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JSON API Auth

Important: use RESTful JSON API for new integrations JSON API Auth is retained for existing sites that still depend on the original JSON API plugin and its cookie-authentication workflow. For a new mobile app, headless site, external service, or AI-assisted integration, install RESTful JSON API inst

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PricingFree downloadThe WordPress.org download is free. Pro versions, add-ons or external services may cost extra.

CompatibilityRequires WordPress 3.0.1 and PHP 7.4.

SourceWordPress plugins · Oct 17, 2026

01 / Source details

About this tool.

Important: use RESTful JSON API for new integrations

JSON API Auth is retained for existing sites that still depend on the original JSON API plugin and its cookie-authentication workflow. For a new mobile app, headless site, external service, or AI-assisted integration, install RESTful JSON API instead.

RESTful JSON API provides plugin-issued JWT bearer authentication, requires HTTPS by default for requests that handle passwords or tokens, and includes a broader set of endpoints organized into Core, Posts, User, Respond, and Widgets controllers. Its User controller includes signup, JWT login, token validation, profiles, avatars, password-reset requests, safe user meta, and authenticated comments, while the other controllers expose content, custom post type, taxonomy, media, menu, search, comment, and widget workflows.

Existing JSON API Auth integrations can continue using this plugin. Because JWT bearer tokens replace the legacy cookie format and endpoint paths differ, test your client migration before deactivating the legacy JSON API stack.

JSON API Auth extends the JSON API Plugin to allow RESTful user authentication.

JSON API Plugin, that is required, was closed on August 7, 2019 from WordPress repository. You can download JSON API Plugin from https://github.com/PI-Media/json-api until it is republished and available on WordPress.

Features include:

Generate Auth Cookie for user authentication
Validate Auth Cookie
Get Current User Info

For documentation: See ‘Other Notes’ tab above for usage examples.

Credits: http://www.parorrey.com/solutions/json-api-auth/

02 / Source details

Getting started.

First you have to install the JSON API for WordPress Plugin (https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/json-api/installation/). or You can download JSON API Plugin from https://github.com/PI-Media/json-api

To install JSON API Auth just follow these steps:

upload the folder “json-api-auth” to your WordPress plugin folder (/wp-content/plugins)
activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress or by using the link provided by the plugin installer
activate the controller through the JSON API menu found in the WordPress admin center (Settings -> JSON API)

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Frequently asked questions.

Thanks to ‘mattberg’ who wrote the auth controller (https://github.com/mattberg/wp-json-api-auth) initially. I have added few methods and authored it as a WordPress plugin so that it could easily be searched and installed vis WordPress.

There are following methods available: validate_auth_cookie, generate_auth_cookie, clear_auth_cookie, get_currentuserinfo
nonce can be created by calling http://localhost/api/get_nonce/?controller=auth&method=generate_auth_cookie
Authentication endpoints accept HTTPS POST requests only. Send credentials and cookies in the form body; URL query credentials are rejected.
Use cookie like this with your other controller calls: http://localhost/api/contoller-name/method-name/?cookie=Catherine|1392018917|3ad7b9f1c5c2cccb569c8a82119ca4fd

For instance, you have a new controller ‘events’ and want to allow users to post new ‘event’ using ‘add_event’ method. This is how you will call the end point with cookie and post the event with user info:

http://localhost/api/events/add_event/?cookie=Catherine|1392018917|3ad7b9f1c5c2cccb569c8a82119ca4fd

If you want sample code how it can be done, check ‘JSON API User’ plugin https://wordpress.org/plugins/json-api-user/. This Auth plugin is part of JSON API User plugin.

Method: validate_auth_cookie

It needs ‘cookie’ var.

curl -X POST https://example.com/api/auth/validate_auth_cookie/ --data-urlencode 'cookie=COOKIE-HERE' Method: generate_auth_cookie

It needs username , password vars. seconds is optional.

Generate a cookie over HTTPS:

curl -X POST https://example.com/api/auth/generate_auth_cookie/ --data-urlencode 'username=john' --data-urlencode 'password=PASSWORD-HERE'

Optional ‘seconds’ var. It provided, generated cookie will be valid for that many seconds, otherwise default is for 14 days.

Generate a cookie for 1 minute:

curl -X POST https://example.com/api/auth/generate_auth_cookie/ --data-urlencode 'username=john' --data-urlencode 'password=PASSWORD-HERE' --data-urlencode 'seconds=60'

60 means 1 minute.

Method: get_currentuserinfo

It needs ‘cookie’ var.

curl -X POST https://example.com/api/auth/get_currentuserinfo/ --data-urlencode 'cookie=COOKIE-HERE'

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JSON API Auth

About this tool.

Important: use RESTful JSON API for new integrations

Getting started.

Your next useful tool is out there.

Frequently asked questions.

About this tool.

Important: use RESTful JSON API for new integrations

Getting started.

Your next useful tool is out there.

Frequently asked questions.

Explore related topics