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WebSocket Authentication

WebSocket connections require API key authentication for secure access to real-time news streams.

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Authentication Method

WebSocket authentication uses your API key provided during the connection handshake.

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API Key Setup

  1. Get Your API Key
    • Login to Byul API Dashboard
    • Your API key is displayed on the dashboard
    • API keys start with byul_v2_
  2. Connection Authentication 
    const socket = io('wss://api.byul.ai/news-v2', {
  auth: { apiKey: 'byul_api_key' }
});

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Authentication Flow

  1. Connection Request: Client connects with API key in auth options
  2. Server Validation: Server validates API key and plan permissions
  3. Authentication Success: Server emits auth:success event with user details
  4. Ready for Subscriptions: Client can now subscribe to news streams

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Authentication Success Event

socket.on('auth:success', (data) => {
  console.log('Authentication successful');
  console.log('Plan:', data.user.plan);
  console.log('Email:', data.user.email);
  
  // Now safe to subscribe to news
  socket.emit('news:subscribe', {
    minImportance: 7,
    startDate: '2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z'
  });
});
Success Response Structure: 
{
  "message": "WebSocket authentication successful",
  "user": {
    "email": "user@example.com",
    "plan": "pro"
  }
}

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Error Handling

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Authentication Errors

socket.on('news:error', (error) => {
  console.error('Authentication failed:', error.message);
  
  switch (error.code) {
    case 'INVALID_API_KEY':
      console.log('Please check your API key');
      break;
    case 'PLAN_REQUIRED':
      console.log('WebSocket requires Pro or Enterprise plan');
      break;
    case 'RATE_LIMITED':
      console.log('Too many connection attempts. Please wait.');
      break;
  }
});
Common Error Codes:
  • INVALID_API_KEY - API key is invalid or malformed
  • PLAN_REQUIRED - WebSocket access requires Pro/Enterprise plan
  • RATE_LIMITED - Too many authentication attempts
  • CONNECTION_LIMIT - Maximum connections exceeded for plan

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Security Best Practices

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Environment Variables

Never hardcode API keys in your source code. Use environment variables: 
// ✅ Good - Use environment variables
const socket = io('wss://api.byul.ai/news-v2', {
  auth: { apiKey: process.env.BYUL_API_KEY }
});

// ❌ Bad - Hardcoded API key
const socket = io('wss://api.byul.ai/news-v2', {
  auth: { apiKey: 'byul_api_key' }
});

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Production Configuration

  • Node.js
  • React
  • Python
// config/websocket.js
export const websocketConfig = {
  url: process.env.WEBSOCKET_URL || 'wss://api.byul.ai/news-v2',
  auth: { 
    apiKey: process.env.BYUL_API_KEY 
  },
  // Additional security options
  transports: ['websocket'], // Disable polling
  upgrade: false,
  rememberUpgrade: false
};

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API Key Protection

Backend Only: Keep API keys on your backend servers. Never expose them to client-side JavaScript in production. Key Rotation: Regularly rotate your API keys for enhanced security. Access Control: Restrict API key access to authorized team members only.

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Connection Examples

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Basic Authentication

import { io } from 'socket.io-client';

const socket = io('wss://api.byul.ai/news-v2', {
  auth: { apiKey: process.env.BYUL_API_KEY }
});

socket.on('connect', () => {
  console.log('Connected to WebSocket');
});

socket.on('auth:success', (data) => {
  console.log('Authenticated successfully:', data.user.plan);
});

socket.on('news:error', (error) => {
  console.error('Authentication error:', error.message);
});

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With Reconnection

const socket = io('wss://api.byul.ai/news-v2', {
  auth: { apiKey: process.env.BYUL_API_KEY },
  
  // Reconnection settings
  reconnection: true,
  reconnectionAttempts: 5,
  reconnectionDelay: 1000,
  reconnectionDelayMax: 5000
});

socket.on('reconnect', (attemptNumber) => {
  console.log(`Reconnected after ${attemptNumber} attempts`);
});

socket.on('reconnect_error', (error) => {
  console.error('Reconnection failed:', error.message);
});

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Python Authentication

import asyncio
import socketio
import os

sio = socketio.AsyncClient()

@sio.event
async def connect():
    print('Connected to WebSocket')

@sio.on('auth:success')
async def auth_success(data):
    print(f"Authenticated successfully: {data['user']['plan']}")
    
    # Subscribe to news after authentication
    await sio.emit('news:subscribe', {
        'minImportance': 7,
        'startDate': '2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z'
    })

@sio.on('news:error')
async def auth_error(error):
    print(f"Authentication error: {error['message']}")

async def main():
    await sio.connect(
        'wss://api.byul.ai/news-v2',
        auth={'apiKey': os.getenv('BYUL_API_KEY')}
    )
    await sio.wait()

asyncio.run(main())

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Troubleshooting

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Authentication Issues

Invalid API Key Format 
Error: API key must start with 'byul_v2_'
  • Verify API key format from dashboard
  • Check for extra whitespace or characters
Plan Requirements 
Error: WebSocket streaming requires Pro or Enterprise plan
Connection Timeout 
Error: Authentication timeout
  • Check network connectivity
  • Verify firewall settings allow WebSocket connections
  • Try connecting from a different network

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Testing Authentication

Test your authentication setup with a simple connection: 
const socket = io('wss://api.byul.ai/news-v2', {
  auth: { apiKey: 'byul_api_key' },
  timeout: 10000
});

socket.on('connect', () => {
  console.log('✅ Connection successful');
});

socket.on('auth:success', (data) => {
  console.log('✅ Authentication successful');
  console.log('Plan:', data.user.plan);
  socket.disconnect();
});

socket.on('news:error', (error) => {
  console.log('❌ Authentication failed:', error.message);
  socket.disconnect();
});

socket.on('connect_error', (error) => {
  console.log('❌ Connection failed:', error.message);
});

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Next Steps

News Subscription

Subscribe to filtered news streams

Error Handling

Handle connection errors and implement retry logic

Connection Management

Advanced connection configuration and monitoring

Examples

Production-ready implementation examples