# Secure Your APIs: OAuth2 and JWT for Beginners

DevFeed: [Secure Your APIs: OAuth2 and JWT for Beginners](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/secure-your-apis-oauth2-and-jwt-for-beginners-8787.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.jetbrains.com/kotlin/2026/07/secure-your-apis-oauth2-and-jwt-for-beginners/>)

Author: Alina Dolgikh

Published: 2026-07-29T11:28:21Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Kotlin : A concise multiplatform language developed by JetBrains | The JetBrains Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/kotlin-a-concise-multiplatform-language-developed-by-jetbrains-the-jetbrains-blog.md>)

Topics: [API](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/api.md>), [JSON Web Tokens](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/jwt.md>), [OAuth 2.0](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/oauth2.md>), [Authorization](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/authorization.md>), [Authentication](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/authentication.md>), [backend-development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/backend-development.md>), [Security](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/security.md>)

Tags: [apis](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/apis.md>), [architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/architecture.md>), [authentication](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/authentication.md>), [backend](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/backend.md>), [kotlin](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kotlin.md>), [news](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/news.md>), [oauth](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/oauth.md>), [policy](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/policy.md>), [spring](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/spring.md>), [spring-boot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/spring-boot.md>), [tokens](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tokens.md>), [tutorial](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tutorial.md>), [tutorials](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tutorials.md>)

## AI overview

This beginner tutorial explains how OAuth 2.0 and JSON Web Tokens (JWT) work together to secure APIs and Spring Boot backends. It distinguishes authentication from authorization, describes delegated access and token validation, and outlines how a resource server verifies bearer-token signatures, checks expiration, and enforces scopes and roles.

## Source excerpt

This tutorial was written by an external contributor. APIs are frequent targets for bad actors since they expose data and functionality. Securing them while maintaining usability is often one of the most challenging and time-consuming parts of API development. OAuth 2.0 and JSON Web Tokens (JWT) help make these processes more manageable and reliable. They [...]