Implement Token Refresh

Consider implementing a token refresh mechanism for better user experience, as tokens currently expire after 1 hour.

Store Tokens Securely

On the client side, store tokens securely (e.g., httpOnly cookies or secure storage). Avoid localStorage for sensitive applications.

Password Security

User passwords are secured using bcrypt hashing:

During Registration

routes/setup/servicios/cliente.js:280

bcrypt.hash(password, 10, function(err, data){ 
    if(data){
        dbconn.query('INSERT INTO usuarios (correo, password, ...) VALUES (?,?,...)'
            [email, data, ...])
    }
})

Passwords are hashed with a salt rounds value of 10 before storage.

routes/setup/servicios/cliente.js:65

bcrypt.compare(password, encriptada, function(err, result) {
    if(result == true){
        // Generate JWT token
    }
});

Plaintext passwords are never stored or logged. All comparisons use bcrypt’s secure comparison function.

Complete Authentication Example

Here’s a complete workflow for authenticating and making requests:

Step 1: Login

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "[email protected]", "password": "mypassword"}'

Save the returned token.

Step 2: Store Token

export TOKEN="eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."

Step 3: Make Authenticated Requests

curl http://localhost:8080/secured/getProductos \
  -H "Authorization: $TOKEN"

Step 4: Handle Expiration

If you receive a 401 error after 1 hour, re-authenticate:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "[email protected]", "password": "mypassword"}'

Update your stored token with the new one.

Next Steps

Now that you understand authentication, explore:

API endpoint documentation for available operations
User management endpoints for creating and managing accounts
WooCommerce integration for publishing products

API Reference

Explore all available endpoints

User Management

Learn about user roles and permissions

Getting Started

Guides

How JWT Authentication Works

JWT Middleware Implementation

Authentication Endpoint

Request Format

Authentication Flow

Response Examples

Token Format and Expiration

Token Structure

Token Payload

Token Expiration

Using Tokens in Requests

Authorization Header Format

Example: Get Products

Example: Update Product

Example: Upload to WooCommerce

Protected Endpoints

Product Management

User Management

WooCommerce Integration

Audit Log

Error Handling

Missing Token

Invalid Token

Expired Token

Security Best Practices

Keep JWT_SECRET Secure

Use HTTPS in Production

Implement Token Refresh

Store Tokens Securely

Password Security

During Registration

Complete Authentication Example

Next Steps

API Reference

User Management

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

Guides

​How JWT Authentication Works

​JWT Middleware Implementation

​Login Process

​Authentication Endpoint

​Request Format

​Authentication Flow

​Response Examples

​Token Format and Expiration

​Token Structure

​Token Payload

​Token Expiration

​Using Tokens in Requests

​Authorization Header Format

​Example: Get Products

​Example: Update Product

​Example: Upload to WooCommerce

​Protected Endpoints

​Product Management

​User Management

​WooCommerce Integration

​Audit Log

​Error Handling

​Missing Token

​Invalid Token

​Expired Token

​Security Best Practices

Keep JWT_SECRET Secure

Use HTTPS in Production

Implement Token Refresh

Store Tokens Securely

​Password Security

​During Registration

​During Login

​Complete Authentication Example

​Next Steps

API Reference

User Management

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

How JWT Authentication Works

JWT Middleware Implementation

Login Process

Authentication Endpoint

Request Format

Authentication Flow

Response Examples

Token Format and Expiration

Token Structure

Token Payload

Token Expiration

Using Tokens in Requests

Authorization Header Format

Example: Get Products

Example: Update Product

Example: Upload to WooCommerce

Protected Endpoints

Product Management

User Management

WooCommerce Integration

Audit Log

Error Handling

Missing Token

Invalid Token

Expired Token

Security Best Practices

Password Security

During Registration

During Login

Complete Authentication Example

Next Steps