How to Set AllowAnonymous for .NET Core GraphQL Queries

Learn how to enable anonymous access for specific GraphQL queries in .NET Core 3.1, even when authentication is enabled by default.
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How to Set AllowAnonymous for .NET Core GraphQL Queries

In modern web applications, securing APIs is essential. However, there might be certain endpoints, like specific GraphQL queries, that you want to allow anonymous access to. If you are using .NET Core 3.1 for your GraphQL implementation, you may encounter a situation where you want to enable such access while still enforcing authentication for the rest of your application.

This guide will guide you through the process of configuring your application to allow anonymous access to specific GraphQL queries in a clear and concise manner.

Understanding the Challenge

When developing a .NET Core application, you typically enable authentication globally. This means that all API endpoints—including your GraphQL queries—require some form of authentication. However, there may be cases where you want to allow any user, authenticated or not, to access certain queries.

In your GraphQL functionality, you might define some queries that need to be accessed without requiring the user to be logged in. The challenge here is to set the AllowAnonymous attribute effectively, despite having a secured application overall.

Steps to Allow Anonymous Access to Specific GraphQL Queries

1. Define Your GraphQL Queries

Consider the existing GraphQL queries you have, as seen below:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

2. Modify the Startup Class

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

3. Explanation of the Code

MapHealthChecks: This method allows you to define health check routes. In your case, it’s being used for a specific path where you want to allow anonymous access.

Predicate = (_) = false: This ensures that the health check does not show up in your health check response.

WithMetadata(new AllowAnonymousAttribute()): This line is crucial as it marks the specific endpoint with the AllowAnonymous attribute, bypassing the authentication requirements for this route only.

Conclusion

By following the above steps, you can successfully configure your .NET Core GraphQL application to allow anonymous access for specific queries while maintaining a secure environment for the rest of your application. This flexibility is beneficial for enabling public access to certain functionalities while still protecting sensitive parts of your API.

Feel free to implement these changes and customize them as per your requirements. Happy coding!