Decision NoteResearchedMid-level
Server sessions or JWTs?
Token format is less important than lifecycle, trust boundaries, and revocation requirements.
Last reviewed July 2026
Server sessions
A secure opaque cookie and server-side session store provide straightforward revocation and are often the simpler choice for first-party web applications.
JWT access tokens
Signed tokens can help independently operated services validate short-lived claims, but require strict issuer, audience, algorithm, expiry, rotation, and revocation design.
My decision rule
I do not choose JWTs merely because they are stateless. I start with the trust boundaries, clients, revocation needs, and operational model.
#authentication#security