Federated authentication in GraphQL - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is federated authentication?

Federated authentication lets users log in using credentials from another trusted system, like Google or Facebook, instead of creating a new account.

beginner

How does federated authentication improve user experience?

It allows users to sign in quickly without remembering new passwords, reducing signup friction and making access easier.

intermediate

In GraphQL, how is federated authentication typically handled?

Authentication tokens from external providers are sent with GraphQL requests, and the server verifies these tokens before resolving queries.

intermediate

What role does an Identity Provider (IdP) play in federated authentication?

The IdP manages user credentials and authenticates users, then provides tokens that other services trust to grant access.

beginner

Name a common protocol used in federated authentication.

OAuth 2.0 is a common protocol that allows secure delegated access and is often used in federated authentication.

What does federated authentication allow a user to do?

A Bypass login screens completely

B Use one login from a trusted provider to access multiple services

C Create multiple usernames for different apps

D Store passwords locally on the device

Federated authentication lets users log in once with a trusted provider and access many services without separate accounts.

Which of these is an example of an Identity Provider (IdP)?

A Google

B MySQL

C GraphQL

D React

Google acts as an Identity Provider by managing user authentication and issuing tokens.

In GraphQL, how is the user's identity usually verified during federated authentication?

A By using cookies only

B By storing passwords in the query

C By checking an authentication token sent with the request

D By IP address matching

GraphQL servers verify authentication tokens sent with requests to confirm user identity.

Which protocol is commonly used for federated authentication?

A FTP

B SMTP

C HTTP

D OAuth 2.0

OAuth 2.0 is widely used for secure delegated access in federated authentication.

What is a key benefit of federated authentication?

A Users don’t need to remember multiple passwords

B It requires users to create new accounts everywhere

C It stores all passwords in one database

D It disables multi-factor authentication

Federated authentication reduces password fatigue by letting users sign in with one set of credentials.

Explain how federated authentication works in a GraphQL API.

Think about the flow from login to query execution.

List the advantages of using federated authentication for users and developers.

Consider benefits for both sides: users and app builders.