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Use external OAuth providers

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Note

This topic reflects version 2.0.x of the Microsoft Teams JavaScript client library (TeamsJS). If you are using an earlier version, refer to the TeamsJS library overview for guidance on the differences between the latest TeamsJS and earlier versions.

You can support external or third-party OAuth providers, such as Google, GitHub, LinkedIn, and Facebook using the updated authenticate() API:

function authenticate(authenticateParameters: AuthenticatePopUpParameters): Promise<string>

Add the following values to the authenticate() API to support external OAuth providers:

  • isExternal parameter
  • Three placeholder values in the existing url parameter

The following table provides the list of authenticate() API parameters (AuthenticatePopUpParameters) and functions along with their descriptions:

Parameter Description
isExternal The type of parameter is Boolean, which indicates that the auth window opens in an external browser.
height The preferred height for the pop-up. The value can be ignored if outside the acceptable bounds.
url
The URL of third-party app server for the authentication pop-up, with the following three parameter placeholders:

- oauthRedirectMethod: Pass placeholder in {}. The Teams platform replaces this placeholder with a deep link or webpage, which updates the app server if the call comes from a mobile platform.

- authId: UUID (Universal unique identifer) replaces this placeholder. The app server uses it to maintain the session.

- hostRedirectUrl: pass placeholder in {}. The current platform and client replace this placeholder with a redirect URL, which redirects the user to the correct client after completing authentication.
width The preferred width for the pop-up. The value can be ignored if outside the acceptable bounds.

Note

The authID parameter is valid for the duration of the auth session, which has a default timeout of 120 seconds.

For more information on parameters, see authenticate (AuthenticatePopUpParameters) function.

Add authentication to external browsers

The following image provides the flow to add authentication to external browsers:

authenticate-OAuth

To add authentication to external browsers

  1. Initiate the external auth-login process. The third-party app calls the TeamsJS function authentication.authenticate with isExternal set as true to initiate the external auth-login process.

    The passed url contains placeholders for {authId}, {oauthRedirectMethod}, and {hostRedirectUrl}.

       authentication.authenticate({
      url: `${window.location.origin}/auth-start?oauthRedirectMethod={oauthRedirectMethod}&authId={authId}&hostRedirectUrl={hostRedirectUrl}&googleId=${googleId}`,
      isExternal: true
    }).then((result) => {
      this.getGoogleServerSideToken(result);
    }).catch((reason) => {
      console.log("failed" + reason);
      reject(reason);
    })

  2. The Teams clients open the URL in an external browser after automatically replacing the placeholders for oauthRedirectMethod, authId, and hostRedirectUrl with suitable values.

    Example

     https://3p.app.server/auth?oauthRedirectMethod=deeplink&authId=1234567890&hostRedirectUrl=msteams://teams.microsoft.com/l/auth-callback?authId=1234567890&result={result}

  3. The third-party app server responds. The third-party app server receives and saves the url with the following three query parameters:

    Parameter Description
    oauthRedirectMethod Indicates how the third-party app must send the response of authentication request back to the client, with one of the two values: deep link or page.
    authId The request-id Teams creates for this specific authentication request that needs to be sent back to the client through a deep link.
    hostRedirectUrl The deep link includes the URL schema of the initiating client to redirect after the authentication.

    Tip

    The app can marshal authId, oauthRedirectMethod, and hostRedirectUrl in the OAuth state query parameter while generating the login URL for the OAuthProvider. The state contains the passed authId, oauthRedirectMethod, and hostRedirectUrl, when OAuthProvider redirects to the server and the app uses the values for sending authentication response back to the initiating client as described in step 6.

  4. The third-party app server redirects to specified url. The third-party app server redirects to OAuth providers auth page in the external browser. The redirect_uri is a dedicated route on the app server. You can register redirect_uri in the OAuth provider’s dev console as static, the parameters need to be sent through the state object.

    Example

    https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/v2/auth?redirect_uri=https://3p.app.server/authredirect&state={"authId":"…","oauthRedirectMethod":"…","hostRedirectUrl":"_"}&client_id=…    &response_type=code&access_type=offline&scope= …

  5. Sign in to external browser. The OAuth providers redirect back to the redirect_uri with the auth code and the state object.

  6. The third-party app server handles the response and checks oauthRedirectMethod, which is returned from external OAuth provider in the state object to determine whether the response needs to be returned through the auth-callback deep link or through web page that calls notifySuccess().

    if (state.oauthRedirectMethod === 'deeplink') {
   const clientRedirectUrl: string = state.hostRedirectUrl.replace('{result}', req.query.code)
   return res.redirect(clientRedirectUrl)
}
else {
// continue redirecting to a web-page that will call notifySuccess() – usually this method is used in Teams-Web
…

    For example, in Teams mobile client, the modified hostRedirectUrl results the following:

    return res.redirect(`msteams://teams.microsoft.com/l/auth-callback?authId=${state.authId}&result=${req.query.code}`)

    The provided value of hostRedirectUrl depends on the client that initiates the external authentication flow.

  7. Teams calls the success callback and sends the result (auth code) to the third-party app. The app receives the code in the success callback and uses the code to retrieve the token, then the user information and update the user interface.

    successCallback: function (result) { 
… 
}

See also