Django csrf token header example Using POST parameters: Jan 1, 2025 · Django, a powerful web framework for Python, provides developers with a range of built-in tools to manage security and database configurations. Apr 29, 2014 · Using { { csrf_token }} in a seperate js file doesn't work event you embed it into django template. This could involve anything from changing account settings to initiating financial transactions. Suppose you are logged into the website. Postman is one of the widely used tool for testing APIs. This is often easier, because many JavaScript frameworks provide hooks that Dec 27, 2024 · Despite being well-known, it remains a significant threat to web applications that fail to implement proper defenses. We retrieve the token saved in the user’s session. On Heroku though the X-CSRF-Token header is not being set (token,session id are set) which results in me not being able to do POST for example. 1, which introduces new restrictions to CSRF handling. This snippet should work with both Django templates and Jinja. Feb 28, 2019 · How To Automatically Set CSRF Token in Postman? Django has inbuilt CSRF protection mechanism for requests via unsafe methods to prevent Cross Site Request Forgeries. For example, in your base template: Apr 18, 2020 · So far so good. Best practices and step-by-step guide included! Note this uses {{ csrf_token }}, the variable, as opposed to {% csrf_token %}, the tag that renders a hidden <input>. CSRF tokens should be generated using secure libraries and associated with the user’s session. Among these tools, CSRF protection and database May 8, 2024 · In the example above, we include the CSRF token in the X-CSRFToken header. Jan 13, 2025 · Token-Based Authentication and CSRF: With token-based authentication, tokens are included in headers (e. I recommend a more robust approach. A common solution is to include the CSRF token in an hx-headers attribute. While running it locally everything works fine and tokens-session ids-headers are set correctly. 0 linkding uses Django 4. I will show you a better way below. This can cause CSRF verification to fail (for example during login) if the app is running behind a proxy and is not properly configured fo May 11, 2024 · Django CSRF Protection: Django is protected against CSRF attacks by default. This post explains it. The client side is developed in react and is made as a standalone app. How to Prevent CSRF Attacks? Source code for django. I have a React-Django project deployed on Heroku. Rather than manually entering the cookies from other requests, try using curl's built in cookie management system to simulate a TokenAuthentication Note: The token authentication provided by Django REST framework is a fairly simple implementation. Apr 27, 2015 · You can either send the CSRF token as a POST parameter or a HTTP header. post () requests' data that one can also add the CSRF token to the POST request's data, but this doesn't seem like the most elegant approach to me, and the docs state that Feb 28, 2019 · Introduction Django has inbuilt CSRF protection mechanism for requests via unsafe methods to prevent Cross Site Request Forgeries. Learn how to implement and use Django's CSRF protection to safeguard against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks. This Nov 21, 2025 · This error occurs when Django’s Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection rejects a request from your React app, even if you’ve configured CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing). Django will not set the cookie unless it has to. Nov 6, 2024 · A: CSRF errors are typically caused by missing or incorrect CSRF token headers in AJAX requests. Now it will work perfectly. Forms that use the POST method should include the CSRF token in the template. CSRF Token In We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Code Examples in Java Servlet and Spring Aug 26, 2023 · In this example, the Token model from Django REST Framework’s authentication module is used to generate and manage tokens. Apr 23, 2025 · 🛡️ Practically Understand CSRF Token in Django CSRF is one of the most common web fundamentals that every web developer must understand. ” This doesn’t explain where it’s missing or how it could potentially be added in. CSRF Token If you enable Django's CSRF protection, you will need to set the CSRF token as part of any HTMX request. In this blog, we’ll cover: What is CSRF? How Does CSRF Work? Real-World Examples and Impacts CSRF Protection Techniques — CSRF Tokens, SameSite Cookies, and Referer Header Validation. 10. I have a List You need to set it as a header in the request, not in the body. For a secure unsafe request that doesn’t include the Origin header, the request must have a Referer header that matches the origin present in the Host header. Sep 27, 2024 · CSRF tokens are a critical layer of security, ensuring that any state-changing requests in your application come from legitimate sources. py but that is not recommended. Learn how to enhance your Django web application security by implementing CSRF token protection. Would we compromise the CSRF protection if we similarly served the CSRF token in every response as header and (via Access-Control-Expose-Headers) allowed this header to be read by the frontend? A CSRF token must not be leaked in the server logs or in the URL. This can easily be done with the following code that you place inside of your template. No manual configuration is required Mar 24, 2025 · Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is a security vulnerability where an attacker tricks a user into unknowingly submitting a request to a web application in which they are authenticated. My problem My problem is that my backend needs to receive a x-csrf-token header and so I can't set it to my POST request. Hi everyone. A request to that route triggers a response with the adequate Set-Cookie header from Django. If I save it to Oct 2, 2024 · In Django, you can use the {% csrf_token %} template tag to ensure that your form contains the CSRF token. Oct 4, 2024 · Conclusion CSRF is a dangerous attack that can compromise your users’ data and take unauthorized actions on their behalf. It is important to consult the server’s documentation or inspect the network traffic to determine the correct header name. Django requires this token for all POST requests to secure against cross-site request forgery. It automatically generates CSRF tokens in every form submission and AJAX request. The Django documentation provides more information on retrieving the CSRF token using jQuery and sending it in requests. 2, Luke Plant, with feedback from other developers, proposes: We should move to using a session independent nonce as a CSRF token, instead of a hash of the session identifier as used in Django 1. Summary ¶ For Django 1. There is actually another way to pass the csrf token to your API response without the need for a POST form. In this article, we will see how to set csrf token and update it automatically in Postman. 4. If the tokens do not match, Django raises a `CSRFTokenError`. This is a common convention, but the actual header name may vary depending on the server implementation. Please clarify why you need CSRF. This eliminates the false positives associated with session cycling, and Mar 12, 2018 · The Django docs recommend to set a custom X-CSRFToken header for AJAX requests. When using HTMX, you need to ensure the token is sent with your AJAX requests. X-CSRFToken is the key and the value is CSRF token from the cookie. 5 -- Apr 5, 2015 · You don't need to check on each request, as CSRF tokens should only really be used on POST and PUT requests. All forms are submitted asynchronously and I use a beforeSend on them to attach the CSRF token which I take Oct 17, 2025 · For a JavaScript API like fetch(), the token might be placed in a cookie or embedded in the page, and the JavaScript extracts the value and sends it as an extra header. Sep 12, 2022 · Since version 1. csrf """ Cross Site Request Forgery Middleware. Now from the Django docs you can find out how to get the csrf token from the cookie by using this simple JavaScript function: Jun 7, 2022 · Yep, you got it. For an example of this in action, see the “CSRF Demo” page of the example project. For AJAX, you can include the token in the request headers using JavaScript. This token is then included in every form submitted by the user. Aug 22, 2023 · I've got an application where I'm listing out a bunch of forms - it loads a csrf_token into each form. In this simple example we set up basic authentication methods with CSRF protection in django, after which, as mentioned previously, we handle CORS via fetching CSRF token from our server and storing its value in a browser cookie header that later will be used to send requests and perform authentication operations on the client; for this, we May 18, 2025 · HTMX with Django CSRF Protection Django’s CSRF protection expects a CSRF token on all POST requests. js Express Nov 26, 2012 · 4 Similarly, using django 's csrf_client note the primary difference is using csrftoken. Second, you can't verify a CSRF token unless you are generating it on each request, and your verification is optional. Dec 6, 2024 · Verifying the CSRF Token When Django receives a POST request, it automatically checks the CSRF token in the request header against the one associated with the user’s session. ajaxSetup config, and I had API problems with other servers that refused the request because of the unrecognized X-CSRF-TOKEN header. META , the header name received from the server is normalized by converting all characters to uppercase, replacing any hyphens with underscores, and adding an 'HTTP_' prefix to the name. I nedd to pass th CSRF token with every post request,But not able to get the CSRF token from the browser. I am uisng axios for triggering th http request. Sep 28, 2024 · In this tutorial, we’re going to build a complete project that demonstrates how to implement Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection in a React application backed by a Node. For example, if your client sends a 'X-XSRF-TOKEN' header Sep 6, 2010 · TOC CSRF Protection ¶ This page aims to document and discuss CSRF protection for Django. For example: Oct 29, 2017 · 3 I need to send CSRF token when the user sign up with form provided. When a request is made to the server, Django checks if the token in the request matches the one associated with the user’s session. This is often easier because many JavaScript frameworks provide hooks that allow headers to be set on every request. As the name suggests, it involves a situation where a malicious site tricks a browser into sending a request to another site where the user is already authenticated. So an exclusively or heavily ajax site running on Django 1. Feb 17, 2021 · I have noticed that when using django and you make a post request, using a form for example, django asks you to add the csrf token, but when I was fetching data from an api created with django rest Jan 12, 2025 · The CSRF Protection Mechanism in Django Django’s CSRF protection mechanism works by generating a unique token for each user session. If not understood and implemented properly The mask is generated randomly on every call to get_token(), so the form field value is different each time. The attacker sends a link with the help of an email, chat, or with the Jun 3, 2017 · 2 I am using python Django for creating the REST API's. Jan 17, 2025 · Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is a security threat where malicious actors trick users into performing unwanted actions on a website where they are authenticated. 1 and earlier. csrf. Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Include the django. 4 would potentially Jan 25, 2025 · Hello everyone, I’m having a problem accessing the CSRF cookie in my Django project. Edit: a Referer HTTP header is also required by Django's CSRF protection. The TokenAuthentication class is then utilized to authenticate requests Aug 29, 2017 · Using React on the frontend with a RESTful API as backend and authorisation by a JSON Web Token (JWT), how do we handle sessions? For example after login, I get a JWT token from REST. Jun 15, 2021 · In this post, we’ll talk about what CSRF is and how it works. First, you must get the CSRF token. A side effect of calling this function is to make the csrf_protect decorator and the CsrfViewMiddleware add a CSRF cookie and a 'Vary: Cookie' header to the outgoing response. Is the post data not safe if you do not use CSRF Jun 9, 2025 · 🔐 CSRF Token Explained: How to Secure Your Frontend (React/Next. Host header validation ¶ Django uses the Host header provided by the client to construct URLs in certain cases. GET requests can potentially leak CSRF tokens at several locations, such as the browser history, log files, network utilities that log the first line of a HTTP request, and Referer headers if the protected site links to an external site. Dec 9, 2024 · Understanding CSRF Protection and Other Security Middleware in Django When building web applications, security is one of the most crucial aspects to consider. How do you use htmx (the lightweight JavaScript library that uses HTML markup) in Django? This article shows how and provides an example usage. This part is done by the csrf_token template tag. When CSRF protection is enabled on AJAX POST methods, X-CSRFToken header should be sent in the request. Working of CSRF Protection To understand this let us take an example. Fortunately, axios has two config settings (xsrfHeaderName and xsrfCookieName) which set the proper header of the request in order to pass the csrf token to the server. What I need How can I do to put the value of set-cookies: CSRF-TOKEN into the next request x-csrf-token header ? This function assumes that the request_csrf_token argument has been validated to have the correct length (CSRF_SECRET_LENGTH or CSRF_TOKEN_LENGTH characters) and allowed characters, and that if it has length CSRF_TOKEN_LENGTH, it is a masked secret. 15. Here is the list of all security settings in django CSRF_COOKIE_DOMAIN This setting is to Dec 14, 2020 · Authenticating with Django is a three step process: Get the CSRF token from the Django server Construct the HTTP POST request and include the X-CSRF header Submit form data Getting the CSRF token The first step is to get issued a CSRF token. Related Evidence Passing a CSRF token with Python Requests is a common requirement when For this reason, there is an alternative method: on each XMLHttpRequest, set a custom X-CSRFToken header (as specified by the CSRF_HEADER_NAME setting) to the value of the CSRF token. The reply I had been working on — Ok, I always forget this little tidbit from CSRF_HEADER_NAME As with other HTTP headers in request. Then, we’ll walk you through examples in Django and how to prevent them. For this reason, there is an alternative method: on each XMLHttpRequest, set a custom X-CSRFToken header (as specified by the CSRF_HEADER_NAME setting) to the value of the CSRF token. Jul 23, 2025 · Prerequisites: Django, WebSockets, Django channels, Token authentication The most popular Django topics right now are WebSockets and Django channels because they make it possible to communicate quickly and easily while working in real-time without constantly refreshing the page. value in the login_data. py to add CSRF related headers to your responses. This can lead to unauthorized actions being performed on behalf of the user, such as changing account settings or making transactions. The token is an alphanumeric value. Jun 24, 2015 · While working on an issue related to this, I wanted to test setting CSRF tokens for a bunch of endpoints that are accessible via AJAX. Jul 7, 2013 · In order to make AJAX requests, you need to include CSRF token in the HTTP header, as described in the Django documentation. It needs to have the same origin as the request. Damien's response almost works, but is missing the sessionid cookie. For all incoming requests that are not using HTTP GET, HEAD, OPTIONS or TRACE, a CSRF cookie must be present, and the ‘csrfmiddlewaretoken’ field must be present and correct. Django offers robust CSRF protection mechanisms, but their proper implementation and understanding are critical. May 30, 2020 · Hey, really like HTMX, nice job! However I can't figure out how to pass my CSRF token in the request headers (or to actually configure headers at all). I came upon this thread and thought it might be worth it to add one other way to do it from the Django shell, which is what the original poster seemed to be asking about. However, since the signup/signin will be the first time to interact with django REST API, so I create a dummy GET request when the webpage is loaded to retrieve the CSRF token from django. This article will show how to implement Cross-site scripting (XSS) protection in Django. May 20, 2024 · A Quick Guide to Django Security Settings Introduction Django comes with several security settings. Django REST Framework enforces this, only for SessionAuthentication, so you must pass the CSRF token in the X-CSRFToken header. The token is retrieved and stored in cookie. The Django docs just do not have an example for this for some reason. In most Django Rest Framework applications, this is /auth/login . Apr 27, 2025 · In this example, we receive the csrf_token from the submitted form data. I used a simple login page to test, I expect that your registration view is similar. . Jul 23, 2025 · Django protects your website from XSS attacks by employing CSRF tokens, unique for each user, hidden in forms. Aug 19, 2025 · Final Thoughts Django provides robust tools to protect your application from common web vulnerabilities, but understanding how CSRF, CORS, and Security Headers work is crucial. Feb 27, 2014 · I used to use $ . Each form is a simple dropdown for choosing a 'color' for each item in the list. The difference between Django 1. To do this, visit the authentication URL. compare_digest runs a secure, timing-attack-resistant comparison, and an invalid token results in a 403 response. CSRF stands for Cross Site Request Forgery. Then, secrets. A CSRF token is not the same as an API key. Nov 22, 2023 · For example when a CSRF token is missing from the headers, the error message presented to the user is “CSRF token missing. For an implementation which allows more than one token per user, has some tighter security implementation details, and supports token expiry, please see the Django REST Knox third party package. I’m trying to retrieve the csrftoken cookie in the frontend using a get_c… Using CSRF protection with AJAX ¶ While the above method can be used for AJAX POST requests, it has some inconveniences: you have to remember to pass the CSRF token in as POST data with every POST request. 3 and it was caused by the CSRF cookie not being set in the first place. Nov 24, 2024 · Learn how to fix CSRF verification issues in Django by adjusting your settings and configurations. Frontend code You may use the Using CSRF protection with AJAX and Setting the token on the AJAX request part of the How to use Django’s CSRF protection to know how to handle that CSRF protection token in your frontend code. Jul 20, 2010 · Is there a way to insert the the csrf token directly from within the Python files I'm editing? The token is different for each session, so storing it in the DB is not very useful. Aug 24, 2017 · Django protects against CSRF attacks by generating a CSRF token in the server, send it to the client side, and mandating the client to send the token back in the request header. Using @csrf_protect in your view doesn't works as well because it can only protect a part of function. I came across this problem on Django 1. If you are authenticating without an API layer you would need to actually attach the cookie or create one with the CSRF token. My frontend is separate from my backend, and both use HTTPS. CsrfViewMiddleware" middleware from your settings. Fortunately, Django provides built-in CSRF protection that is simple to Nov 19, 2025 · Source code for django. Partial Rendering ¶ For requests made with htmx, you may want to reduce the page content you render, since only part of the A mixture of Damien's response and your example number 2 worked for me. 5 was the requirement for a CSRF token for AJAX requests. In this guide, we demonstrated how to implement CSRF May 10, 2015 · I am working on a single page application and I am using Laravel 5 for the web service. Oct 21, 2023 · hx-headers to pass the CSRF Token to Django along the request Inside the form we have two buttons: one for confirming the deletion, and another to dismiss the action: For requests that include the Origin header, Django’s CSRF protection requires that header match the origin present in the Host header. Tested with Django 1. g. To explore Django's security mechanisms and other advanced features, the Complete Django Web Development Course - Basics to Advance is an excellent resource. Since, my Django view is CSRF protected, I want axios to properly handle the CSRF token for me and everything work transparent. Oct 28, 2022 · I would like to know the reason why we must put the csrf token in the body for POST requests (key csrfmiddlewaretoken) and in the headers for the others (key X-CSRFToken)? Feb 24, 2011 · The accepted answer is most likely a red herring. , Authorization: Bearer <token>) and are not automatically attached to every HTTP request Jan 18, 2021 · I am writing an application (Django, it so happens) and I just want an idea of what actually a "CSRF token" is and how it protects the data. Modern web frameworks usually have built-in support for CSRF tokens: for example, Django enables you to protect forms using the csrf_token tag. However, when using AngularJS, the CSRF token is sent as a custom header instead of the default `X-CSRFToken` header used by Django. 2. For this reason, there is an alternative method: on each XMLHttpRequest, set a custom X-CSRFToken header to the value of the CSRF token. 9), the request is denied. A word about CORS You may want to set-up your frontend and API on different Nov 19, 2025 · AJAX ¶ While the above method can be used for AJAX POST requests, it has some inconveniences: you have to remember to pass the CSRF token in as POST data with every POST request. If the HTTP_REFERER header does not match the host of the current request or a host in CSRF_TRUSTED_ORIGINS (new in 1. Feb 19, 2023 · But if you want to render multiple parts of your page again, these tips will not help you. This will work if you are using an API framework like Tastypie or Django Rest Framework. Mar 1, 2018 · By the way, it seems from jQuery add CSRF token to all $. CsrfViewMiddleware module in the MIDDLEWARE setting in your project's settings. Aug 5, 2025 · CSRF tokens are an important security feature in Django. It's strange because I used intercooler befor Sep 1, 2023 · 1 One "solution" is to just remove the "django. Therefore, it is important that csrf is included in header, as for instance this answer suggests. middleware. Jun 7, 2018 · The first step is to get CSRF token which can be retrieved from the Django csrftoken cookie. While these values are sanitized to prevent Cross Site Scripting attacks, a fake Host value can be used for Cross-Site Request Forgery, cache poisoning attacks, and poisoning links in emails. js) and Backend (Django/Laravel) “If you’re building modern web apps and not handling CSRF tokens properly, you’re building … Source code for django. 4 and 1. bfxrx lbjgqb dnrzzav syufl hie fiezpn sjwik gliaqy hkzsrdzp ulilag paik jyjzn soel wxgui enlw