Enhanced Authentication Workflow for Laravel Sanctum SPAs Using Bruno: An Alternative to Postman

Introduction

In the realm of modern web development, securing Single Page Applications (SPAs) built with Laravel Sanctum is paramount. Previously, many developers relied on Postman for testing their authentication flows. However, recent revelations about Postman’s data logging practices have prompted the community to seek more secure, privacy-conscious alternatives. This article explores a comprehensive approach to implementing and testing Laravel Sanctum’s SPA authentication flow using Bruno, an open-source, local-first API client — providing a robust and private testing environment.

Background and Motivation

The previous implementation utilized Postman to simulate and test the SPA authentication process. While effective, concerns arose when it was discovered that Postman may send sensitive data, such as environment variables and secrets, to external analytics servers without explicit user consent. For detailed information on this issue, you can refer to this article: Postman Logging Concerns.

In response to these privacy concerns, I opted to rebuild the testing flow using Bruno, an open-source API client designed for local and secure API interactions. The goal is to provide developers with a trustworthy tool to test their Laravel Sanctum authentication flows without risking data leaks.

Project Overview and Resources

To facilitate this transition, I have developed a dedicated GitHub repository demonstrating the full authentication setup with Bruno:

Laravel Sanctum Authentication with Bruno — GitHub Repository

This resource includes scripts and configurations to streamline the testing process and ensure secure handling of sensitive information.

Key Components of the Authentication Flow

This guide covers the essential elements of Laravel Sanctum’s SPA authentication, including:

1. CSRF Cookie Acquisition:
   Ensuring the application correctly fetches and manages CSRF tokens to protect against cross-site request forgery.

2. Login with XSRF Protection:
   Implementing a secure login process that incorporates CSRF tokens for enhanced security.

3. Testing Protected Routes:
   Verifying access controls by attempting to access routes that require authentication, validating session management.

4. Reusable Pre-Request Scripts:
   Creating scripts that prepare the environment and authenticate requests automatically, improving testing efficiency.

Why Choose Bruno?

Bruno stands out as a local-first API client that