🔑Refresh Token

NEW

Longer-lived credential used to obtain new access tokens without requiring the user to re-authenticate.

DESCRIPTION

Refresh tokens are part of OAuth 2.0 and enable clients to obtain new access tokens after expiration without user interaction. They require secure storage, rotation, and revocation to mitigate theft risks. Servers can limit scope, lifetime, and reuse to strengthen security. Mobile and SPAs often pair PKCE and token rotation for resilience. Mismanagement leads to session fixation or unauthorized access.

ALTERNATIVE DEFINITIONS

IETF RFC 6749

Refresh tokens are credentials used to obtain access tokens. Refresh tokens are issued to the client by the authorization server and are used to obtain a new access token when the current access token becomes invalid or expires.

Canonical specification defining purpose and issuance by authorization server.

Source

Auth0

Refresh tokens allow you to request new access tokens without requiring the user to re-authenticate.

Vendor guidance focusing on eliminating user re-authentication.

Source

Okta

A refresh token is a long-lived token that can be used to obtain new access tokens.

Highlights long-lived nature and exchange mechanism.

Source

RELATED TERMS

OAuth 2.0 Authorization Server Client Credentials Token Rotation PKCE Scope Revocation Session Management OpenID Connect

COMPETING TERMS

Access Token

RELATIONS

• Broader: Token

KNOWLEDGE AREAS

Data Security Data Privacy & Compliance Platform & Tooling

TARGET AUDIENCE

Software Developer Security Architect Cybersecurity Engineer DevOps Engineer Application Administrator

EXTERNAL SOURCES

• Wikipedia - OAuth
• IETF - OAuth 2.0 core specification
• Auth0 - Refresh tokens guidance
• Okta - Using refresh tokens
• Microsoft - Azure AD refresh tokens

TOP QUESTIONS

Why use a Refresh Token?

It maintains sessions without user re-authentication, improving user experience while allowing controlled access token lifetimes.

Category: Relevancy

How should Refresh Tokens be stored?

Store them securely, avoid local storage in browsers, use HTTP-only cookies or secure platform-specific storage with rotation.

Category: Requirements

What is token rotation for Refresh Tokens?

Rotation issues a new refresh token on use, invalidating the old one, limiting replay risk.

Category: Example

What are common mistakes with Refresh Tokens?

Long lifetimes, insecure storage, and lack of revocation endpoints expose sessions to theft and misuse.

Category: Mistakes

What is the risk of using Refresh Tokens?

Compromise enables persistent access; robust detection and revocation are essential to mitigate unauthorized use.

Category: Risks

How do scopes relate to Refresh Tokens?

Scopes limit the permissions of issued access tokens; refresh tokens should be constrained to appropriate scopes.

Category: Misunderstanding

How do Refresh Tokens differ from Access Tokens?

Access tokens authorize resource access and are short-lived; refresh tokens are longer-lived and used to obtain new access tokens.

Category: Alternatives

How does PKCE interact with Refresh Tokens?

PKCE secures public clients during authorization; combined with rotation it hardens mobile and SPA flows.

Category: Example

Where to learn more about Refresh Tokens?

Study the OAuth 2.0 RFC, vendor identity docs from Auth0, Okta, and Microsoft, and implement secure storage and rotation.

Category: Example