Skill v1.0.1
currentAutomated scan100/100+3 new
version: "1.0.1" name: auth-setup description: Use when configuring OAuth providers (Google/GitHub/Apple/X/etc.), setting up post-login auth hooks, tuning JWT lifetimes, or generating service API keys
Butterbase Auth Setup
Two umbrella tools cover end-user authentication:
- `manage_oauth` — provider configuration (Google, GitHub, Apple, X, custom)
- `manage_auth_config` — auth hooks, JWT lifetimes, service key generation
For broad app build-out, see also butterbase:build-app. This skill is the deep dive.
1. The role model
Every request runs under one of three database roles:
| Auth header | Role | current_user_id() | RLS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _none_ | butterbase_anon | NULL | enforced; default deny | |
End-user JWT (issued by manage_oauth or email login) | butterbase_user | user UUID | enforced | |
Service key (bb_sk_*) | butterbase_service | NULL | bypassed |
Auth is what transforms a request into the right role. RLS is what filters the data. Both must be configured.
2. Configure an OAuth provider
manage_oauth({app_id: "app_abc123",action: "configure",provider: "google",client_id: "123456789.apps.googleusercontent.com",client_secret: "GOCSPX-...",redirect_uris: ["https://api.butterbase.ai/auth/app_abc123/oauth/google/callback"]// scopes / authorization_url / token_url / userinfo_url / provider_metadata are auto-filled for built-in providers})
Built-in providers (URLs and scopes pre-filled): google, github, discord, facebook, linkedin, microsoft, apple, x.
Custom providers: pass authorization_url, token_url, userinfo_url, and scopes explicitly.
Redirect URI format
https://api.butterbase.ai/auth/{app_id}/oauth/{provider}/callback
Register this exact URI in the provider's developer console. Mismatch is the most common reason OAuth flows fail.
Provider quirks
| Provider | Quirk | |
|---|---|---|
apple | Requires provider_metadata: { teamId, keyId, privateKey }. Apple only returns the user's name on first auth and uses POST callback (handled automatically). | |
x | Does not return email. Butterbase synthesises {username}@users.noreply.x.local for the user record. | |
facebook | Default scopes email, public_profile. | |
google | Standard. | |
github | Standard. |
List, update, delete
manage_oauth({ app_id, action: "get" }) // list all providers (secrets redacted)manage_oauth({ app_id, action: "get", provider: "google" }) // single providermanage_oauth({ app_id, action: "update", provider: "google", client_secret: "new-secret" })manage_oauth({ app_id, action: "delete", provider: "google" }) // disables future logins; existing sessions valid until expiry
Frontend flow
GET https://api.butterbase.ai/auth/{app_id}/oauth/{provider}?redirect_to=https://yourapp.com/auth/callback
User signs in at the provider, gets bounced back to redirect_to with access_token and refresh_token as query params. The Butterbase SDK wraps this:
await client.auth.signInWithOAuth({ provider: "google" });const { user, accessToken } = await client.auth.getSession();
3. Tune JWT lifetimes
manage_auth_config({app_id: "app_abc123",action: "update_jwt",accessTokenTtl: "15m", // formats: "15m", "1h", "2h", "1d"refreshTokenTtlDays: 30 // integer days})
Defaults: 15-minute access tokens, 7-day refresh tokens.
| Use case | accessTokenTtl | refreshTokenTtlDays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-security (banking, admin) | 5m–15m | 1–7 | |
| Standard SaaS | 15m (default) | 30 | |
| Low-friction consumer apps | 1h | 90 |
Important: changes apply only to new tokens. Active tokens keep their original expiration — there is no global revoke. Treat TTL changes as forward-looking only.
4. Auth hooks (run code after every login)
A post-auth function is a deployed Butterbase function invoked fire-and-forget after every successful auth event (OAuth login, email login, email signup).
Wire it up
// 1. Deploy the function first (see butterbase:function-dev)deploy_function({app_id: "app_abc123",name: "after-auth",code: postAuthHandlerCode,trigger: { type: "http", config: { auth: "none" } }})// 2. Register it as the auth hookmanage_auth_config({app_id: "app_abc123",action: "configure_auth_hook",post_auth_function: "after-auth"})// To remove the hook later: pass post_auth_function: null
The function must already exist when you configure the hook.
Payload shape
The function receives a POST with this body:
{"event": "oauth_login | login | signup","user": {"id": "uuid","email": "...","provider": "google | github | email | ...","display_name": "...","avatar_url": "..."},"isNewUser": true,"provider": "google"}
The function runs as butterbase_service (RLS bypassed, ctx.user is null). Use body.user.id to know who just logged in.
Common uses
// after-auth/index.tsexport async function handler(req, ctx) {const { user, isNewUser, event } = await req.json();if (isNewUser) {// 1. Create profile rowawait ctx.db.query("INSERT INTO profiles (user_id, display_name) VALUES ($1, $2) ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING",[user.id, user.display_name]);// 2. Send welcome email (via env-stored API key)ctx.waitUntil(sendWelcomeEmail(ctx.env.RESEND_API_KEY, user.email));}// 3. Audit log on every loginawait ctx.db.query("INSERT INTO login_log (user_id, event, provider) VALUES ($1, $2, $3)",[user.id, event, ctx.user ?? null]);return new Response("ok", { status: 200 });}
Auth hooks are fire-and-forget. Don't return data the user needs — they won't see it. Use them for side effects only.
5. Service keys (bb_sk_*)
Service keys grant full access to all your apps and bypass RLS. Treat them like passwords.
Generate
manage_auth_config({action: "generate_service_key",name: "CI/CD pipeline"})// → { key: "bb_sk_a1b2c3...", key_id, prefix, name, created_at }
The full key is returned once. Store it immediately in your secret manager — you cannot retrieve it again. If you lose it, generate a new one and revoke the old.
List & revoke
manage_api_keys({ action: "list" })manage_api_keys({ action: "revoke", key_id: "uuid-..." })
list returns metadata only (prefix, name, last_used_at), never the secret. revoke is immediate and irreversible.
Rotation workflow
manage_auth_config(generate_service_key) — create the new key.- Update CI/CD, MCP config, scripts to use the new key.
- Verify with a smoke test (e.g.
manage_applist). manage_api_keys(revoke) — kill the old key.
Do steps 1–3 before step 4 to avoid downtime.
6. Anti-patterns
| Don't | Do | |
|---|---|---|
Hardcode bb_sk_* keys in client code or commit them to git | Store in env vars / secret manager | |
| Reuse one OAuth app between dev, staging, prod | Separate OAuth apps per environment, with their own redirect URIs | |
| Use a service key from frontend code "for convenience" | Frontends use end-user JWTs; service keys are server-only | |
Increase accessTokenTtl to "fix" frequent re-auth | Use the refresh token; SDK handles this automatically | |
Forget that manage_oauth delete only stops new logins | Existing sessions remain valid until they expire — rotate JWT keys via support if you need a hard kill | |
| Put critical logic in the auth hook | Hooks are fire-and-forget. Errors don't surface to the user. Keep them to side effects. | |
| Log the full service key in audit / debug output | Log only the prefix (bb_sk_a1b2c3) — secrets must never appear in logs |
7. Quick reference
| Task | Tool | |
|---|---|---|
| Add Google OAuth | manage_oauth (configure) | |
| List OAuth providers | manage_oauth (get) | |
| Set post-login hook | manage_auth_config (configure_auth_hook) | |
| Change JWT lifetimes | manage_auth_config (update_jwt) | |
| Create service key | manage_auth_config (generate_service_key) | |
| List service keys | manage_api_keys (list) | |
| Revoke service key | manage_api_keys (revoke) |
If a docs/butterbase/00-state.md exists in the working directory, prefer invoking via /butterbase:journey-auth so the journey orchestrator stays in sync.