# journal-auth Specification ## Purpose Session management and the terms-of-service consent gate for the Journal app. The credentials a user authenticates with (passkeys, magic links, magic codes) and the registration UX live in `authentication-methods`; OAuth tokens for third-party services (Wahoo etc.) live in `connected-services`. This spec is the cross-cutting layer: cookie sessions, the Terms-version gate that wraps every authenticated request, and the rules for safely returning users to where they came from. ## Requirements ### Requirement: Cookie session for signed-in users The Journal SHALL identify signed-in users via a server-set HTTP cookie (`__session`) that carries a serialized JSON payload containing `userId`. The cookie SHALL be `HttpOnly`, `SameSite=Lax`, signed with the server secret, and have a `maxAge` of **30 days**. Anonymous browsers SHALL render the public surface (anonymous home, public profiles, public routes/activities) without a session cookie present. #### Scenario: Set cookie on successful authentication - **WHEN** any authentication path (passkey finish, magic-link verify, code verify) succeeds - **THEN** the response carries a `Set-Cookie: __session=...` header binding the resulting `userId` to the browser #### Scenario: Anonymous request renders public surface - **WHEN** a request arrives without `__session` (or with one that fails to verify) - **THEN** loaders treat the request as anonymous; routes that require auth either redirect to `/auth/login` or render the public layout per their own spec ### Requirement: Terms acknowledgement at signup The registration form SHALL require explicit acknowledgement of the Terms of Service before an account can be created. #### Scenario: Checkbox required - **WHEN** a user views the registration form - **THEN** they see a required checkbox labeled "I have read and agree to the Terms of Service, including that trails.cool is in alpha and my data may be reset" - **AND** the checkbox label links to the Terms page #### Scenario: Cannot submit without acknowledgement - **WHEN** a user attempts to register without checking the acknowledgement box - **THEN** the form blocks submission and shows a validation message #### Scenario: Acknowledgement recorded - **WHEN** a user successfully registers - **THEN** the current timestamp is stored in `users.terms_accepted_at` - **AND** the version identifier of the Terms the user saw is stored in `users.terms_version` #### Scenario: Missing version rejected - **WHEN** a registration request arrives without a non-empty `termsVersion` field - **THEN** the server responds with HTTP 400 and does not create a user ### Requirement: Re-accept updated Terms on next visit Logged-in users whose stored `terms_version` does not match the currently-published version SHALL be prompted to accept the current Terms before accessing any non-allow-listed page. #### Scenario: Stale version redirects to accept-terms page - **WHEN** a logged-in user whose `users.terms_version` is NULL or differs from the current `TERMS_VERSION` requests any path not in the allow-list - **THEN** the server redirects them to `/auth/accept-terms?returnTo=` #### Scenario: Allow-list keeps Terms and logout reachable - **WHEN** the same user requests any path under `/legal/` (e.g. `/legal/terms`, `/legal/privacy`, `/legal/imprint`), `/auth/accept-terms`, or `/auth/logout` - **THEN** the request is served normally without being redirected Note: the allow-list uses prefix matching (`/legal/` prefix covers all current and future legal pages); it is not a fixed list of individual paths. #### Scenario: Successful re-acceptance updates both fields - **WHEN** a user submits the acceptance form with the required checkbox ticked - **THEN** the server updates `users.terms_version` to the current version and `users.terms_accepted_at` to the current timestamp, then redirects to the `returnTo` path (or `/`) #### Scenario: Re-acceptance rejects missing consent - **WHEN** the form is submitted without the checkbox ticked - **THEN** the server responds with HTTP 400 and does not update the user row #### Scenario: returnTo is restricted to same-origin paths - **WHEN** a `returnTo` value is not a same-origin absolute path (missing leading `/`, or starting with `//`) - **THEN** the server redirects to `/` instead, preventing open-redirect abuse ### Requirement: Terms gate applies to bearer-token API requests Authenticated API requests carrying an OAuth2 bearer token SHALL be subject to the same Terms-version gate as cookie-session requests. When the authenticated user's stored `terms_version` is NULL or differs from the current `TERMS_VERSION`, the API chokepoint (`requireApiUser`) SHALL reject the request with HTTP 403 and a structured JSON body `{ error, code: "TERMS_OUTDATED", currentTermsVersion: }` instead of returning the resource. Cookie-session web traffic continues to be handled by the root-loader redirect to `/auth/accept-terms`; only the API path uses the structured 403. #### Scenario: Stale bearer token receives structured 403 - **WHEN** a request to `/api/v1/*` arrives with a valid bearer token whose user has `terms_version` NULL or different from the current `TERMS_VERSION` - **THEN** the server responds with HTTP 403 and JSON `{ error: , code: "TERMS_OUTDATED", currentTermsVersion: }` - **AND** the requested resource is not returned #### Scenario: Up-to-date bearer token is allowed through - **WHEN** a request to `/api/v1/*` arrives with a valid bearer token whose user's `terms_version` matches the current `TERMS_VERSION` - **THEN** the request proceeds normally #### Scenario: Anonymous API request still 401 - **WHEN** a request to `/api/v1/*` arrives without a bearer token (or with an invalid one) - **THEN** the server responds with HTTP 401 `UNAUTHORIZED` as before — the Terms check only applies after authentication succeeds