Parent Portal: Create an Invitation Link via JWT Token

Audience: ✅District Admin

In this article

Before you begin

Step 1. Request OAuth API credentials

Step 2. Create a JWT token

Step 3. Create a link

If parents in your district have requested the ability to use their Passport Portal credentials instead of logging in with Google or Facebook, you will need to generate a JWT token-based account setup link and send it to them.

A JWT (JSON Web Token) is a widely used, open-standard method for secure user authentication in web applications. This article guides you through generating a JWT token so a parent can authenticate to the Parent Portal using their SchoolDay credentials. A JWT token consists of three parts:

Header: Сontains metadata about the token, such as the algorithm used for signing.
Payload: Сontains the claims or the JSON object.
Signature: Ensures the token's integrity and verifies it hasn't been falsified.

To learn more about a JWT token structure, see JSON Web Signature (JWS).

Encoding a JWT token produces representation in this order Header.Payload.Signature separated with period ('.') characters. JWT encoding example:

eyJhbGciJIUzIR6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdWIiOiIF0IjTE2MjM5MDIfQ.SflKxwRJSMedsw5c

Before you begin

Sync parents' data in SchoolDay to ensure all relevant parent and guardian information is up-to-date before proceeding. If you have not yet synced, navigate to your district sync settings and run a full sync.

Step 1. Request OAuth API credentials

To generate a JWT token, you need OAuth API credentials: a Client ID and a Client Secret. To obtain these credentials, contact SchoolDay Support and request them.

Step 2. Create a JWT token

Access jwt.io debugger.
On the Algorithm, select HS256.
In the Payload add Client ID, Contact‌ GUID, and‌ expiration time and ‌issued‌ time of ‌JWT‌ token.

The following code shows an example of JWT Payload.
```
‌{‌ ‌

"iss":‌ ‌"jwtp.gg4l.com",‌ ‌
"sub":‌ ‌"contact_setup_test",‌ 
"exp":‌ ‌1590678063,‌
"iat":‌ ‌1590660063,‌ ‌
"guid":‌ ‌"50a5374f-2108-4a60-b7eb-ab9fb5cd094a"‌‌
}‌
```
- iat (“Issued At”): The timestamp when the token was created, specified as seconds since 00:00:00 UTC, January 1, 1970.
- guid: Contact`s GUID.
In the Verify signature, enter Client Secret.

Your encoded JWT token is successfully generated.

Step 3. Create a link

After creating a JWT token, proceed to modify it to a URL. To do so, select and copy the encoded JWT token and append it to the following URL:

https://sso.gg4l.com/contact/setup?t=

For example:

https://sso.gg4l.com/contact/setup?t=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJqd3RwLmdnNGwuY29tIiwic3ViIjoiY29udGFjdF9zZXR1cF90ZXN0IiwiZXhwIjoxNjc2MDQxNTEyLCJpYXQiOjE2NzU5NTUxMTIsImd1aWQiOiIyZTQ5NzE1My02NzczLTRhNTItOWNmMS1hNjM5MzJmNjExZWQifQ.WStKiPFmtMQkQWuADksF7kQqJFAir0HQb5Ozc99qxkQ

Send the resulting URL to the parent or guardian so they can set up their Parent Portal account. Note: This link is time-sensitive — it expires based on the exp value set in the JWT token payload.

Parent Portal: Create an Invitation Link via JWT Token

Generate a JWT token-based account setup link for parents to use their SchoolDay Portal credentials instead of Google or Facebook.

Before you begin

Step 1. Request OAuth API credentials

Step 2. Create a JWT token

Step 3. Create a link

See also