> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.thndr.io/integration/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.thndr.io/integration/launch-game/custom/authenticate-users.md).

# Authenticate Users

Creating an authentication token for your user

## Generating an Authentication Token

To allow your users to authenticate with our web app through the THNDR SDK, you need to generate an **authentication token**. This token should be created when the user initiates an action to open the THNDR game (e.g., a button click).

<figure><img src="https://1033025028-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F7nAHFmTck8SrFC7oayPr%2Fuploads%2Fi1JMVk29AjbADmqlaHsA%2FLogin%20(7).png?alt=media&amp;token=4fdda4c4-dccd-42cd-9ef9-830e1288b473" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## **Steps to Generate the Authentication Token:**

1. **Server-Side Service**: The authentication token must be generated server-side to securely handle the **API key** that we provide. **Do not expose the API key** on the client-side to avoid security risks.
2. **Calling the Authentication Endpoint**: Your server should make a `POST` request to the following endpoint, including the user's metadata:

   ```url
   POST https://api-sandbox.clinch.gg/v0/wager/operator/create-token
   ```

   **Request Body**:

   ```json
   {
     "userId": "{USER_ID}",
     "displayName": "{DISPLAY_NAME}",
     "gameId": "{GAME_ID}",
     "currency": "{OPTIONAL_USER_CURRENCY}",
     "subOperatorId": "{OPTIONAL_SUB_OPERATOR_ID}",
     "brandId": "{OPTIONAL_BRAND_ID}",
     "isTest": false
   }
   ```

   * `userId`: The unique ID of your user.
   * `displayName`: The display name of the user.
   * `gameId` - The game to launch.
   * `currency` - Player's wallet currency (read more in [Currencies](/integration/server-webhooks/currencies.md)).
   * `subOperatorId` - Optional, 1–50 characters. For aggregators: identifies the operator you're integrating on behalf of. It is fixed to the player when the account is first created. For brands under a single operator, use `brandId` instead.
   * `brandId` - Optional. Identifies the brand the player is playing under, for operators that run several brands. If sent, it must be a string of 1–50 characters. We record it on the player's session and on every round they play, for reporting by brand. Leave it out or send null if you don't use brands.
   * `isTest` - Optional boolean. Marks the player as a test account. It is set the first time we see the player and can't be changed later. Leave it out (or send null) to keep the stored value.

   **Request Header:**

   ```
   x-operator-id: your_operator_id
   x-api-key: your_api_key
   ```
3. **Response**: Upon successful authentication, the endpoint will return a token in the response:

   **Response Example**:

   ```json
   {
     "status": 200,
     "data": {
       "token": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cC..."
     }
   }
   ```
4. **Using the Token in the `getToken` Callback**: Once you receive the token in the server response, return this token in the `getToken` callback of the THNDR SDK. Here's an example:

   ```javascript
   async function getToken() {
     const response = await post('https://your-server.com/thndr/login');
     const data = await response.json();
     return data.token;
   }
   ```

## Token Expiry

Authentication tokens used during SDK initialization are JWTs that expire after 1 hour. If an expired token is passed when opening the game, it will fail to load. To prevent this, it's recommend to generate a fresh token each time the game initializes.&#x20;

Alternatively, you can decode the token (e.g., using [jwt.io](http://jwt.io/)) to inspect the `exp` field and only regenerate when it's close to expiration. However, generating a new token on each game load is the simpler and more robust approach.