OAuth Application Management
Introduction#
OAuth Applications provide a secure framework for delegating access to your profile without sharing your credentials. When you grant access through an OAuth Application, you maintain control over what actions can be performed and can track who is acting on your behalf.Why Use OAuth Applications?#
Identity and Accountability#
Without OAuth Applications, sharing your authorization token means anyone with that token can act as you with full access to your profile. This creates two critical problems:Lack of attribution: You cannot distinguish which third party performed which actions
Unrestricted access: The token holder has complete access to all your profile capabilities
OAuth Applications solve these issues by creating distinct identities for each third-party integration.Scoped Permissions#
OAuth Applications can be configured with specific scopes that limit what actions the application can perform. This principle of least privilege ensures that third parties only have access to the features they genuinely need, reducing the security risk if a token is compromised.Token Lifecycle Control#
Each OAuth Application maintains its own tokens, separate from your primary profile token. This allows you to:Revoke access to specific applications without affecting others
Monitor token usage per application
Set different expiration policies for different integrations
How OAuth Applications Work#
1.
Register Application: Create an OAuth Application with a name and required scopes
2.
Request Authorization: The application requests an authorization code from your profile
3.
Exchange Code for Token: The authorization code is exchanged for an access token
4.
Use Scoped Token: The application uses the token to perform actions within its defined scope
5.
Refresh Token: When the token expires, refresh it to maintain access without re-authorization
6.
Manage Applications: View all registered applications and revoke access as needed
Key Benefits#
Granular access control through scope-based permissions
Audit trail showing which application performed which actions
Selective revocation without disrupting other integrations
Security isolation between different third-party services
OAuth Application Workflow#
Profile → Register OAuth App → Configure Scopes
↓
Third Party → Request Authorization Code
↓
Exchange Code → Obtain Access Token
↓
Use Token → Perform Scoped Actions
↓
Token Expires → Refresh Token (optional)
Modified at 2025-12-02 17:24:04