How React Apps Use Axios Interceptors to Auto-Refresh JWT Tokens Securely
Enterprise React applications rely on a dual-token system — short-lived access tokens and longer-lived refresh tokens — to balance security with a seamless user experience. Access tokens are sent with every API request, while refresh tokens, stored in HttpOnly cookies, are used solely to obtain new access tokens once the current ones expire. Storing refresh tokens in HttpOnly cookies protects them from JavaScript-based XSS attacks, unlike localStorage which remains vulnerable. Axios interceptors centralize token management by automatically attaching access tokens to requests and silently refreshing them on receiving a 401 Unauthorized response, without any intervention from React Query. This architecture keeps authentication logic isolated within the Axios layer, allowing React Query hooks to remain focused purely on data fetching and improving overall code maintainability.
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