Django REST Framework TokenAuthentication to authenticate in Django generally

Question

We're using rest_framework.authentication.TokenAuthentication to authenticate API users in Django REST Framework using an access token.

Is there a way to use this same class to authenticate users for Django generally?

I've tried adding it straight in to AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS but it doesn't work:

AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = (
    # Needed to login by username in Django admin, regardless of `allauth`
    "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",

    # `allauth` specific authentication methods, such as login by e-mail
    "allauth.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",

    'rest_framework.authentication.TokenAuthentication',
)

Is there a quick way to do this or do I need to write a custom authentication backend?

Kevin Brown-Silva · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-08 14:37:48Z

3

Django REST framework authentication and permission classes require the use of Django REST framework views, as the authentication is done on the view level ^[1]. This is different from Django authentication backends, where the authentication is done through the middleware.

Is there a way to use this same class to authenticate users for Django generally?

No, Django REST framework authentication backends are distinctly separate from Django authentication backends, and the reverse is technically true ^[2].

_{[1]: There has been discussion of moving this to the middleware level, but this is not currently planned.}
_{[2]: Django authentication backends can be used through SessionAuthentication and other comparable DRF backends.}

answered May 8, 2015 at 14:37

Kevin Brown-Silva

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2 Comments

awidgery Over a year ago

Thanks - this is helpful. Presumably however one could create a custom authentication backend using something like `user = Token.objects.get(token=token_from_request_header).user' to get the user?

Kevin Brown-Silva Over a year ago

Yes, DRF backends are not much different from Django backends, you should just need to implement a few extra methods.

Evhz · Accepted Answer · 2020-01-31 13:02:53Z

0

You can use SessionAuthentication.

AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = (
    # Use Django's session framework for authentication.
    'rest_framework.authentication.SessionAuthentication',
    ....
    'rest_framework.authentication.TokenAuthentication',
)

edited Jan 31, 2020 at 13:02

Evhz

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answered May 8, 2015 at 14:05

press_f5

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3 Comments

awidgery Over a year ago

SessionAuthentication doesn't allow users to authenticate with a Django Rest Framework token, does it? Just tested, and Django still thinks the user is unauthenticated...

press_f5 Over a year ago

Have you kept TokenAuthentication after SessionAuthentication?

awidgery Over a year ago

I have - I'm using

AUTHENTICATION_BACKENDS = (     "django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend",      "allauth.account.auth_backends.AuthenticationBackend",          'rest_framework.authentication.SessionAuthentication,'     'rest_framework.authentication.TokenAuthentication',  )

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