Authentication in Custom Connectors

This guide covers authentication implementation for custom connectors. For general authentication concepts, see Authentication.

Declaring Authentication in Schema

Declare what authentication your connector supports in the schema:

Simple API Key

new ChannelSchemaBuilder("MyProvider", "REST", "1.0.0")
    .AddAuthenticationScheme(AuthenticationScheme.ApiKey)

This automatically accepts parameters like ApiKey, Key, or AccessKey.

Explicit Configuration

For precise control over field names:

new ChannelSchemaBuilder("MyProvider", "REST", "1.0.0")
    .AddAuthenticationConfiguration(
        new AuthenticationConfiguration(AuthenticationScheme.ApiKey, "API Key")
            .WithField("ApiKey", DataType.String, f =>
            {
                f.AuthenticationRole = "principal";
                f.IsSensitive = true;
                f.Description = "API key for authentication";
            }))

Multiple Authentication Options

Support multiple auth methods:

new ChannelSchemaBuilder("MyProvider", "REST", "1.0.0")
    .AddAuthenticationConfiguration(
        new AuthenticationConfiguration(AuthenticationScheme.ApiKey, "API Key")
            .WithField("ApiKey", DataType.String, f =>
            {
                f.AuthenticationRole = "principal";
                f.IsSensitive = true;
            }))
    .AddAuthenticationConfiguration(
        new AuthenticationConfiguration(AuthenticationScheme.Basic, "Basic Auth")
            .WithField("Username", DataType.String, f => f.AuthenticationRole = "principal")
            .WithField("Password", DataType.String, f =>
            {
                f.AuthenticationRole = "credential";
                f.IsSensitive = true;
            }))

The framework selects the first configuration that matches the provided connection settings.

Using Authentication in Your Connector

Authentication happens automatically during InitializeAsync(). Access credentials via the base class:

Access Credential Value

protected override ValueTask InitializeConnectorAsync(CancellationToken ct)
{
    // AuthenticationCredential is populated by base class
    var token = AuthenticationCredential?.Value;
    var scheme = AuthenticationCredential?.Scheme;
    
    if (token != null)
    {
        _httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Authorization", $"Bearer {token}");
    }
    
    SetState(ConnectorState.Ready);
    return ValueTask.CompletedTask;
}

Use Helper Methods

Base class provides helpers for common auth patterns:

protected override ValueTask InitializeConnectorAsync(CancellationToken ct)
{
    // Get Authorization header value
    var authHeader = GetAuthenticationHeader();
    // Returns: "Bearer token" | "Basic base64" | null
    
    // Get raw API key
    var apiKey = GetApiKey();
    // Returns: raw API key value | null
    
    if (authHeader != null)
    {
        _httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Authorization", authHeader);
    }
    else if (apiKey != null)
    {
        _httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("X-API-Key", apiKey);
    }
    
    SetState(ConnectorState.Ready);
    return ValueTask.CompletedTask;
}

Manual Authentication

If auto-authentication fails or you need manual control:

protected override async ValueTask InitializeConnectorAsync(CancellationToken ct)
{
    try
    {
        // Attempt manual authentication
        var result = await AuthenticateAsync(ct);
        
        if (!result.IsSuccess())
        {
            throw new ConnectorException(
                "AUTH_FAILED",
                "Unable to authenticate: " + result.Error?.Message);
        }
        
        // Credential is now available
        var credential = AuthenticationCredential;
        
        SetState(ConnectorState.Ready);
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        SetState(ConnectorState.Error);
        throw;
    }
}

Refresh Credentials

Refresh expired credentials:

public async Task EnsureValidCredentialsAsync(CancellationToken ct)
{
    if (AuthenticationCredential?.IsExpired == true)
    {
        var refreshResult = await RefreshAuthenticationAsync(ct);
        
        if (!refreshResult.IsSuccess())
        {
            throw new ConnectorException(
                "REFRESH_FAILED",
                "Failed to refresh credentials");
        }
    }
}

Custom Authentication Providers

For non-standard authentication, implement IAuthenticationProvider:

Create Custom Provider

public class HmacSignatureProvider : AuthenticationProviderBase
{
    public HmacSignatureProvider()
        : base(AuthenticationScheme.Of("hmac-sha256"), "HMAC-SHA256 Signature")
    {
    }

    public override Task<AuthenticationResult> ObtainCredentialAsync(
        ConnectionSettings settings,
        AuthenticationConfiguration configuration,
        CancellationToken ct)
    {
        var apiKey = GetStringParameter(settings, "ApiKey");
        var secretKey = GetStringParameter(settings, "SecretKey");

        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(apiKey) || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(secretKey))
            return Task.FromResult(
                AuthenticationResult.Failure("ApiKey and SecretKey required", "MISSING_CREDENTIALS"));

        // Create credential with both values
        var credential = new AuthenticationCredential(
            AuthenticationScheme.Of("hmac-sha256"),
            $"{apiKey}:{secretKey}");

        credential.Properties["ApiKey"] = apiKey;
        credential.Properties["SecretKey"] = secretKey;

        return Task.FromResult(AuthenticationResult.Success(credential));
    }
}

Register Provider

var authManager = serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<IAuthenticationManager>();
authManager.RegisterProvider(new HmacSignatureProvider());

Declare in Schema

new ChannelSchemaBuilder("MyProvider", "REST", "1.0.0")
    .AddAuthenticationConfiguration(
        new AuthenticationConfiguration(
            AuthenticationScheme.Of("hmac-sha256"), "HMAC Signature")
            .WithField("ApiKey", DataType.String, f =>
            {
                f.AuthenticationRole = "principal";
                f.IsSensitive = true;
            })
            .WithField("SecretKey", DataType.String, f =>
            {
                f.AuthenticationRole = "credential";
                f.IsSensitive = true;
            }))

OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials

For OAuth 2.0 flows, use the built-in provider:

Schema Configuration

new ChannelSchemaBuilder("MyProvider", "REST", "1.0.0")
    .AddAuthenticationConfiguration(
        new AuthenticationConfiguration(
            AuthenticationScheme.OAuthClientCredentials, "OAuth 2.0")
            .WithField("ClientId", DataType.String, f => f.AuthenticationRole = "principal")
            .WithField("ClientSecret", DataType.String, f =>
            {
                f.AuthenticationRole = "credential";
                f.IsSensitive = true;
            })
            .WithField("TokenEndpoint", DataType.String, _ => { })
            .WithField("Scope", DataType.String, _ => { }))

Connection Settings

{
  "MyProvider": {
    "ClientId": "client-123",
    "ClientSecret": "secret-456",
    "TokenEndpoint": "https://provider.com/oauth/token",
    "Scope": "read write"
  }
}

The framework automatically:

• Requests access tokens
• Caches credentials
• Refreshes before expiration

Authentication Field Roles

Use roles to clarify field purposes:

Role	Meaning	Example Fields
"principal"	Primary identifier	ApiKey, Token, Username, AccountSid
"credential"	Corresponding secret	Password, AuthToken, ClientSecret
(other)	Auxiliary	ProjectId, CertificatePassword

Example with Roles

new AuthenticationConfiguration(AuthenticationScheme.Basic, "Basic Auth")
    .WithField("AccountSid", DataType.String, f => 
    {
        f.AuthenticationRole = "principal";
        f.Description = "Account SID";
    })
    .WithField("AuthToken", DataType.String, f =>
    {
        f.AuthenticationRole = "credential";
        f.IsSensitive = true;
        f.Description = "Authentication token";
    })

Best Practices

✅ DO: Mark Sensitive Fields

.WithField("ApiKey", DataType.String, f =>
{
    f.IsSensitive = true;  // Value redacted in logs
})

✅ DO: Provide Clear Descriptions

.WithField("TokenEndpoint", DataType.String, f =>
{
    f.Description = "OAuth 2.0 token endpoint URL";
})

✅ DO: Use Standard Field Names

Use common names for automatic matching:

• ApiKey, Key, AccessKey for API key auth
• Token, AccessToken, BearerToken for bearer auth
• Username/Password or AccountSid/AuthToken for basic auth

❌ DON'T: Hardcode Credentials

// ❌ Bad - hardcoded secret
.WithField("ApiKey", DataType.String)
    .DefaultValue = "hardcoded-secret";

// ✅ Good - require configuration
.WithField("ApiKey", DataType.String, f =>
{
    f.IsRequired = true;
})

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failed

Error: AUTHENTICATION_FAILED

Causes:

• Missing required credentials
• Invalid credentials
• Expired credentials

Solution:

1. Verify credentials in connection settings
2. Check credential validity in provider console
3. Enable credential refresh if applicable

No Authentication Configuration Found

Error: No suitable authentication configuration found

Cause: Connection settings don't match any auth configuration

Solution:

• Verify parameter names match schema field names
• Ensure all required fields are provided
• Check for typos in configuration

See Also

• Authentication Overview - General authentication concepts
• Minimum Implementation - Basic connector setup
• Connection Settings - Configuring credentials