What is OAuth?
OAuth (Open Authorization) is an industry-standard protocol that enables secure, delegated access to user resources. Instead of handing your username and password to a third-party application, OAuth lets you grant that application a scoped, revocable access token — giving it permission to perform specific actions on your behalf without ever seeing your credentials.
The current version, OAuth 2.0, is used by virtually every major platform including Google, Microsoft, GitHub, Slack, Salesforce, and thousands more.
How OAuth 2.0 Works
The most common OAuth flow (Authorization Code Grant) involves four parties:
The flow proceeds as follows:
OAuth Grant Types
Scopes and Permissions
OAuth scopes define exactly what a token can do. A token with the scope read:email can read the user's email but cannot send messages or access contacts. This principle of least privilege is a core security feature — users and administrators can see exactly what they are granting, and applications only get the access they need.
Common Pitfalls
なぜ重要か
OAuth is the security backbone of modern integrations. Without it, connecting third-party services would require sharing raw credentials — a massive security risk. OAuth gives users control over what data they share, lets them revoke access at any time, and enables automation platforms to connect to hundreds of services securely.
Autonolyのソリューション
Autonoly handles the full OAuth 2.0 flow for you. Connect your Google, Slack, Microsoft, or other accounts with a single click — Autonoly manages token exchange, secure storage, automatic refresh, and scope management behind the scenes. Your credentials are never exposed to workflow logic.
詳しく見る例
Connecting your Google Sheets account to an Autonoly workflow so it can read and write spreadsheet data on your behalf
Authorizing a Slack integration so your automation can post messages to specific channels
Granting an analytics dashboard read-only access to your CRM data without sharing your login
よくある質問
What is the difference between OAuth and API keys?
API keys are simple static credentials that identify the calling application but do not represent a specific user or have scoped permissions. OAuth tokens represent a specific user's delegated authorization with defined scopes and expiration. OAuth is more secure for user-facing integrations; API keys are simpler for server-to-server access.
Is OAuth 2.0 the same as OpenID Connect (OIDC)?
No. OAuth 2.0 is an authorization protocol (granting access to resources). OpenID Connect is an authentication layer built on top of OAuth 2.0 (verifying identity). When you see 'Sign in with Google,' that is OIDC using OAuth under the hood.
What happens when an OAuth access token expires?
The client uses the refresh token to request a new access token from the authorization server without requiring the user to log in again. If the refresh token is also expired or revoked, the user must re-authorize the application.