Access token
A short-lived credential issued after OAuth authentication that grants access to a specific scope of data for a limited time. Access tokens typically expire in 1–24 hours and must be refreshed using a refresh token.
Expert insight
Storing access tokens in environment variables and implementing auto-refresh logic prevents silent authentication failures.
In a real workflow
A workflow exchanges a refresh token for a one-hour access token, then uses it to call the Google Calendar API.
Common mistakes
- Caching access tokens beyond their expiry and getting 401 errors.
- Logging tokens in execution data that others can read.
Complexity level
Requires some familiarity with automation concepts.
Related terms
OAuth (Open Authorisation)
An authentication standard that lets users grant third-party apps access to thei…
JWT (JSON Web Token)
A compact, self-contained authentication token used by many APIs. JWTs expire an…
Refresh token
A long-lived credential used to obtain new access tokens when they expire. Unlik…
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