Support Auth0 Custom Metadata

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Introduction

When working with Auth0, it can be incredibly useful to bring in their user_metadata and app_metadata, which are JSON objects specific to the user logging in. These objects can add user properties set by the user themselves (user_metadata) or the app admin (app_metadata). However, retrieving this information can be a bit tricky. In this article, we will explore the recommended way to get this info and how to support Auth0 custom metadata in Datasette.

Understanding Auth0 Custom Claims

Auth0 custom claims are a way to add custom data to the ID token. This data can be used to store user-specific information, such as user preferences or profile data. To add custom claims to the ID token, you need to use the setCustomClaim method of the api.idToken object. The setCustomClaim method takes two arguments: the namespace and the claim value.

Recommended Way to Get User Meta

The recommended way to get user meta from the user info endpoint is as suggested in the Auth0 community forum. You can use the following code to get the user meta:

exports.onExecutePostLogin = async (event, api) => {
  const namespace = 'https://mynamespace.example.com';
  if (event.authorization) {
    api.idToken.setCustomClaim(`${namespace}/user_metadata`, event.user.user_metadata);
    api.idToken.setCustomClaim(`${namespace}/app_metadata`, event.user.app_metadata);
  }
};

In this code, the namespace parameter is used to namespace the custom claims. This is intended to prevent clashes between different applications or services. However, as mentioned earlier, the namespace is not well understood, and it's not clear what the implications are of using a different namespace.

Supporting Auth0 Custom Metadata in Datasette

Datasette is a powerful tool for building and deploying data applications. However, it does not currently support Auth0 custom metadata out of the box. To support Auth0 custom metadata in Datasette, you need to modify the datasette-auth0 plugin to strip off the namespace from the custom claims.

Modifying the datasette-auth0 Plugin

To modify the datasette-auth0 plugin, you need to create a new file in the datasette-auth0 directory. In this file, you can add a new function that strips off the namespace from the custom claims. Here is an example of how you can do this:

import json

def strip_namespace(claims):
    namespace = 'https://mynamespace.example.com'
    stripped_claims = {}
    for key, value in claims.items():
        if key.startswith(namespace):
            stripped_key = key[len(namespace):]
            stripped_claims[stripped_key] = value
    return stripped_claims

This function takes a dictionary of claims as input and returns a new dictionary with the namespace stripped off. You can then use this function in the datasette-auth0 plugin to strip off the namespace from the custom claims.

Using the Modified Plugin

To use the modified plugin, you need to create a new file in the datasette-auth0 directory. In this file, you can add a new function that uses the strip_namespace function to strip off the namespace from the custom claims. Here is an example of how you can do this:

import json

def get_user_meta(event, api):
    namespace = 'https://mynamespace.example.com'
    if event.authorization:
        claims = api.idToken.getCustomClaims()
        stripped_claims = strip_namespace(claims)
        return stripped_claims
    return None

This function takes the event and API objects as input and returns a dictionary of stripped claims. You can then use this function in the datasette-auth0 plugin to get the user meta.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the recommended way to get user meta from the user info endpoint and how to support Auth0 custom metadata in Datasette. We also modified the datasette-auth0 plugin to strip off the namespace from the custom claims. With this modified plugin, you can now use Auth0 custom metadata in your Datasette applications.

Future Work

There are several areas where we can improve the support for Auth0 custom metadata in Datasette. One area is to add more functionality to the strip_namespace function to handle different types of claims. Another area is to add more documentation to the datasette-auth0 plugin to make it easier to use.

References

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the recommended way to get user meta from the user info endpoint and how to support Auth0 custom metadata in Datasette. We also modified the datasette-auth0 plugin to strip off the namespace from the custom claims. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions about supporting Auth0 custom metadata in Datasette.

Q: What is the purpose of the namespace in Auth0 custom claims?

A: The namespace in Auth0 custom claims is used to prevent clashes between different applications or services. It's a way to namespace the custom claims so that they don't interfere with each other.

Q: Why do I need to strip off the namespace from the custom claims?

A: You need to strip off the namespace from the custom claims because Datasette doesn't support namespaces out of the box. By stripping off the namespace, you can use the custom claims in your Datasette applications without any issues.

Q: How do I modify the datasette-auth0 plugin to strip off the namespace from the custom claims?

A: To modify the datasette-auth0 plugin, you need to create a new file in the datasette-auth0 directory. In this file, you can add a new function that strips off the namespace from the custom claims. Here is an example of how you can do this:

import json

def strip_namespace(claims):
    namespace = 'https://mynamespace.example.com'
    stripped_claims = {}
    for key, value in claims.items():
        if key.startswith(namespace):
            stripped_key = key[len(namespace):]
            stripped_claims[stripped_key] = value
    return stripped_claims

Q: How do I use the modified plugin to get the user meta?

A: To use the modified plugin to get the user meta, you need to create a new file in the datasette-auth0 directory. In this file, you can add a new function that uses the strip_namespace function to strip off the namespace from the custom claims. Here is an example of how you can do this:

import json

def get_user_meta(event, api):
    namespace = 'https://mynamespace.example.com'
    if event.authorization:
        claims = api.idToken.getCustomClaims()
        stripped_claims = strip_namespace(claims)
        return stripped_claims
    return None

Q: What are the implications of using a different namespace?

A: The implications of using a different namespace are not well understood. It's recommended to use the same namespace across all applications and services to avoid any issues.

Q: Can I use the modified plugin with other Auth0 plugins?

A: Yes, you can use the modified plugin with other Auth0 plugins. However, you need to make sure that the other plugins are compatible with the modified plugin.

Q: How do I troubleshoot issues with the modified plugin?

A: To troubleshoot issues with the modified plugin, you can use the Datasette debug mode to see the error messages. You can also use the Auth0 debug mode to see the error messages.

Conclusion

In this article, we answered some frequently asked questions about supporting Auth0 custom metadata in Datasette. We also provided examples of how to modify the datasette-auth0 plugin to strip off the namespace from the custom claims. With this modified plugin, you can now use Auth0 custom metadata in your Datasette applications.

Future Work

There are several areas where we can improve the support for Auth0 custom metadata in Datasette. One area is to add more functionality to the strip_namespace function to handle different types of claims. Another area is to add more documentation to the datasette-auth0 plugin to make it easier to use.

References