Handle authentication

Since SurrealDB is a database that is designed to be used in a distributed environment, it is important to secure the database and the data that is stored in it. SurrealDB provides a number of methods for authenticating users and securing the database.

In your SurrealDB database, you can create authentication login using the DEFINE ACCESS statement which supports JWT and Record Access methods.

The access method used will inform the input for Access in the .SignUp() and .SignIn() methods.

Important

If you are not on Version v3.0.4 of SurrealDB, you will use the Scope property instead of Access.

Method	Description
`db.SignUp()`	Connects to a local or remote database endpoint
`db.SignIn()`	Signs in to a root, namespace, database or scope user
`db.Invalidate()`	Invalidates the current session
`db.Authenticate()`	Authenticates a user with a token

Defining access in your application

The .NET SDK has a .Query() method which allows you to write secure SurrealQL statements from within your application. Using this method, you can define access for your users and securely manage authentication. See the code example below:

await db.Query(
    $"""
    DEFINE ACCESS account ON DATABASE TYPE RECORD
	SIGNUP ( CREATE user SET email = $email, pass = crypto::argon2::generate($pass) )
	SIGNIN ( SELECT * FROM user WHERE email = $email AND crypto::argon2::compare(pass, $pass) )
	DURATION FOR TOKEN 15m, FOR SESSION 12h;
    """
);

Note

Depending on the connection protocol you choose, authentication tokens and sessions lifetime work differently. Refer to the connection options documentation for more information.

User authentication

After you have defined your authentication login, you can use the following methods to authenticate users:

`.SignUp()`

Signs up to a specific authentication scope / access method.

Method Syntax

await db.SignUp(credentials)

Arguments

Arguments	Description
`credentials`	Credentials to sign up as a scoped user.
`cancellationToken`	The cancellationToken enables graceful cancellation of asynchronous operations.

Example usage

// With Record Access
var authParams = new AuthParams
{
    Namespace = "test",
    Database = "test",
    Access = "user",
	// Also pass any properties required by the access definition
    Email = "info@surrealdb.com",
    Password = "123456"
};

Jwt jwt = await db.SignUp(authParams);

public class AuthParams : ScopeAuth
{
	public string? Username { get; set; }
	public string? Email { get; set; }
	public string? Password { get; set; }
}

`.SignIn()`

Signs in to a root, namespace, database or scope user.

Method Syntax

await db.SignIn(credentials)

Arguments

Arguments	Description
`credentials`	Variables used in a signin query.
`cancellationToken`	The cancellationToken enables graceful cancellation of asynchronous operations.

Example usage

// Sign in as root user
await db.SignIn(new RootAuth { Username = "root", Password = "secret" });

// Sign in using namespace auth
await db.SignIn(
    new NamespaceAuth
    {
        Namespace = "test", 
        Username = "johndoe", 
        Password = "password123" 
    }
);

// Sign in using database auth
await db.SignIn(
    new DatabaseAuth
    {
        Namespace = "test", 
        Database = "test", 
        Username = "johndoe", 
        Password = "password123" 
    }
);

// Sign in with Record Access
var authParams = new AuthParams
{
    Namespace = "test",
    Database = "test",
    Access = "user",
    Email = "info@surrealdb.com",
    Password = "123456"
};

Jwt jwt = await db.SignIn(authParams);

public class AuthParams : ScopeAuth
{
	public string? Username { get; set; }
	public string? Email { get; set; }
	public string? Password { get; set; }
}

// Sign in as a scoped user
var authParams = new AuthParams
{
    Namespace = "test",
    Database = "test",
    Scope = "user",
    Email = "info@surrealdb.com",
    Password = "123456"
};

Jwt jwt = await db.SignIn(authParams);

public class AuthParams : ScopeAuth
{
	public string? Username { get; set; }
	public string? Email { get; set; }
	public string? Password { get; set; }
}

`.Authenticate()`

Authenticates the current connection with a JWT token.

Method Syntax

await db.Authenticate(jwt)

Arguments

Arguments	Description
`jwt`	The JWT object holder of the authentication token.
`cancellationToken`	The cancellationToken enables graceful cancellation of asynchronous operations.

Example usage

var jwt = new Jwt("eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJTdXJyZWFsREIiLCJpYXQiOjE1MTYyMzkwMjIsIm5iZiI6MTUxNjIzOTAyMiwiZXhwIjoxODM2NDM5MDIyLCJOUyI6InRlc3QiLCJEQiI6InRlc3QiLCJTQyI6InVzZXIiLCJJRCI6InVzZXI6dG9iaWUifQ.N22Gp9ze0rdR06McGj1G-h2vu6a6n9IVqUbMFJlOxxA");
await db.Authenticate(jwt);

`.Invalidate()`

Invalidates the authentication for the current connection.

Method Syntax

await db.Invalidate()

Arguments

Properties	Description
`cancellationToken`	The cancellationToken enables graceful cancellation of asynchronous operations.

Example usage

await db.Invalidate();