Configure Refresh Token Expiration

Refresh tokens can be a target for abuse if leaked because they can be used to acquire new access tokens. To mitigate this risk, Auth0 recommends using Automatic Reuse Detection and Refresh Token Rotation. Refresh Token Rotation issues a refresh token that expires after a preset lifetime. After expiration, the user gets a new refresh token in the same family, or refresh tokens that share a family ID, or a new access token/refresh token pair. To learn more, read Refresh Token Rotation.

You can enable and configure two refresh token lifetime settings, absolute and inactivity expiration, using either the Auth0 Dashboard or the Auth0 Management API. You can use a combination of absolute and inactivity expiration periods to create a balance between security and user experience that suits your business needs.

• Absolute Lifetime: Set a refresh token or refresh token family lifetime after which the user must re-authenticate before being issued a new access token. If you disable this setting, the absolute lifetime will be indefinite.

• Inactivity Lifetime: Set the inactivity lifetime of issued refresh tokens to expire if the user is not active in your application during a specified period.

1. Go to Dashboard > Applications.

2. Select the application you want to configure.

3. Go to the Settings tab.

4. Under Refresh Token Expiration, enable Absolute Expiration. When enabled, a refresh token will expire based on an absolute lifetime, after which the token can no longer be used. If rotation is enabled, an expiration lifetime must be set.

   The Absolute Expiration of the rotating refresh token is defined on creation and is not changed, even with an exchange.

   

5. Enter Absolute Lifetime in seconds. The refresh token expires after the specified interval and can no longer be used to get a new access token. When rotation is enabled, the absolute expiration also applies to the ability to get new tokens.

   	Value
   Default	2,592,000 seconds (30 days)
   Minimum	1 second
   Maximum	31,557,600 seconds (1 year)

   The calculation for 1 year is equivalent to 365.25 days to account for leap years.

6. Enable Inactivity Expiration. When enabled, a refresh token will expire based on a specified inactivity lifetime, after which the token can no longer be used.

7. Enter Inactivity Lifetime in seconds. If the refresh token is not exchanged within the specified interval, the refresh token expires and can no longer be used to get a new access token. The expiration period is renewed each time the refresh token is exchanged for a new access token within the interval.

   	Value
   Minimum	1 second
   Maximum	31,557,600 seconds (1 year)

8. Click Save Changes.

You can configure the absolute and inactivity lifetime settings in the payload for the Management API /api/v2/clients/{id} endpoint. Here is an example that sets expiration lifetime for a non-rotating refresh token:

PATCH /api/v2/clients/{id}
{
  "refresh_token": {
      "rotation_type": "non-rotating",
      "expiration_type": "expiring",
      "token_lifetime": 2592000,
      "infinite_token_lifetime": false,
      "idle_token_lifetime": 604800,
      "infinite_idle_token_lifetime": false
  }
}

• You can opt-in to use refresh token expiration capabilities; no action is required by you. Existing refresh tokens are not affected.

• If need to go above the 1 year limitation (up to 5 years), Auth0 can increase the limit for you. Contact your Auth0 Technical Account Manager for details.

• Refresh token expiration works with the following flows:

  • Authorization Code Flow

  • Authorization Code Flow with Proof Key for Code Exchange

  • Device Authorization Flow

  • Resource Owner Password Flow

• All Auth0 SDKs support refresh token expiration.

• The refresh token expiration feature complies with the OAuth 2.0 Security BCP recommendations.

• Get Refresh Tokens
• Refresh Token Rotation
• Configure Refresh Token Rotation
• Revoke Refresh Tokens