Laravel Sanctum ‘Access-Control-Allow-Origin’ Error: A Comprehensive Guide to Fixing the Issue

Are you tired of encountering the dreaded “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” error when using Laravel Sanctum for API authentication? You’re not alone! This error can be frustrating, especially when you’re trying to build a seamless user experience. In this article, we’ll dive into the world of CORS policies and Laravel Sanctum, and provide you with a step-by-step guide to fix this pesky issue once and for all.

What is CORS and Why Does it Matter?

Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) is a security feature implemented in web browsers to prevent web pages from making requests to a different origin (domain, protocol, or port) than the one the web page was loaded from. This is a security measure to prevent malicious scripts from making unauthorized requests on behalf of the user.

In the context of Laravel Sanctum, CORS becomes crucial when you’re making API requests from a different origin. For instance, if your API is hosted on api.example.com and your frontend application is on example.com, you’ll encounter CORS issues if not configured properly.

Laravel Sanctum and CORS: Understanding the Connection

Laravel Sanctum provides a simple way to authenticate API requests using tokens. However, by default, Sanctum doesn’t include CORS headers in its responses, which can lead to the “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” error.

To fix this, you need to configure CORS in your Laravel application to allow requests from specific origins. But before we dive into the solution, let’s take a closer look at the error itself.

The “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” Error: What’s Causing It?

The “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” error occurs when a web page makes an API request to a different origin, and the response from the server doesn’t include the necessary CORS headers. This can happen for a few reasons:

• The API server doesn’t include the Access-Control-Allow-Origin header in its response.
• The API server includes the Access-Control-Allow-Origin header but specifies an origin that doesn’t match the requesting origin.

In the case of Laravel Sanctum, the error is often caused by the lack of CORS headers in the response.

Fixing the “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” Error with Laravel Sanctum

Now that we’ve identified the problem, let’s get to the solution! To fix the “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” error with Laravel Sanctum, you’ll need to configure CORS in your Laravel application. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Add the CORS Middleware

In your Laravel project, create a new middleware by running the following command:

php artisan make:middleware Cors

In the newly created Cors.php file, add the following code:

namespace App\Http\Middleware;

use Closure;

class Cors
{
    public function handle(Request $request, Closure $next)
    {
        $headers = [
            'Access-Control-Allow-Methods' => 'POST, GET, OPTIONS, PUT, DELETE',
            'Access-Control-Allow-Headers' => 'Content-Type, Accept, Authorization, X-Requested-With',
            'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' => '*',
        ];

        if ($request->getMethod() === 'OPTIONS') {
            return response()->json('OK', 200, $headers);
        }

        $response = $next($request);

        foreach ($headers as $key => $value) {
            $response->headers->set($key, $value);
        }

        return $response;
    }
}

Step 2: Register the CORS Middleware

In your kernel.php file, located in the app/Http directory, add the CORS middleware to the middleware array:

protected $middleware = [
    // ...
    \App\Http\Middleware\Cors::class,
];

Step 3: Configure CORS in Laravel Sanctum

In your sanctum.php file, located in the config directory, add the following code:

'cors' => [
    'enabled' => true,
    'allowed_methods' => ['GET', 'POST', 'PUT', 'DELETE', 'OPTIONS'],
    'allowed_origins' => ['*'],
    'allowed_headers' => ['Content-Type', 'Authorization', 'X-Requested-With'],
],

Step 4: Update Your API Routes

In your API routes file, add the CORS middleware to each route or group of routes that need CORS enabled:

Route::group(['middleware' => ['cors']], function () {
    // Your API routes here
});

Common Issues and Solutions

While the above steps should fix the “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” error, you might encounter some common issues. Here are some solutions to help you troubleshoot:

Issue 1: Still Getting the Error After Configuring CORS

If you’ve configured CORS correctly and still encounter the error, check if your API server is returning a 200 OK response on the OPTIONS request. This is crucial for CORS to work correctly.

Issue 2: CORS Not Working with Specific Origins

If you’re only allowing requests from specific origins, ensure that the origin is specified correctly in your CORS configuration. For example:

'allowed_origins' => ['http://example.com', 'https://example.com'],

Issue 3: CORS Not Working with Ajax Requests

If you’re making Ajax requests to your API and still encountering CORS issues, ensure that you’re including the necessary headers in your request. For example, using jQuery:

$.ajaxSetup({
    headers: {
        'Accept': 'application/json',
        'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN'
    }
});

Error	Solution
The “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” error occurs when making API requests from a different origin.	Configure CORS in your Laravel application to allow requests from specific origins.
CORS not working with specific origins.	Specify the allowed origins correctly in your CORS configuration.
CORS not working with Ajax requests.	Include the necessary headers in your Ajax request.

Conclusion

Fixin’ the “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” error with Laravel Sanctum is a breeze once you understand the underlying principles of CORS. By following the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be able to configure CORS in your Laravel application and allow requests from specific origins. Remember to troubleshoot common issues and adjust your CORS configuration accordingly.

Happy coding, and may the API requests flow freely!

Frequently Asked Question

Are you stuck with the “Access-Control-Allow-Origin” error in Laravel Sanctum? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are some frequently asked questions and answers to help you resolve this pesky issue.