Authentication - CometChat Docs

Before users can make or receive calls, they must be authenticated with the CometChat Calls SDK. This guide covers the login and logout methods.

Sample UsersCometChat provides 5 test users: cometchat-uid-1, cometchat-uid-2, cometchat-uid-3, cometchat-uid-4, and cometchat-uid-5.

Before calling login(), check if a user is already logged in using getLoggedInUser(). The SDK maintains the session internally, so you only need to login once per user session.

const loggedInUser = CometChatCalls.getLoggedInUser();

if (loggedInUser) {
  // User is already logged in
  console.log("User already logged in:", loggedInUser.uid);
} else {
  // No user logged in, proceed with login
}

The getLoggedInUser() method returns a user object if a user is logged in, or null if no session exists. This method is suitable for development and testing. For production apps, use Auth Token login instead.

Security NoticeUsing the API Key directly in client code is not recommended for production. Use Auth Token authentication for enhanced security.

const uid = "cometchat-uid-1"; // Replace with your user's UID
const apiKey = "API_KEY"; // Replace with your API Key

if (!CometChatCalls.getLoggedInUser()) {
  try {
    const user = await CometChatCalls.login(uid, apiKey);
    console.log("Login successful:", user.uid);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Login failed:", error.errorDescription);
  }
} else {
  // User already logged in
}

Parameter	Type	Description
`uid`	String	The unique identifier of the user to login
`apiKey`	String	Your CometChat API Key

This is the recommended authentication method for production applications. The Auth Token is generated server-side, keeping your API Key secure.

Auth Token Flow

User authenticates with your backend
Your backend calls the CometChat Create Auth Token API
Your backend returns the Auth Token to the client
Client uses the Auth Token to login

const authToken = "AUTH_TOKEN"; // Token received from your backend

try {
  const user = await CometChatCalls.loginWithAuthToken(authToken);
  console.log("Login successful:", user.uid);
} catch (error) {
  console.error("Login failed:", error.errorDescription);
}

Parameter	Type	Description
`authToken`	String	Auth Token generated via CometChat API

User Object

On successful login, the method returns a user object containing user information:

Property	Type	Description
`uid`	String	Unique identifier of the user
`name`	String	Display name of the user
`avatar`	String	URL of the user’s avatar image
`status`	String	User’s online status
`authToken`	String	The user’s auth token

You can verify if a user is currently logged in:

const isLoggedIn = CometChatCalls.isUserLoggedIn();

if (isLoggedIn) {
  // User is logged in
} else {
  // User is not logged in
}

Get User Auth Token

Retrieve the auth token of the currently logged-in user:

const authToken = CometChatCalls.getUserAuthToken();

if (authToken) {
  console.log("User auth token:", authToken);
}

Logout

Call logout() when the user signs out of your application. This clears the local session and disconnects from CometChat services.

try {
  const message = await CometChatCalls.logout();
  console.log("Logout successful:", message);
} catch (error) {
  console.error("Logout failed:", error.errorDescription);
}

Error Handling

Common authentication errors:

Error Code	Description
`ERROR_INVALID_UID`	The provided UID is empty or invalid
`ERROR_UID_WITH_SPACE`	The UID contains spaces (not allowed)
`ERROR_API_KEY_NOT_FOUND`	The API Key is missing or invalid
`ERROR_BLANK_AUTHTOKEN`	The Auth Token is empty
`ERROR_AUTHTOKEN_WITH_SPACE`	The Auth Token contains spaces (not allowed)
`ERROR_LOGIN_IN_PROGRESS`	A login operation is already in progress
`ERROR_SDK_NOT_INITIALIZED`	SDK not initialized - call `init()` first
`ERROR_NO_USER_LOGGED_IN`	No user is currently logged in (for logout)

​Check Login Status

​Login with UID and API Key

​Login with Auth Token

​Auth Token Flow

​User Object

​Check User Login Status

​Get User Auth Token

​Logout

​Error Handling

Check Login Status

Login with UID and API Key

Login with Auth Token

Auth Token Flow

User Object

Check User Login Status

Get User Auth Token

Logout

Error Handling