Design intent
Make responsibility explicit
Separate client authentication from resource authorization. Validate tokens according to the chosen protocol and deployment, then check scopes and domain permissions at the API boundary.
Products / Developer platform
Resource Server
Design protected APIs around explicit token validation, scopes and the resource permissions that apply to each request.
Explore the design intent, review practical decisions and validate exact behavior against your deployed configuration.
Why it matters
Make the policy understandable before you automate it.
A successful login does not automatically authorize every API operation. APIs need to validate the credential presented to them and check the intended audience and permission for the specific resource.
Worked scenario
See it in context
A service calls an API with a token intended for that resource; the API rejects the wrong audience or missing scope instead of trusting a generic sign-in session.
Boundary to verify
Do not rely on interface alone
Confirm enforcement at the relevant server, API, resource or operational decision point. A hidden button or an informative dashboard is not, by itself, an authorization control.
Practical path
From intent to verified outcome.
Use these stages as a review guide. Exact settings and enforcement points depend on the configured deployment and connected systems.
Define the boundary
Identify the actor, target resource and operation that resource server is meant to govern.
Configure the policy
Separate client authentication from resource authorization. Validate tokens according to the chosen protocol and deployment, then check scopes and domain permissions at the API boundary.
Exercise the edge cases
A service calls an API with a token intended for that resource; the API rejects the wrong audience or missing scope instead of trusting a generic sign-in session. Also test the path that should be denied, deferred or sent for review.
Review the outcome
Check that the resulting state is understandable and that the decision can be investigated later. For audit-enabled operations, confirm the relevant actor and context are captured.
Before rollout
Questions worth answering.
A capability is easier to operate when ownership, failure behavior and verification are defined upfront.
- Confirm the subject, resource and scope affected by resource server.
- Which component validates tokens, which permission vocabulary does the API enforce, and how are failures logged?
- Test the expected path and at least one denied, expired or incomplete path.
- Make ownership, failure handling and review evidence clear before rollout.
This page describes a design approach based on WebFrolic’s documented product model. Verify feature availability and exact behavior in your environment before relying on it for a control requirement.
Related capabilities
Explore what connects to this.
Follow the related areas to understand how this capability fits within identity, access, lifecycle and operations.
Evaluate with your scenario
Start with a concrete workflow.
Share the identities, resource boundary and decision you want to test. The walkthrough can focus on the relevant behavior rather than a generic feature tour.