Understanding custom auth flow and its implementation..
Source: Dev.to
Custom Auth Flow Implementation
Motivation
Recently I was trying to really understand custom auth flow and how its implementation actually works. I decided to rebuild the auth system more seriously, focusing on proper flow, structure, and error handling.
Implementation Details
I used Zod for validation, Resend for email verification, and added forgot‑password and reset‑password flows. The effort wasn’t hard because of syntax; it was the business workflow that proved challenging.
Security Considerations
I had to think about every step:
- Where security could break
- How passwords should be stored
- How JWTs should be used
- What happens when an access token expires
- How refresh tokens are retrieved from the database
These considerations forced me to address deeper edge cases.
Reflections
After completing this auth flow, my mindset changed. I no longer just write endpoints; I now think about the user flow, edge cases, and security. While ready‑made auth services make sense in production, building a complete custom auth flow once elevated my understanding.
Still learning. Still fixing. But this auth project taught me a lot…
