🔑 OAuth Explained Like You're 5

Source: Dev.to

Valet Key Analogy

You go to a fancy restaurant and don’t want to find parking yourself.
The valet asks for your car key, but you’re worried they might open the trunk or steal your sunglasses.

Solution: Valet Key – a special key that:

• ✅ Starts the car
• ✅ Moves it a short distance
• ❌ Cannot open the trunk
• ❌ Cannot open the glove box

OAuth works the same way for websites.

Why Not Share Your Password?

Bad way: Give an app your Twitter password.

• The app could read all your DMs.
• It could change your password.
• It could do anything on your behalf.

Good way: Use OAuth.

1. The app asks Twitter for limited access.
2. Twitter asks you: “Allow this app to post for you?”
3. You say yes.
4. Twitter returns a special token that can post only within the permissions you approved.
5. The app uses the token to post; it never sees your password.

OAuth Flow (Simplified)

App → Twitter: "I need to post for this user"
Twitter → User: "Do you allow this?"
User → Twitter: "Yes, allow posting"
Twitter → App: "Here’s a limited token"
App → Twitter: (uses token to post)

Key Takeaways

• OAuth lets apps access your accounts with limited permissions.
• It provides authorization without exposing your password.
• “Continue with Google” often uses OpenID Connect, which builds on top of OAuth.