Building a REST API with Laravel and JWT Authentication

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have PHP 8.2+, Composer, and a fresh Laravel installation ready.

Installing JWT Auth

Run composer require tymon/jwt-auth and publish the configuration with php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Tymon\JWTAuth\Providers\LaravelServiceProvider".

Setting Up the Auth Controller

Create your auth controller with login, register, refresh, and me endpoints. Each endpoint should return a structured JSON response with the token.

Testing the API

Use Postman or any HTTP client to test your endpoints. Make sure to include the Authorization header with the Bearer token for protected routes.