---
headline: JWT Authentication | Opik Documentation
og:description: Learn how to configure JWT-based authentication for programmatic access to your Opik organization.
og:site_name: Opik Documentation
og:title: 'Configure JWT Authentication in Opik: API Access Guide'
subtitle: Setting up JWT token authentication for programmatic and service access
title: JWT Authentication
canonical-url: https://www.comet.com/docs/opik/administration/authentication/jwt
---

JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication enables programmatic access to Opik using externally issued tokens. This is ideal for service-to-service authentication, custom auth flows, and integration with existing JWT-based systems.

<Note>
JWT authentication is available on Enterprise plans. This feature is not available in open-source deployments. [Reach out](https://www.comet.com/site/about-us/contact-us/) if you want to enable this feature for your Opik deployment.
</Note>

## When to use JWT authentication

JWT authentication is best suited for:

- **Backend services** that need to access Opik's API
- **CI/CD pipelines** running automated experiments
- **Custom applications** with existing JWT infrastructure
- **Service-to-service** communication without user interaction

For human users logging in interactively, consider [SAML](/v1/administration/authentication/saml) or [OIDC](/v1/administration/authentication/oidc) SSO instead.

## Prerequisites

Before configuring JWT authentication, you need:

- **Organization admin access** to Opik
- **Enterprise plan** enabled for your organization
- **JWT infrastructure** capable of issuing signed tokens
- **JWKS endpoint** (recommended) or public key for token verification

## How JWT authentication works

```
┌──────────────┐      ┌──────────────┐      ┌──────────────┐
│   Service/   │      │    Opik      │      │    JWKS      │
│   Client     │      │    API       │      │   Endpoint   │
└──────┬───────┘      └──────┬───────┘      └──────┬───────┘
       │                     │                     │
       │  1. Request with    │                     │
       │     JWT in header   │                     │
       │────────────────────>│                     │
       │                     │  2. Fetch keys      │
       │                     │     (cached)        │
       │                     │────────────────────>│
       │                     │<────────────────────│
       │                     │                     │
       │                     │  3. Verify JWT      │
       │                     │     signature       │
       │                     │                     │
       │                     │  4. Validate claims │
       │                     │     (iss, aud, sub) │
       │                     │                     │
       │  5. API response    │                     │
       │<────────────────────│                     │
```

1. Client sends an API request with a JWT in the `Authorization` header.
2. Opik fetches public keys from your JWKS endpoint (cached for performance).
3. Opik verifies the JWT signature using the appropriate key.
4. Opik validates claims (issuer, audience, subject).
5. If valid, the request is processed as the mapped user.

## Configuration options

JWT authentication can be configured with either:

| Option | Description | Use case |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **JWKS URI** | URL to fetch public keys dynamically | Recommended for most deployments |
| **Static Public Key** | Fixed public key for verification | On-premises deployments only |

<Note>
You must configure **either** a JWKS URI **or** a static public key, but not both.
</Note>

## Configuring JWT authentication

### Step 1: Navigate to SSO settings

1. Go to **Admin Dashboard** > **SSO Configuration**.
2. Select **JWT Authentication** (may be under advanced options).

### Step 2: Choose key verification method

<Tabs>
<Tab value="jwks" title="JWKS URI (Recommended)">

### Using JWKS URI

JWKS (JSON Web Key Set) is the recommended approach as it:

- Supports automatic key rotation
- Allows multiple keys for seamless rotation
- Follows industry best practices

**Configuration:**

| Field | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **JWKS URI** | URL of your JWKS endpoint | `https://auth.company.com/.well-known/jwks.json` |

**Requirements:**

- The endpoint must be publicly accessible (or accessible from Opik's servers).
- Must return valid JWKS JSON format.
- Must be unique across organizations (no two orgs can share a JWKS URI).
- Should support HTTPS.

**Example JWKS response:**

```json
{
  "keys": [
    {
      "kty": "RSA",
      "kid": "key-1",
      "use": "sig",
      "n": "0vx7agoebGcQ...",
      "e": "AQAB"
    }
  ]
}
```

</Tab>
<Tab value="static" title="Static Public Key (On-Prem Only)">

### Using static public key

<Note>
**On-premises only**: Static public key configuration is only available for on-premises deployments. Cloud deployments must use JWKS URI.
</Note>

Static public key configuration is simpler but requires manual key rotation:

| Field | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Static Public Key** | PEM-encoded public key | `-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----...` |

**Format:**

The public key must be in PEM format:

```
-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----
MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEA...
-----END PUBLIC KEY-----
```

<Warning>
**Key rotation**: When using static keys, you must manually update the configuration when rotating keys. Plan for rotation procedures to avoid service disruptions.
</Warning>

</Tab>
</Tabs>

### Step 3: Configure subject mapping

Subject mapping determines how Opik identifies users from JWT claims:

| Field | Description | Options |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Subject Mapping Type** | How to interpret the subject claim | `EMAIL` or `USER_NAME` |
| **Subject Claim Name** | Which claim contains the subject | Default: `sub` |

**Subject mapping types:**

| Type | Description | Example claim value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `EMAIL` | Subject is an email address | `user@company.com` |
| `USER_NAME` | Subject is a username | `jsmith` |

<Tip>
Use `EMAIL` mapping when your JWT tokens contain email addresses in the subject claim. This is the most common configuration.
</Tip>

**Custom claim name:**

By default, Opik reads the `sub` (subject) claim. If your tokens use a different claim:

```json
{
  "sub": "12345",
  "email": "user@company.com",
  "preferred_username": "jsmith"
}
```

Set **Subject Claim Name** to `email` or `preferred_username` to use those claims instead.

### Step 4: Configure optional restrictions

#### Allowed issuers

Restrict which token issuers are accepted:

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Allowed Issuers** | List of accepted `iss` claim values |

**Example:**

```
https://auth.company.com
https://auth.partner.com
```

If configured, tokens with issuers not in this list will be rejected.

#### Allowed audiences

Restrict which audiences are accepted:

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Allowed Audiences** | List of accepted `aud` claim values |

**Example:**

```
opik-api
https://api.opik.com
```

If configured, tokens without a matching audience claim will be rejected.

<Tip>
**Security best practice**: Configure both allowed issuers and audiences to ensure only specifically intended tokens can access your organization.
</Tip>

## JWT token requirements

### Required claims

Your JWT tokens must include:

| Claim | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `sub` (or custom) | Subject identifying the user | `user@company.com` |
| `iat` | Issued at timestamp | `1704067200` |
| `exp` | Expiration timestamp | `1704070800` |

### Recommended claims

| Claim | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `iss` | Token issuer | `https://auth.company.com` |
| `aud` | Intended audience | `opik-api` |

### Required header

When using JWKS with multiple keys:

| Header | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `kid` | Key ID matching JWKS key | `key-1` |
| `alg` | Algorithm (must match key) | `RS256` |

<Warning>
**Multi-tenant requirement**: If your JWKS endpoint contains multiple keys, the JWT **must include a `kid` (Key ID)** header to identify which key to use for verification. Missing `kid` headers can cause authentication failures.
</Warning>

## Using JWT authentication

### API requests

Include the JWT in the `Authorization` header:

```bash
curl -X GET "https://api.opik.com/v1/projects" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-jwt-token>"
```

### SDK configuration

Configure the Opik SDK to use JWT authentication:

<Tabs>
<Tab value="python" title="Python">

```python
import opik

# Configure with JWT token
client = opik.Opik(
    api_key="<your-jwt-token>",
    workspace="your-workspace"
)
```

</Tab>
<Tab value="typescript" title="TypeScript">

```typescript
import { Opik } from 'opik';

const client = new Opik({
  apiKey: '<your-jwt-token>',
  workspace: 'your-workspace'
});
```

</Tab>
</Tabs>

## Key caching and performance

### JWKS caching

Opik caches JWKS responses to improve performance:

- **Cache duration**: Keys are cached and periodically refreshed.
- **Automatic refresh**: Keys are fetched on cache expiry or when a new `kid` is encountered.
- **Fallback**: If JWKS endpoint is temporarily unavailable, cached keys are used.

### Configuration options (on-premises)

On-premises deployments can configure caching behavior:

| Environment variable | Description | Default |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `JWKS_CACHE_UPDATE_SECONDS` | How often to refresh the cache | 300 (5 minutes) |
| `JWKS_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS` | Timeout for JWKS fetch requests | 5000 (5 seconds) |

## Troubleshooting

### Common issues

| Issue | Possible cause | Solution |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "Invalid token signature" | Key mismatch | Verify JWKS endpoint returns correct keys |
| "Token expired" | `exp` claim in the past | Issue tokens with appropriate expiration |
| "Unknown key ID" | `kid` not in JWKS | Ensure token `kid` matches a key in JWKS |
| "Invalid issuer" | `iss` not in allowed list | Add issuer to allowed issuers or remove restriction |
| "Invalid audience" | `aud` not in allowed list | Add audience to allowed audiences or remove restriction |
| "User not found" | Subject doesn't map to user | Verify subject claim contains valid email/username |

### Debugging JWT tokens

Decode and inspect your JWT token (do not use for production tokens containing secrets):

```bash
# Decode JWT header and payload (without verification)
echo "<your-jwt>" | cut -d'.' -f1 | base64 -d 2>/dev/null | jq .
echo "<your-jwt>" | cut -d'.' -f2 | base64 -d 2>/dev/null | jq .
```

Or use [jwt.io](https://jwt.io) to inspect token contents.

### Verifying JWKS endpoint

Test that your JWKS endpoint is accessible and returns valid JSON:

```bash
curl -s "https://auth.company.com/.well-known/jwks.json" | jq .
```

Verify that:

- The endpoint returns HTTP 200.
- Response is valid JSON with a `keys` array.
- Keys include `kid`, `kty`, and algorithm-specific fields.

### Token generation checklist

Before integrating, verify your tokens:

1. **Signature**: Token is signed with a key in your JWKS.
2. **Header**: Includes `kid` matching a key in JWKS (if multiple keys).
3. **Subject**: Contains user email or username in the configured claim.
4. **Expiration**: `exp` claim is in the future.
5. **Issuer**: Matches allowed issuers (if configured).
6. **Audience**: Matches allowed audiences (if configured).

## Security best practices

### Token lifecycle

- **Short expiration**: Use short-lived tokens (e.g., 1 hour).
- **Refresh tokens**: Implement token refresh for long-running processes.
- **Revocation**: Have a process to rotate keys if compromised.

### Key management

- **Key rotation**: Rotate keys periodically (e.g., every 90 days).
- **Multiple keys**: Maintain multiple keys in JWKS during rotation.
- **Secure storage**: Protect private keys used for signing.

### Access restrictions

- **Limit issuers**: Configure allowed issuers to prevent token from unauthorized sources.
- **Limit audiences**: Configure allowed audiences to ensure tokens are intended for Opik.
- **Monitor usage**: Review authentication logs for anomalies.

## Next steps

- [Configure SAML](/v1/administration/authentication/saml) for interactive user authentication.
- [Configure OIDC](/v1/administration/authentication/oidc) for OAuth-based authentication.
- [Create service accounts](/v1/administration/admin-dashboard/service_accounts) for an alternative programmatic access method.
