Get Current User

In the previous chapter the security system (which is based on the dependency injection system) was giving the path operation function a token as a str:

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


@app.get("/items/")
async def read_items(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    return {"token": token}

But that is still not that useful.

Let's make it give us the current user.

Create a user model

First, let's create a Pydantic user model.

The same way we use Pydantic to declare bodies, we can use it anywhere else:

Python 3.6 and abovePython 3.10 and above

from typing import Optional

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: Optional[str] = None
    full_name: Optional[str] = None
    disabled: Optional[bool] = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: str | None = None
    full_name: str | None = None
    disabled: bool | None = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

Create a get_current_user dependency

Let's create a dependency get_current_user.

Remember that dependencies can have sub-dependencies?

get_current_user will have a dependency with the same oauth2_scheme we created before.

The same as we were doing before in the path operation directly, our new dependency get_current_user will receive a token as a str from the sub-dependency oauth2_scheme:

Python 3.6 and abovePython 3.10 and above

from typing import Optional

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: Optional[str] = None
    full_name: Optional[str] = None
    disabled: Optional[bool] = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: str | None = None
    full_name: str | None = None
    disabled: bool | None = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

Get the user

get_current_user will use a (fake) utility function we created, that takes a token as a str and returns our Pydantic User model:

Python 3.6 and abovePython 3.10 and above

from typing import Optional

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: Optional[str] = None
    full_name: Optional[str] = None
    disabled: Optional[bool] = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: str | None = None
    full_name: str | None = None
    disabled: bool | None = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

Inject the current user

So now we can use the same Depends with our get_current_user in the path operation:

Python 3.6 and abovePython 3.10 and above

from typing import Optional

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: Optional[str] = None
    full_name: Optional[str] = None
    disabled: Optional[bool] = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: str | None = None
    full_name: str | None = None
    disabled: bool | None = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

Notice that we declare the type of current_user as the Pydantic model User.

This will help us inside of the function with all the completion and type checks.

Tip

You might remember that request bodies are also declared with Pydantic models.

Here FastAPI won't get confused because you are using Depends.

Check

The way this dependency system is designed allows us to have different dependencies (different "dependables") that all return a User model.

We are not restricted to having only one dependency that can return that type of data.

Other models

You can now get the current user directly in the path operation functions and deal with the security mechanisms at the Dependency Injection level, using Depends.

And you can use any model or data for the security requirements (in this case, a Pydantic model User).

But you are not restricted to using some specific data model, class or type.

Do you want to have an id and email and not have any username in your model? Sure. You can use these same tools.

Do you want to just have a str? Or just a dict? Or a database class model instance directly? It all works the same way.

You actually don't have users that log in to your application but robots, bots, or other systems, that have just an access token? Again, it all works the same.

Just use any kind of model, any kind of class, any kind of database that you need for your application. FastAPI has you covered with the dependency injection system.

Code size

This example might seem verbose. Have in mind that we are mixing security, data models, utility functions and path operations in the same file.

But here's the key point.

The security and dependency injection stuff is written once.

And you can make it as complex as you want. And still, have it written only once, in a single place. With all the flexibility.

But you can have thousands of endpoints (path operations) using the same security system.

And all of them (or any portion of them that you want) can take the advantage of re-using these dependencies or any other dependencies you create.

And all these thousands of path operations can be as small as 3 lines:

Python 3.6 and abovePython 3.10 and above

from typing import Optional

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: Optional[str] = None
    full_name: Optional[str] = None
    disabled: Optional[bool] = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI
from fastapi.security import OAuth2PasswordBearer
from pydantic import BaseModel

app = FastAPI()

oauth2_scheme = OAuth2PasswordBearer(tokenUrl="token")


class User(BaseModel):
    username: str
    email: str | None = None
    full_name: str | None = None
    disabled: bool | None = None


def fake_decode_token(token):
    return User(
        username=token + "fakedecoded", email="john@example.com", full_name="John Doe"
    )


async def get_current_user(token: str = Depends(oauth2_scheme)):
    user = fake_decode_token(token)
    return user


@app.get("/users/me")
async def read_users_me(current_user: User = Depends(get_current_user)):
    return current_user

Recap

You can now get the current user directly in your path operation function.

We are already halfway there.

We just need to add a path operation for the user/client to actually send the username and password.

That comes next.