OAuth2
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
OAuth2 is the updated version of OAuth that everyone actually uses today. It simplified the flow and added different modes for different situations — like one flow for web apps, another for mobile apps, another for server-to-server. Same idea, cleaner execution.
Real Talk
OAuth 2.0 is the industry-standard protocol for authorization, defining multiple authorization grant flows (Authorization Code, Client Credentials, Implicit, Device Code). It uses short-lived access tokens and optional refresh tokens. Most modern 'Login with X' systems use OAuth 2.0.
When You'll Hear This
"We're using OAuth2 with the Authorization Code flow." / "OAuth2 access tokens expire — refresh them with the refresh token."
Related Terms
Authentication (AuthN)
Authentication is proving you are who you say you are.
JWT (JSON Web Token)
A JWT is a special kind of token that contains information inside it. It has three parts: a header, a payload (with your user ID, role, etc.
OAuth (Open Authorization)
OAuth is the system behind 'Login with Google.' Instead of making a new account, you let Google vouch for you.
Token
In AI-land, a token is a chunk of text — roughly 3/4 of a word.