# Authorization Code Flow Template
Standard OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code flow for web applications with backend servers.
## When to Use
- Web applications with secure backend servers
- Confidential clients that can protect client_secret
- When you need refresh tokens for long-lived access
## Mermaid Template
```mermaid
%%{init: {'theme': 'base', 'themeVariables': {
'actorBkg': '#ddd6fe',
'actorTextColor': '#1f2937',
'actorBorder': '#6d28d9',
'signalColor': '#334155',
'signalTextColor': '#1f2937',
'noteBkgColor': '#f8fafc',
'noteTextColor': '#1f2937',
'noteBorderColor': '#334155'
}}}%%
sequenceDiagram
autonumber
box rgba(165,243,252,0.3) BROWSER/USER
participant U as 👤 User
participant B as 🌐 Browser
end
box rgba(221,214,254,0.3) CLIENT APPLICATION
participant A as 🖥️ App Server
end
box rgba(167,243,208,0.3) SALESFORCE
participant SF as ☁️ Salesforce
Authorization Server
end
Note over U,SF: Authorization Code Flow (RFC 6749)
U->>B: 1. Click "Login with Salesforce"
B->>A: 2. Initiate OAuth Login
A->>A: 3. Generate state parameter (CSRF protection)
A->>B: 4. Redirect to Salesforce /authorize
Note over A,B: response_type=code
client_id=CONSUMER_KEY
redirect_uri=CALLBACK_URL
scope=api refresh_token
state=RANDOM_STATE
B->>SF: 5. GET /services/oauth2/authorize
SF->>B: 6. Display Login Page
U->>SF: 7. Enter Username & Password
SF->>SF: 8. Authenticate User
SF->>B: 9. Display Consent Screen
Note over SF,B: "App requests access to:
• API Access
• Refresh Token"
U->>SF: 10. Grant Consent (Allow)
SF->>SF: 11. Generate Authorization Code
SF->>B: 12. Redirect to callback_uri
Note over SF,B: ?code=AUTH_CODE_123
&state=RANDOM_STATE
B->>A: 13. Deliver Code to App Server
A->>A: 14. Verify state matches
A->>SF: 15. POST /services/oauth2/token
Note over A,SF: grant_type=authorization_code
code=AUTH_CODE_123
client_id=CONSUMER_KEY
client_secret=CONSUMER_SECRET
redirect_uri=CALLBACK_URL
SF->>SF: 16. Validate Code & Client
SF->>A: 17. Return Tokens
Note over SF,A: {
access_token: "...",
refresh_token: "...",
instance_url: "https://...",
token_type: "Bearer",
issued_at: "..."
}
A->>A: 18. Store tokens securely
A->>B: 19. Set user session
B->>U: 20. ✅ Successfully Logged In
```
## ASCII Fallback Template
```
┌──────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ ┌────────────────────┐
│ User/ │ │ Application │ │ Salesforce │
│ Browser │ │ Server │ │ (Auth Server) │
└────┬─────┘ └───────┬───────┘ └─────────┬──────────┘
│ │ │
│ 1. Click Login │ │
│──────────────────>│ │
│ │ │
│ 2. Redirect to │ │
│ /authorize │ │
│<──────────────────│ │
│ │ │
│ 3. GET /authorize (client_id, scope, state) │
│───────────────────────────────────────────────────────>│
│ │ │
│ 4. Login Page │
│<───────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│ │ │
│ 5. Enter Credentials │
│───────────────────────────────────────────────────────>│
│ │ │
│ 6. Consent Screen │
│<───────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│ │ │
│ 7. Grant Consent (Allow) │
│───────────────────────────────────────────────────────>│
│ │ │
│ 8. Redirect with ?code=ABC123&state=xyz │
│<───────────────────────────────────────────────────────│
│ │ │
│ 9. Deliver Code │ │
│──────────────────>│ │
│ │ │
│ │ 10. POST /token │
│ │ (code, secret) │
│ │──────────────────────>│
│ │ │
│ │ 11. Access Token + │
│ │ Refresh Token │
│ │<──────────────────────│
│ │ │
│ 12. Logged In ✅ │ │
│<──────────────────│ │
```
## Key Endpoints
| Endpoint | URL | Purpose |
|----------|-----|---------|
| Authorization | `https://login.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/authorize` | Start OAuth flow |
| Token | `https://login.salesforce.com/services/oauth2/token` | Exchange code for tokens |
## Security Considerations
1. **Always use HTTPS** for redirect_uri in production
2. **Validate state parameter** to prevent CSRF attacks
3. **Store client_secret securely** (never in client-side code)
4. **Use short-lived access tokens** with refresh token rotation
## Customization Points
Replace these placeholders:
- `CONSUMER_KEY` → Your Connected App's Consumer Key
- `CONSUMER_SECRET` → Your Connected App's Consumer Secret
- `CALLBACK_URL` → Your registered callback URL
- `RANDOM_STATE` → Cryptographically random state value