Session Lost on Page Refresh - Auth State Not Persisting
Users log in successfully but get logged out whenever they refresh the page or return later. The session persists during the same browser tab but is lost on navigation or reload.
This happens because authentication state isn't being saved to browser storage or the session storage isn't being retrieved on app initialization.
Error Messages You Might See
Common Causes
- Auth state stored only in React state, not in localStorage/sessionStorage
- Session token not being sent in HTTP-only cookies
- No auth check on app initialization
- Session storage cleared on mount due to conditional logic error
- Server-side session not properly configured with persistent backend
How to Fix It
Use useEffect to check for existing session on app mount: useEffect(() => { const token = localStorage.getItem('auth_token'); if(token) validateToken(token); }, [])
Implement persistent session with HTTP-only cookies set by backend on login
Use Next.js middleware to validate session before rendering protected routes
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Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
Should I use localStorage or sessionStorage?
For remember-me functionality use localStorage. For security-critical apps prefer HTTP-only cookies via backend
How do I auto-login on page load?
Check for stored token/cookie on app mount in a useEffect with empty dependency array, then validate with your backend
What's the difference between client and server session?
Client session lives in browser storage; server session persists authentication on backend with encrypted tokens