| name | authentication-patterns |
| description | Common authentication patterns for external service integration. Covers API keys, OAuth flows, token management, and verification strategies. |
| category | infrastructure |
| tags | authentication, api-keys, oauth, tokens, security |
| dependencies | error-patterns |
| provides | [object Object] |
| usage_patterns | service-authentication, credential-verification, token-management |
| complexity | beginner |
| estimated_tokens | 400 |
| progressive_loading | true |
| modules | modules/auth-methods.md, modules/verification-patterns.md |
Authentication Patterns
Overview
Common authentication patterns for integrating with external services. Provides consistent approaches to credential management, verification, and error handling.
When to Use
- Integrating with external APIs
- Need credential verification
- Managing multiple auth methods
- Handling auth failures gracefully
Authentication Methods
| Method |
Best For |
Environment Variable |
| API Key |
Simple integrations |
{SERVICE}_API_KEY |
| OAuth |
User-authenticated |
Browser-based flow |
| Token |
Session-based |
{SERVICE}_TOKEN |
| None |
Public APIs |
N/A |
Quick Start
Verify Authentication
from leyline.auth import verify_auth, AuthMethod
# API Key verification
status = verify_auth(
service="gemini",
method=AuthMethod.API_KEY,
env_var="GEMINI_API_KEY"
)
if not status.authenticated:
print(f"Auth failed: {status.message}")
print(f"Action: {status.suggested_action}")
Smoke Test
def verify_with_smoke_test(service: str) -> bool:
"""Verify auth with simple request."""
result = execute_simple_request(service, "ping")
return result.success
Standard Flow
Step 1: Check Environment
def check_credentials(service: str, env_var: str) -> bool:
value = os.getenv(env_var)
if not value:
print(f"Missing {env_var}")
return False
return True
Step 2: Verify with Service
def verify_with_service(service: str) -> AuthStatus:
result = subprocess.run(
[service, "auth", "status"],
capture_output=True
)
return AuthStatus(
authenticated=(result.returncode == 0),
message=result.stdout.decode()
)
Step 3: Handle Failures
def handle_auth_failure(service: str, method: AuthMethod) -> str:
actions = {
AuthMethod.API_KEY: f"Set {service.upper()}_API_KEY environment variable",
AuthMethod.OAUTH: f"Run '{service} auth login' for browser auth",
AuthMethod.TOKEN: f"Refresh token with '{service} token refresh'"
}
return actions[method]
Integration Pattern
# In your skill's frontmatter
dependencies: [leyline:authentication-patterns]
Detailed Resources
- Auth Methods: See
modules/auth-methods.md for method details
- Verification: See
modules/verification-patterns.md for testing patterns
Exit Criteria
- Credentials verified or clear failure message
- Suggested action for auth failures
- Smoke test confirms working auth