The current implementation of the sign-out functionality uses a GET API endpoint and a Next.js Link component. This has led to unexpected behavior where users are being signed out unintentionally, particularly in production environments.
Symptoms
Users are unexpectedly redirected to the sign-in page while navigating the app via different page routes.
Root Cause Analysis
The root cause of this issue is a combination of factors:
GET API for State-Changing Action: The sign-out API is currently implemented as a GET endpoint. GET requests should be used for retrieving data, not for actions that change server-side state.
Next.js Link Prefetching: Next.js automatically prefetches links in the viewport for performance optimization. This includes API routes.
Unintended API Calls: Due to the combination of points 1 and 2, the sign-out API is being called unintentionally when the sign-out link enters the viewport, even if the user doesn't click it.
Proposed Changes
To address this issue, I propose the following changes:
Convert the sign-out API from GET to POST.
Replace the Next.js Link component with a form submission for the sign-out action.
Why These Changes?
POST for State-Changing Actions:
POST requests are appropriate for actions that change server-side state.
They're not prefetched by Next.js, preventing unintended sign-outs.
They're less vulnerable to CSRF attacks.
Form Submission Instead of Link:
Forms are semantically correct for actions like sign-out.
They provide better accessibility.
They work correctly with POST requests.
Preventing Accidental Sign-Outs:
These changes ensure that sign-out only occurs when explicitly triggered by the user.
Issue Description
The current implementation of the sign-out functionality uses a GET API endpoint and a Next.js Link component. This has led to unexpected behavior where users are being signed out unintentionally, particularly in production environments.
Symptoms
Root Cause Analysis
The root cause of this issue is a combination of factors:
GET API for State-Changing Action: The sign-out API is currently implemented as a GET endpoint. GET requests should be used for retrieving data, not for actions that change server-side state.
Next.js Link Prefetching: Next.js automatically prefetches links in the viewport for performance optimization. This includes API routes.
Unintended API Calls: Due to the combination of points 1 and 2, the sign-out API is being called unintentionally when the sign-out link enters the viewport, even if the user doesn't click it.
Proposed Changes
To address this issue, I propose the following changes:
Why These Changes?
POST for State-Changing Actions:
Form Submission Instead of Link:
Preventing Accidental Sign-Outs: