How can I implement JWT for authentication in my MERN app?

How can I implement JWT for authentication in my MERN app?

To implement JWT authentication in your MERN app, you need to set up a few things. First, install the necessary packages like jsonwebtoken and bcrypt for password hashing.

What steps should I follow after installing those packages?

After installing, create a user model, set up routes for registration and login, and generate a JWT upon successful login.

How do I protect my routes using JWT?

You can create a middleware function that verifies the JWT token in the request headers before allowing access to protected routes.

Can you show me an example of the middleware?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');

const authMiddleware = (req, res, next) => {
    const token = req.header('Authorization');
    if (!token) return res.status(401).send('Access denied.');
    try {
        const verified = jwt.verify(token, 'your_secret_key');
        req.user = verified;
        next();
    } catch (err) {
        res.status(400).send('Invalid token.');
    }
};