What is a Bearer token?
A Bearer token authenticates API requests via the Authorization header — whoever holds it can use it. Learn how it works and decode a JWT bearer free.
A Bearer token is a credential sent in the HTTP Authorization header — "Authorization: Bearer <token>" — that grants access to whoever presents it. It is the standard way APIs authenticate requests after login.
Whoever bears it, uses it
The word "bearer" is the key: the token itself is the credential, with no extra proof of identity. Anyone who obtains it can make requests as you until it expires or is revoked — so bearer tokens must be sent only over HTTPS and never logged, cached, or exposed in front-end code.
JWTs as bearer tokens
Bearer tokens are often JWTs, which carry their claims and expiry inside the token itself. You can decode a JWT bearer to inspect its payload and exp, but the signature still needs the key to verify.
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