Does Django Work With Auth0?
Django and Auth0 integrate seamlessly using Auth0's Python SDK and OAuth 2.0 protocol, giving you enterprise-grade authentication without building it yourself.
Quick Facts
How Django Works With Auth0
Django works excellently with Auth0 through the auth0-python SDK and standard OAuth 2.0/OIDC flows. Auth0 acts as your identity provider while Django handles session management and authorization logic. You configure Auth0 credentials in Django settings, then use middleware to intercept authentication requests and redirect users to Auth0's login page. After successful authentication, Auth0 returns tokens that Django validates and uses to create sessions. The typical flow is: user hits your Django app → redirected to Auth0 → user logs in → Auth0 returns to your callback URL → middleware validates the token → Django creates a session. This keeps authentication stateless and lets you leverage Auth0's features (MFA, social logins, passwordless auth) without custom code. Django's user model integrates naturally with Auth0's user metadata, allowing you to sync user data back to your database for authorization decisions.
Best Use Cases
Quick Setup
pip install auth0-python python-dotenv# settings.py
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv()
AUTH0_DOMAIN = os.getenv('AUTH0_DOMAIN')
AUTH0_CLIENT_ID = os.getenv('AUTH0_CLIENT_ID')
AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET = os.getenv('AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET')
AUTH0_CALLBACK_URL = os.getenv('AUTH0_CALLBACK_URL')
# views.py
from auth0.v3.authentication import GetToken
from auth0.v3.management import Auth0
from django.shortcuts import redirect
from django.contrib.auth import login
from django.contrib.auth.models import User
import requests
def callback(request):
code = request.GET.get('code')
get_token = GetToken(AUTH0_DOMAIN)
token = get_token.client_credentials(
AUTH0_CLIENT_ID,
AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET,
f'https://{AUTH0_DOMAIN}/api/v2/'
)
# Get user info from Auth0
user_info = requests.get(
f'https://{AUTH0_DOMAIN}/userinfo',
headers={'Authorization': f'Bearer {token["access_token"]}'}
).json()
# Create/update Django user
user, created = User.objects.get_or_create(
username=user_info['sub'],
defaults={'email': user_info.get('email', '')}
)
login(request, user)
return redirect('/')Known Issues & Gotchas
Token expiration not handled automatically in sessions
Fix: Store refresh tokens in Django sessions and implement middleware to refresh access tokens before they expire using the auth0-python SDK
User claims from Auth0 JWT don't auto-sync to Django user model
Fix: Create/update Django User objects in your callback view using Auth0 user info, mapping Auth0 user_id to a custom field for future lookups
CORS issues when calling Auth0 Management API from Django backend
Fix: Use auth0-python SDK's ManagementAPI client for server-side calls instead of frontend; it handles authentication automatically
Logout doesn't invalidate Auth0 session, only Django session
Fix: Redirect to Auth0's logout endpoint (auth0_domain/v2/logout) which clears Auth0 cookies before returning to your app
Alternatives
- •Firebase Authentication + Django: Google-managed auth with simpler setup but less enterprise features
- •Keycloak + Django: Open-source identity server with full control but more infrastructure overhead
- •AWS Cognito + Django: AWS-native option if you're already in AWS ecosystem with tighter cost controls
Resources
Related Compatibility Guides
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