Overview
iron-session stores session data in encrypted, signed cookies. No database needed. AES-256 encryption + HMAC-SHA256 signing. Works with Next.js App Router and Express.
Instructions
Step 1: Configuration
typescript
import { getIronSession } from 'iron-session'
import { cookies } from 'next/headers'
interface SessionData { userId?: string; role?: string; isLoggedIn: boolean }
const options = {
password: process.env.SESSION_SECRET!,
cookieName: 'myapp_session',
cookieOptions: { secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production', httpOnly: true, sameSite: 'lax' as const, maxAge: 604800 },
}
export async function getSession() {
return getIronSession<SessionData>(await cookies(), options)
}
Step 2: Login/Logout
typescript
// POST /api/auth/login
const session = await getSession()
session.userId = user.id
session.role = user.role
session.isLoggedIn = true
await session.save()
// POST /api/auth/logout
const session = await getSession()
session.destroy()
Step 3: Protected Pages
typescript
export default async function DashboardPage() {
const session = await getSession()
if (!session.isLoggedIn) redirect('/login')
return <Dashboard userId={session.userId!} />
}
Guidelines
- SESSION_SECRET: min 32 chars. Generate with
openssl rand -hex 32. - Cookie limit is 4KB — store IDs only, not large objects.
- Stateless = no revocation by default. Add version check for revocation.
- Always httpOnly + secure in production.