Complete Guide to User Authentication in Laravel 12 | Web and API Authentication

This blog guides you through setting up user authentication in Laravel 12, using both web-based and API authentication methods.

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Introduction

Laravel 12 provides excellent tools for setting up user authentication. In this guide, we'll explore how to set up **authentication** for both **web-based** and **API-based** applications using Laravel's built-in tools like **Laravel UI**, **Jetstream**, and **Sanctum**.

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Step 1: Install and Set Up Laravel

To begin, create a new Laravel project using the following command:

composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel laravel-auth-app

Then navigate to your project directory:

cd laravel-auth-app

This will set up a fresh Laravel 12 project for you.

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Step 2: Installing Authentication Scaffolding

Laravel 12 doesn't include authentication scaffolding by default. You can install **Laravel UI** or **Jetstream** for this. Below, we explain both options:

Option 1: Laravel UI

Install **Laravel UI** to get simple authentication views such as login and registration:

composer require laravel/ui
php artisan ui bootstrap --auth
npm install && npm run dev
php artisan migrate

This will set up authentication routes and views with **Bootstrap** styling.

Option 2: Laravel Jetstream

If you want advanced authentication features like two-factor authentication, use **Jetstream**:

composer require laravel/jetstream
php artisan jetstream:install livewire
npm install && npm run dev
php artisan migrate

Jetstream adds additional features like session management, API tokens, and more.

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Step 3: Configuring Authentication Routes

After installing authentication scaffolding, Laravel automatically generates routes in **routes/web.php**. You’ll find routes for login, registration, and password resets. Example:

Auth::routes();

These routes are protected by middleware to ensure only authenticated users can access certain pages.

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Step 4: User Authentication in API

For **API** authentication, Laravel provides **Sanctum**. To set up API authentication:

Install Sanctum:

composer require laravel/sanctum

Publish Configuration and Migrate:

php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Laravel\Sanctum\SanctumServiceProvider"
php artisan migrate

Set Up Middleware:

use Laravel\Sanctum\Http\Middleware\EnsureFrontendRequestsAreStateful;

Define API Routes:

Route::middleware('auth:sanctum')->get('/user', function (Request $request) {
            return $request->user();
        });

This route is protected by **Sanctum** middleware, ensuring only authenticated users can access it.

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Conclusion

Laravel 12 provides great tools for **user authentication**, whether for a traditional web app or a modern API-based application. In this guide, we've learned how to set up authentication with both **Laravel UI** and **Jetstream**, as well as how to implement **API authentication** with **Sanctum**.