How to get valid token from api from auth0 client?

Question

I am using emberjs with auth0 to log in. Normally I enter username and password and I get a valid token which I send to api etc.

Now, I want to write some tests on api and I always need a valid token. My token expires in a day. So to run tests I always have to manually change the token sample.

So I want to get a token somehow from api? is possible and how?

Answer 1

Very good question. An easy way to do this for tests, is to use a Client Credentials Grant Flow. Since you want an access token from within a test, you can treat this as a machine to machine flow.

Here is an example where I am doing this from a test to receive an Auth0 Management API v2 access token. And the corresponding test too. And here is where I use that access token lookup as part of a separate test. However, the same principle applies whether it the Auth0 specific Management API or an API you have defined yourself in the Auth0 Dashboard (under APIs) using a Non-Interactive Client and your own audience.

The "shape" of the call is pretty much as follows:

{ 
  method: 'POST',
  url: 'https://{TENANT}.auth0.com/oauth/token',
  headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' },
  body: '{
         "client_id":"{CLIENT ID}",
         "client_secret":"{CLIENT SECRET}, 
         "audience":"https://{tenant}.auth0.com/api/v2/",
         "grant_type":"client_credentials"
  }' 
};

You call the oauth/token endpoint, and pass clientId, clientSecret, audience (for that api), and grant-type (client_credentials). If doing this with emberjs / php - it is very similar - If you create a new Client in Auth0 Dashboard and choose Non Interactive client type, then hit Quick Start - it will guide you through setup (if needed). See screenshot below, and feel free to leave comments if you have any probs.