Solving the “Session doesn’t have required client” Error in Keycloak with React Public Client and useEffect

The Frustrating Error: “Session doesn’t have required client”

Are you trying to renew an access token using a refresh token in Keycloak with a React public client, only to be greeted by the frustrating error message “Session doesn’t have required client”? You’re not alone! This error can be perplexing, especially when you’re following the official Keycloak documentation. Worry not, dear developer, for we’re about to dive into the solution together.

Understanding the Problem

Before we dive into the solution, let’s understand what’s happening behind the scenes. When you use a refresh token to renew an access token, Keycloak needs to verify the client that made the request. This is where the “required client” comes into play. The client, in this case, is your React application.

When you’re using a React public client with Keycloak, the client instance is not persisted across page reloads or route changes. This means that the client instance is recreated on every render, which can lead to the “Session doesn’t have required client” error.

The Solution: Using useEffect to Persist the Client

So, how do we persist the client instance across page reloads and route changes? The answer lies in using the useEffect hook in React. We’ll create a custom hook to initialize and persist the Keycloak client instance.

import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
import { KEYCLOAK_URL, CLIENT_ID, REALM } from './constants';

const useKeycloakClient = () => {
  const [keycloakClient, setKeycloakClient] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    const initKeycloakClient = async () => {
      const keycloak = new Keycloak(KEYCLOAK_URL, CLIENT_ID, REALM);
      await keycloak.init({ onLoad: 'login-required' });
      setKeycloakClient(keycloak);
    };

    initKeycloakClient();
  }, []);

  return keycloakClient;
};

In the above code, we create a custom hook called `useKeycloakClient`. This hook initializes the Keycloak client instance and stores it in the component’s state using the `useState` hook. The `useEffect` hook is used to initialize the client instance only once, when the component mounts.

Using the Custom Hook in Your Component

Now that we have our custom hook, let’s use it in our component to renew the access token using the refresh token.

import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
import useKeycloakClient from './useKeycloakClient';

const App = () => {
  const keycloakClient = useKeycloakClient();
  const [accessToken, setAccessToken] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    const refreshToken = localStorage.getItem('refresh_token');

    if (refreshToken && keycloakClient) {
      keycloakClient.tokenManager.renewToken(refreshToken)
        .then((newToken) => {
          setAccessToken(newToken);
        })
        .catch((error) => {
          console.error('Error renewing token:', error);
        });
    }
  }, [keycloakClient]);

  return (
    

      {accessToken ? (
        
Access token renewed: {accessToken}
      ) : (
        
Waiting for access token...
      )}
    
  );
};

In the above code, we use the `useKeycloakClient` hook to get the persisted Keycloak client instance. We then use the `useEffect` hook to renew the access token using the refresh token stored in local storage.

Configuring Keycloak to Allow Token Renewal

Make sure you’ve configured Keycloak to allow token renewal. You can do this by:

1. Logging into the Keycloak console
2. Navigate to Realm Settings > Tokens
3. Enable Allow Token Refresh
4. Set the Token Lifespan and Token Minimum Lifespan to suitable values

Common Gotchas and Troubleshooting

Here are some common gotchas and troubleshooting tips to help you overcome the “Session doesn’t have required client” error:

Conclusion

Solving the “Session doesn’t have required client” error when using a refresh token to renew an access token in Keycloak with a React public client can be challenging. However, by using the `useEffect` hook to persist the Keycloak client instance and following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to overcome this error and successfully renew access tokens.

Remember to configure Keycloak to allow token renewal, and troubleshoot common gotchas to ensure a seamless authentication experience for your users.

Happy coding, and may the forces of authentication be with you!

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