How Do You Log Someone Out of a Stateless System? JWT Invalidation on Logout

Short summary

JWTs enable stateless authentication but complicate logout: an access token remains valid until expiration even after refresh tokens are revoked server-side. This article compares four revocation strategies—accepting brief post-logout access, blocklisting token IDs in Redis, versioning tokens, or per-device tracking—analyzing infrastructure tradeoffs. Most production systems combine short token lifespans with optional blocklisting to balance revocation immediacy and cost.

• •JWTs are stateless but make revocation difficult since access tokens remain valid until expiration
• •Four strategies exist: short expiry, Redis blocklisting, token versioning, or per-device tracking
• •Best practice: combine short lifespans with blocklisting and server-side refresh token revocation

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