Project Overview

This project is a fully functional user authentication system built using React and Next.js, designed to provide a secure and scalable authentication solution for modern web applications. It implements JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication for managing user sessions and Nodemailer for sending email verification and password reset emails. The system follows best security practices, ensuring data integrity and user privacy while maintaining a smooth and responsive user experience.

Key Features

✅ User Registration & Email Verification-

1. Users can sign up using their email and password.
2. Upon registration, a verification email is sent to their inbox using Nodemailer.
3. The email contains a secure verification link with a unique token to confirm their account.

✅ JWT-based Authentication & Secure Session Management-

1. Implements JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for authentication, ensuring secure communication between the client and server.
2. Uses Access Tokens for quick authentication and Refresh Tokens to maintain user sessions without requiring frequent logins.
3. HTTP-only cookies are used for enhanced security to prevent XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks.

✅ Login & Protected Routes-

1. Users can log in with their verified accounts and receive a JWT for authentication.
2. Certain pages are protected, allowing access only to authenticated users.

✅ Password Reset & Account Recovery-

1. If users forget their password, they can request a password reset email via Nodemailer.
2. The email contains a secure one-time link with a token to reset their password.
3. Ensures password security by hashing new passwords using bcrypt before storing them in the database.

✅ Database & Backend API Routes-

1. Uses Next.js API Routes to handle authentication logic on the server side.
2. Supports multiple database options such as MongoDB, PostgreSQL, or Firebase for storing user data securely.

✅ Security Best Practices

1. Bcrypt hashing for storing passwords securely.
2. Email token expiration to enhance security and prevent token abuse.

✅ Modern & Responsive UI

1. Built with Tailwind CSS for a sleek, modern, and mobile-friendly user interface.
2. Interactive forms with real-time validation and error handling for a smooth user experience.

Tech Stack

1. Frontend: React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS.
2. Backend: Next.js API Routes (Serverless)
3. Authentication: JWT (Access & Refresh Tokens)
4. Email Services: Nodemailer with SMTP.
5. Database: MongoDB
6. Security: Bcrypt, HTTP-only Cookies.