Getting Started

Go Quickstart

This guide will help you integrate Descope's Go SDK into your backend application. Follow the steps below to get started.

Install Backend SDK

Install the SDK with the following command:

Terminal
go get github.com/descope/go-sdk

Import and Setup Backend SDK

You'll need import and setup all of the packages from the SDK.

If you're using a CNAME with your Descope project, make sure to include BaseUrl as a parameter in your client.Config (e.g. {BaseUrl : "https://api.descope.com"}) when initializing descopeClient.

app.go
import "github.com/descope/go-sdk/descope"
import "github.com/descope/go-sdk/descope/client"
 
// Utilizing the context package allows for the transmission of context capabilities like cancellation
//      signals during the function call. In cases where context is absent, the context.Background()
//      function serves as a viable alternative.
//      Utilizing context within the Descope GO SDK is supported within versions 1.6.0 and higher.
import (
	"context"
)

Implement Session Validation

You will need to then fetch the session token from the Authorization header of each request, and use the SDK to validate the token.

The frontend SDK will store the session token in either a cookie or your browser's local storage. If using a cookie, the token will be sent to your app server automatically with every request.

app.go
descopeClient, err := client.NewWithConfig(&client.Config{ProjectID:"__ProjectID__"})
if err != nil {
    log.Println("failed to initialize: " + err.Error())
}
 
// ctx: context.Context - Application context for the transmission of context capabilities like
//        cancellation signals during the function call. In cases where context is absent, the context.Background()
//        function serves as a viable alternative.
//        Utilizing context within the Descope GO SDK is supported within versions 1.6.0 and higher.
ctx := context.Background()
 
// Fetch session token from HTTP Authorization Header
sessionToken := "xxxx"
 
authorized, userToken, err := descopeClient.Auth.ValidateSessionWithToken(ctx, sessionToken)
if (err != nil){
  fmt.Println("Could not validate user session: ", err)
} else {
  fmt.Println("Successfully validated user session: ", userToken)
}

It's important to validate the aud claim in your session token to ensure the token was issued for your specific application. This prevents token reuse across different applications. You can use JWT Templates to customize the aud claim.

Here's how to validate the session token with an aud claim:

app.go
// Validate session with aud claim
authorized, userToken, err := descopeClient.Auth.ValidateSessionWithToken(ctx, sessionToken, "__ProjectID__")
if (err != nil){
  fmt.Println("Could not validate user session: ", err)
} else {
  fmt.Println("Successfully validated user session: ", userToken)
}

Next Steps

Once you've implemented the basic session validation, you can enhance your application with these additional features:

User Management

ChevronRight

Learn how to create, update, and manage users in your application.

Role-Based Access Control

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Implement fine-grained access control using roles and permissions.

API Gateway Session Validation

ChevronRight

Secure your API endpoints with session validation middleware.

Set up M2M Authentication

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Implement M2M authentication with Descope.

Additional Resources

Have You Implemented the Frontend Yet?

When integrating Descope into your application, you have three options depending on how much control you want over your frontend authentication experience and session management:

OptionDescriptionBest For
Use Descope FlowsDesign your authentication screens and flows visually in the Descope Console with little or no frontend code. We handle all session management for you.Fastest setup with minimal custom frontend work.
Use Descope Client SDKsBuild your own login screens and authentication experiences in your frontend using code, while relying on Descope's SDKs to manage sessions (login, logout, refresh).Customizable UX with simplified session handling.
Use Descope Backend SDKsBuild your own frontend and your own backend APIs for authentication. You fully manage sessions, tokens, and authentication logic yourself.Maximum flexibility and control, at the cost of more engineering effort.

Descope Flows

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Design login screens and authentication flows visually without writing code, and embed them into your app.

Descope Client SDKs

ChevronRight

Build custom login screens in your frontend using code, while we manage session tokens and refreshing for you.

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Python

Learn how to integrate Descope's Python SDK in your backend application.

Node.js

Learn how to integrate Descope's Node.js SDK in your backend application.

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