Auth0 Management API: Basics, Tutorial, and 5 Best Practices

What is the Auth0 Management API? 

The Auth0 Management API allows developers to automate tasks related to identity management. This API provides endpoints for creating users, configuring connections, and managing applications. It’s a tool to build custom workflows and simplify operations.

Using the API, developers can perform CRUD operations on users and their associated metadata. Auth0 Management API helps in handling user identities, simplifying integration with different services, and improving security protocols.

This is part of a series of articles about Auth0.

In this article:

Tutorial: Working with the Auth0 Management API 

Instructions in this tutorial are based on the Auth0 API documentation.

Creating a user

To create a new user with the Auth0 Management API, you can send a POST request to the /api/v2/users endpoint. You’ll first need to get an access token from the Authentication API. The request should include the user information, such as their email, phone number, password, and the connection they should be created in is required. Here is an example of how to create a user using this API:

POST https://YOUR_DOMAIN/api/v2/users
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

{
  "email": "person@company.com",
  "user_metadata": {
"preferred_language": "en"
},
  "blocked": false,
  "email_verified": false,
  "phone_verified": false,
  "app_metadata": {
"role": "user"
},
  "given_name": "John",
  "family_name": "Doe",
  "name": "John Doe",
  "nickname": "johnny",
  "picture": "https://example.com/profile.png",
  "user_id": "custom-id-123",
  "connection": "Username-Password-Authentication",
  "password": "secretpassword",
  "verify_email": true,
}

Explanation of key fields:

• email: The user’s email address, which must be in a valid email format. It will be used for login and communication.
• user_metadata: Custom data about the user that doesn’t impact the application’s core functionality. For example, preferred_language can be stored here.
• blocked: A boolean value that indicates whether the user is blocked from accessing the system (false means the user is active).
• email_verified: This indicates whether the email has already been verified. If set to false, the user will receive a verification email upon creation.
• phone_verified: Specifies whether the phone number has been verified (false means the number is unverified).
• app_metadata: Data that affects the core application logic, such as user roles. In this example, the role is set to "user".
• given_name, family_name, name: These fields capture the user’s first name, last name, and full name.
• connection: The name of the Auth0 connection where the user will be created. Common values include Username-Password-Authentication for database connections or specific social connections.
• password: The user’s password, required for database connections like Username-Password-Authentication.
• verify_email: When set to true, this sends a verification email to the user to confirm their email address after creation.

By configuring these fields in the request, you can create users tailored to the application’s needs, managing both core and custom data.

Creating a client

To create a new client (application or SSO integration) using the Auth0 Management API, you need to send a POST request to the /api/v2/clients endpoint. This request requires the necessary details such as the client name, description, callback URLs, and additional configurations like single sign-on (SSO) settings. Here is an example of how to create a client:

POST https://YOUR_DOMAIN/api/v2/clients
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

{
  "name": "MyApp",
  "description": "A client for MyApp",
  "logo_uri": "https://example.com/logo.png",
  "callbacks": [
	"https://myapp.com/callback"
],
  "oidc_logout": {
	"backchannel_logout_urls": [  
  "https://myapp.com/logout"  
]
},
  "allowed_origins": [
	"https://myapp.com"
],
  "web_origins": [
	"https://myapp.com"
],
  "grant_types": [
	"authorization_code",  
"implicit"
],
  "token_endpoint_auth_method": "client_secret_post",
  "app_type": "regular_web",
  "sso": true,
  "custom_login_page_on": true,
  "custom_login_page": "<html>Your custom login page here</html>"
}

Explanation of key fields:

• name: The name of the client. This is required and must be at least one character long.
• description: A short description of the client, useful for identifying its purpose. This field has a maximum length of 140 characters.
• logo_uri: URL of the logo for the client, typically displayed during login or consent screens. It should be an absolute URL (e.g., https://example.com/logo.png).
• callbacks: An array of URLs that are whitelisted to receive callbacks after authentication. This is required for OAuth flows such as authorization code or implicit flows.
• oidc_logout: Configuration for OpenID Connect backchannel logout. For example, backchannel_logout_urls specifies URLs for logging out the user on the client side.
• allowed_origins: URLs allowed to make requests to Auth0 via JavaScript (CORS support). Useful for handling requests from different domains.
• web_origins: Similar to allowed_origins, this field lists origins that can perform cross-origin authentication or device flow interactions.
• grant_types: The OAuth 2.0 grant types the client supports. Common values include authorization_code (for regular web apps), implicit (for browser-based apps), and client_credentials.
• token_endpoint_auth_method: The authentication method for the token endpoint. Possible values are client_secret_post (client uses HTTP POST parameters) or client_secret_basic (client uses HTTP Basic authentication).
• app_type: Defines the type of application. Possible values include:
  • native for mobile apps
  • spa for single-page applications
  • regular_web for server-side web applications
  • non_interactive for machine-to-machine clients
• sso: Enables or disables single sign-on for this client. If true, Auth0 will handle SSO across different applications.
• custom_login_page_on: If set to true, this enables a custom login page for the client. The login page content is defined in the custom_login_page field.

Creating a connection

To create a new connection using the Auth0 Management API, you need to send a POST request to the /api/v2/connections endpoint. This allows you to define the identity provider, connection options, and which clients the connection is enabled for. Here is an example of a request to create a connection, along with an explanation of the key fields:

POST https://YOUR_DOMAIN/api/v2/connections
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

-

{
  "name": "ad-connection",
  "display_name": "My Active Directory Connection",
  "strategy": "ad",
  "enabled_clients": [
    "client_1_id",
    "client_2_id"
  ],
  "is_domain_connection": true
}

Explanation of key fields:

• name: The name of the connection. This must be unique and contain only alphanumeric characters or hyphens (-). For example, "MyConnection". It is required.
• display_name: A user-friendly name for the connection, which may appear in the new Universal Login experience.
• strategy: Defines the type of identity provider for the connection. In this case, "ad" refers to Active Directory. Other strategies might include google-oauth2, linkedin, or facebook.
• enabled_clients: Lists the clients (applications) that can use this connection. You must specify client IDs, which are available in the Auth0 tenant.
• is_domain_connection: If set to true, the connection will be associated with specific email domains, making it easier to use across multiple tenants in an enterprise.

Creating a log stream

To create a new log stream using the Auth0 Management API, you need to send a POST request to the /api/v2/log-streams endpoint. This allows you to configure how and where logs should be streamed. You can set up various types of log streams, such as HTTP, AWS EventBridge, Azure Event Grid, and more. Here is an example request:

POST https://YOUR_DOMAIN/api/v2/log-streams
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

{
  "name": "MyLogStream",
  "type": "http",
  "isPriority": true,
  "filters": [
    {
      "type": "category",
      "name": "auth.ancillary.fail"
    }
  ],
  "sink": {
    "httpAuthorization": "Bearer token123",
    "httpContentFormat": "JSONARRAY",
    "httpContentType": "application/json",
    "httpEndpoint": "https://myapi.com/logs",
    "httpCustomHeaders": [
      {
        "header": "x-custom-header",
        "value": "customValue"
      }
    ]
  },
  "startFrom": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
}

Explanation of key fields:

• name: The name of the log stream, which is used to identify it in the Auth0 dashboard. For example, "MyLogStream".
• type: Specifies the type of log stream. Possible values include:
  • "http": Send logs via HTTP requests.
  • "eventbridge": Stream logs to AWS EventBridge.
  • "eventgrid": Stream logs to Azure Event Grid.
  • "datadog", "splunk", "sumo", "segment", "mixpanel": Other third-party log service integrations.
• isPriority: A boolean value (true or false) that indicates if this is a priority log stream. When set to true, logs are delivered to this stream before non-priority streams.
• filters: Specifies which log events should be sent to the stream. In this example, only logs related to authentication failures ("auth.ancillary.fail") will be delivered. If no filters are specified, all log events are streamed.
• sink: This is where the logs will be sent. The structure of the sink object depends on the type of log stream:
  • httpAuthorization: The authorization token or method to authenticate the HTTP requests (for http streams).
  • httpContentFormat: Defines the format of the logs in the request. Options include JSONARRAY, JSONLINES, etc.
  • httpContentType: The MIME type for the content. In this example, it’s application/json.
  • httpEndpoint: The URL where the logs should be sent. For HTTP streams, this would be the endpoint of the logging service.
  • httpCustomHeaders: Optional custom headers that are included in the HTTP request.
• startFrom: An optional ISO 8601 datetime that defines when to start streaming logs from. If omitted, logs start streaming from the current moment.

Limitations of Auth0 

Auth0 offers an identity management platform, but it comes with several limitations that users should be aware of:

1. High pricing for enterprise features: One of the most significant complaints is that Auth0’s pricing structure is not favorable for growing companies. Features like multi-factor authentication (MFA) through SMS or email are locked behind the enterprise tier, which can cost upwards of $35,000 annually. This tiering makes it difficult for smaller businesses to access security features without committing to an expensive plan designed for larger enterprises.
2. Poor customer support: Users frequently report slow and unhelpful customer support, with response times extending over weeks for even critical issues. Several accounts mention being passed between multiple support representatives who ask for the same information repeatedly, further delaying resolution. This lack of responsive support can be especially frustrating when trying to address urgent operational issues or make critical changes, such as updating admin permissions.
3. Limited data accessibility: There are notable limitations around accessing certain user data. For example, specific information about which users are utilizing certain features (like multi-factor authentication) is only available in the user interface and is not exposed in data exports. Users must write custom scripts to scrape this data on a per-user basis, making it difficult to manage large datasets.
4. Buggy and clunky UI: Auth0’s platform has been criticized for having a clunky and non-intuitive user interface, particularly for building customized login screens. Users have reported encountering bugs in the SDKs that impact the user experience, with some issues going unfixed for weeks. This can be problematic for companies trying to deliver a seamless login experience for their users.
5. Lack of transparency: Many users express frustration over the lack of transparency around pricing. Auth0 does not disclose its pricing upfront, which can make the evaluation process difficult for businesses. This has led to feelings of distrust, as pricing details often only emerge during discussions with sales representatives.

Read our guides Frontegg vs Auth0 and Auth0 alternatives. 

Best practices for using Auth0 Management API 

Organizations should consider the following practices when working with the Auth0 Management API.

Use scoped access tokens

When integrating with the Auth0 Management API, request scoped access tokens to restrict permissions to only what your application requires. Scoped access tokens improve security by limiting each token’s capabilities to the specific operations needed, such as create:users, read:users, or update:users. 

For example, if the application only manages user profiles, it should avoid scopes like delete:clients or read:logs which grant unnecessary access. This approach protects sensitive API endpoints, reducing potential damage in case of token misuse or compromise. Scoped access also ensures that team members or services that require limited access do not inadvertently perform unauthorized actions, simplifying compliance with security best practices.

Implement rate limiting logic

The Auth0 Management API enforces rate limits to maintain performance and prevent abuse, so implementing rate-limiting logic in the application is essential. Set up retry mechanisms with exponential backoff to handle 429 Too Many Requests responses. Exponential backoff gradually increases the wait time between retries, preventing a high volume of retry requests that could further strain the API. 

For applications requiring large-scale data processing—like syncing thousands of user profiles—design workflows that throttle requests, processing data in batches to avoid throttling and ensure requests fall within Auth0’s rate limits. Rate-limiting logic keeps the application stable and aligned with Auth0’s policies, helping to avoid service disruptions during high-demand periods.

Use customizable fields for flexibility

Auth0’s user_metadata and app_metadata fields offer flexible options for managing custom data attributes within user profiles. Store non-critical information, like user preferences or application-specific settings, in user_metadata, while using app_metadata for core details tied to application logic, such as user roles or account status. 

This structure keeps the data well-organized and provides a clear separation between non-essential and business-critical information. As user_metadata can be modified by end-users, while app_metadata is typically restricted to administrators, the application can ensure that sensitive data remains protected. Using these fields also avoids the need to expand database schemas and allows for quick adjustments to user profiles.

Monitor API Usage and set up alerts

Actively monitoring API usage is essential to avoid hitting rate limits and to ensure operational health. Use Auth0’s monitoring tools to track metrics like API request volume, error rates, and authorization failures. For added flexibility, integrate with third-party monitoring platforms like Datadog, New Relic, or Splunk. 

Set alerts on these metrics to detect unusual patterns, such as sudden spikes in request volume or frequent 401 Unauthorized errors, which may indicate potential security issues. By responding quickly to anomalies, organizations can maintain application reliability, proactively address potential abuse, and fine-tune API requests to optimize performance. 

Regularly rotate secrets and tokens

To maintain secure access to Auth0 resources, periodically rotate API secrets, client credentials, and access tokens. Long-lived tokens increase the risk of unauthorized access, especially if an old token is leaked or mishandled. Automate the token rotation process using CI/CD pipelines or scheduled tasks that securely store and replace tokens in the environment without manual intervention. 

During rotation, update the application’s configuration with the new credentials to avoid downtime. Auth0 also recommends reviewing and revoking old credentials that are no longer in use to minimize exposure. This regular rotation ensures that sensitive credentials are kept up-to-date, reducing the risk of misuse.

Frontegg: Ultimate Auth0 alternative

Auth0’s Management API gives developers control over identity infrastructure, but that control often comes with a price: More code to maintain, more tickets to resolve, and more time spent on work that doesn’t move the product forward. Frontegg offers a different path. It’s a platform built for shared responsibility, where developers stay focused on what they do best, and non-technical teams gain the ability to manage identity on their own terms.

From authentication and SSO to user provisioning and policy enforcement, Frontegg makes identity simple and scalable. No need for complex custom builds or locked enterprise tiers. If you’re ready to shift identity management away from engineering and into the hands of every team that needs it, Frontegg is your next move.

Try it for free today.