Introduction

Almost every web application needs authentication:

  • users must register
  • users must log in
  • users must log out
  • some pages must be protected
  • users must manage passwords

Django provides a powerful built-in authentication system that handles all of this for you.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use Django’s authentication system to build:

  • user registration (signup)
  • login and logout
  • protected pages
  • password management

By the end, you will have a complete authentication system ready for real-world applications.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this tutorial, you will understand:

  • Django’s authentication system basics
  • how to create users
  • how to log users in and out
  • how to protect views (login required)
  • how to use authentication forms
  • how to display user information in templates
  • best practices for authentication

Prerequisites

You should already know:

  • Django models
  • views and templates
  • forms
  • URLs and routing

1. Django Authentication System Overview

Django provides built-in tools for authentication:

  • User model → stores users
  • Authentication functions → login/logout
  • Forms → login/signup forms
  • Permissions system → control access

The default user model is:

 

from django.contrib.auth.models import User

 

2. Creating Users (Signup)

Method 1: Using UserCreationForm

Django provides a ready-to-use form for registration.

forms.py

from django.contrib.auth.forms import UserCreationForm
from django.contrib.auth.models import User

class SignUpForm(UserCreationForm):
    class Meta:
        model = User
        fields = ['username', 'password1', 'password2']

View for Signup

views.py

from django.shortcuts import render, redirect
from .forms import SignUpForm

def signup_view(request):
    if request.method == 'POST':
        form = SignUpForm(request.POST)
        if form.is_valid():
            form.save()
            return redirect('login')
    else:
        form = SignUpForm()

    return render(request, 'accounts/signup.html', {'form': form})

Template: signup.html

<h1>Sign Up</h1>

<form method="post">
    {% csrf_token %}
    {{ form.as_p }}
    <button type="submit">Register</button>
</form>

3. User Login

Django provides built-in authentication functions.

View for Login

views.py

from django.contrib.auth import authenticate, login
from django.shortcuts import render, redirect

def login_view(request):
    if request.method == 'POST':
        username = request.POST.get('username')
        password = request.POST.get('password')

        user = authenticate(request, username=username, password=password)

        if user is not None:
            login(request, user)
            return redirect('home')
        else:
            return render(request, 'accounts/login.html', {'error': 'Invalid credentials'})

    return render(request, 'accounts/login.html')

Template: login.html

<h1>Login</h1>

{% if error %}
    <p style="color:red;">{{ error }}</p>
{% endif %}

<form method="post">
    {% csrf_token %}
    <input type="text" name="username" placeholder="Username"><br>
    <input type="password" name="password" placeholder="Password"><br>
    <button type="submit">Login</button>
</form>

4. User Logout

Logging out is very simple.

View

from django.contrib.auth import logout
from django.shortcuts import redirect

def logout_view(request):
    logout(request)
    return redirect('login')

5. URLs Configuration

urls.py

from django.urls import path
from .views import signup_view, login_view, logout_view

urlpatterns = [
    path('signup/', signup_view, name='signup'),
    path('login/', login_view, name='login'),
    path('logout/', logout_view, name='logout'),
]

6. Protecting Views (Login Required)

Some pages should only be accessible to logged-in users.

Using login_required

from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required

@login_required
def dashboard(request):
    return render(request, 'dashboard.html')

Redirect Behavior

If a user is not logged in, Django redirects to:

LOGIN_URL = '/login/'

Set this in settings.py:

LOGIN_URL = 'login'

7. Using Authentication in Templates

Django provides useful variables in templates.

Check if user is logged in

{% if user.is_authenticated %}
    <p>Welcome {{ user.username }}</p>
    <a href="{% url 'logout' %}">Logout</a>
{% else %}
    <a href="{% url 'login' %}">Login</a>
{% endif %}

8. Display Current User Info

<p>Username: {{ user.username }}</p>
<p>Email: {{ user.email }}</p>

9. Using Built-in LoginView (Shortcut)

Instead of writing your own login view, you can use Django’s built-in view.

urls.py

from django.contrib.auth import views as auth_views

urlpatterns = [
    path('login/', auth_views.LoginView.as_view(template_name='accounts/login.html'), name='login'),
]

10. Using Built-in LogoutView

path('logout/', auth_views.LogoutView.as_view(), name='logout')

11. Redirect After Login

Set in settings.py:

LOGIN_REDIRECT_URL = 'home'
LOGOUT_REDIRECT_URL = 'login'

12. Password Change

Django provides built-in views for password change.

urls.py

from django.contrib.auth import views as auth_views

urlpatterns += [
    path('password_change/', auth_views.PasswordChangeView.as_view(), name='password_change'),
    path('password_change_done/', auth_views.PasswordChangeDoneView.as_view(), name='password_change_done'),
]

13. Password Reset (Forgot Password)

Django supports email-based password reset.

urls.py

urlpatterns += [
    path('password_reset/', auth_views.PasswordResetView.as_view(), name='password_reset'),
    path('password_reset_done/', auth_views.PasswordResetDoneView.as_view(), name='password_reset_done'),
]

This requires email configuration.

14. Using Authentication with Class-Based Views

Protect CBVs

from django.contrib.auth.mixins import LoginRequiredMixin
from django.views.generic import TemplateView

class DashboardView(LoginRequiredMixin, TemplateView):
    template_name = 'dashboard.html'

15. Customizing the User Model (Important Note)

Django allows you to create a custom user model.

For beginners, use the default User.

For advanced projects, consider:

AUTH_USER_MODEL = 'yourapp.CustomUser'

But only if needed.

16. Common Mistakes

Forgetting CSRF token

Always include:

{% csrf_token %}

Not using login_required

Sensitive pages should be protected.

Incorrect login URL

Make sure LOGIN_URL is set correctly.

Not handling invalid login

Always check:

if user is not None:

17. Best Practices

  • use Django’s built-in authentication system
  • protect private views with login_required
  • use built-in views when possible
  • keep authentication simple at first
  • later add features like email verification

18. Mini Project: Authentication System

Features

  • signup page
  • login page
  • logout button
  • dashboard page (protected)

Dashboard Example

@login_required
def dashboard(request):
    return render(request, 'dashboard.html')

Template

<h1>Dashboard</h1>
<p>Welcome {{ user.username }}</p>

19. Summary

In this tutorial, you learned:

  • Django provides a built-in authentication system
  • users can register using UserCreationForm
  • users can log in using authenticate() and login()
  • users can log out using logout()
  • views can be protected with login_required
  • templates can access user information
  • built-in views simplify authentication tasks

Authentication is a core feature in almost every Django project.

20. Mini Quiz

1. Which function logs a user in?

A. signin()
B. login()
C. auth()
D. enter()

2. Which decorator protects views?

A. secure_view
B. auth_required
C. login_required
D. protect_view

3. Which form is used for registration?

A. LoginForm
B. UserForm
C. UserCreationForm
D. RegisterForm

4. Which function logs a user out?

A. exit()
B. logout()
C. leave()
D. close()

5. How do you check if a user is logged in?

A. user.logged
B. user.is_authenticated
C. user.status
D. user.active

21. What Comes Next?

Next tutorial:

Tutorial: User Registration System (Advanced)
You will learn how to build a more advanced signup system with custom forms, validation, and user profiles.