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SuperTokens is an open-source authentication solution designed to simplify the process of adding secure and scalable authentication to your applications. It provides a robust framework for managing user sessions, authentication, and authorization, making it a popular choice among developers who need a reliable auth provider.
One common issue developers encounter when using SuperTokens is the SESSION_EXPIRED error. This error typically manifests as users being unexpectedly logged out of their sessions, often accompanied by a message indicating that the session has expired.
Users may report being logged out of their accounts without warning, or you might see error logs indicating session expiration events. This can lead to a poor user experience if not handled correctly.
The SESSION_EXPIRED error occurs when a user's session has reached its time limit or has been inactive for too long. SuperTokens uses session tokens to manage user sessions, and these tokens have a predefined lifespan. Once this lifespan is exceeded, the session is considered expired.
Session tokens are designed to enhance security by ensuring that users are periodically re-authenticated. However, if the session duration is too short or if users are inactive for extended periods, they may encounter the SESSION_EXPIRED error.
To address the SESSION_EXPIRED error, you can implement session renewal logic and inform users to re-authenticate when necessary. Here are the steps to fix this issue:
SuperTokens provides mechanisms to renew sessions before they expire. You can configure your application to automatically renew sessions by calling the appropriate SuperTokens API endpoints. For example, you can use the refreshSession endpoint to renew a session token.
import { refreshSession } from 'supertokens-auth-react';
async function renewSession() {
try {
await refreshSession();
console.log('Session renewed successfully');
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error renewing session:', error);
}
}
Review and adjust the session expiry times in your SuperTokens configuration to balance security and user experience. You can configure the session duration in the SuperTokens configuration file.
sessionExpiry: 3600, // Session expires after 1 hour
When a session expires, inform users that they need to re-authenticate. You can display a message prompting them to log in again, ensuring a seamless user experience.
By understanding the causes of the SESSION_EXPIRED error and implementing session renewal logic, you can enhance the reliability and user experience of your application. For more detailed guidance, refer to the SuperTokens documentation.
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