useUserSession() blank for one user
I am using nuxt-auth-utils to manage login and authentication in an app. When the user logs in we store data in
user using setUserSession() and then check some of those values in the authentication middleware. This appears to work fine ... except for one user.
For that user, we run setUserSession() on the server side, but when we then request the session with useUserSession() their session is blank. This happens regardless of whether I refresh the session with refresh or not. It feels like the session is simply not saved on the server side, or not passed to the client even after a refresh and route change.
I have been wondering if the total size of the stored data (including the secure part) could have any impact on whether the session saves or not, and whether that's something we can alter?5 Replies
Hi @Hituro. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave:
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Based on the information in the knowledge sources, the behavior you describe—where useUserSession() returns a blank session for one user after setUserSession() is called—could potentially be related to the size of the data being stored in the session cookie.
The nuxt-auth-utils module stores session data in secured and sealed cookies, as described in the official documentation. Since cookies have a size limit (typically around 4KB per cookie, including both the name and value, and after encryption/sealing), storing too much data in the session could cause the cookie to be truncated or not set at all. This would result in the session appearing blank when accessed via useUserSession(), even after a refresh or route change. The documentation does not explicitly mention the cookie size limit, but it does state that session data is stored in cookies and encrypted using a secret key from the NUXT_SESSION_PASSWORD environment variable Sessions and Authentication (Nuxt 4.x).
If this issue only occurs for one user, it's plausible that the data being stored for that user exceeds the cookie size limit, causing the session to fail to save or be transmitted correctly.
What you can do:
- Try reducing the amount of data you store in the session for that user, especially any large objects or arrays.
- Store only essential user information in the session cookie, and fetch additional data as needed from your backend.
- Check the size of the session cookie in your browser's developer tools to see if it approaches or exceeds the typical 4KB limit.
The knowledge sources do not provide a way to alter the maximum cookie size, as this is a browser and HTTP standard limitation.
Summary:
Yes, the total size of the stored session data can impact whether the session is saved and accessible. If the data exceeds the cookie size limit, the session may not be set or read correctly, resulting in a blank session for that user Sessions and Authentication (Nuxt 4.x). ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
Yes, the total size of the stored session data can impact whether the session is saved and accessible. If the data exceeds the cookie size limit, the session may not be set or read correctly, resulting in a blank session for that user Sessions and Authentication (Nuxt 4.x). ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
<@335518469107744768> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.
So what is the best way to store per user data on the server that doesn’t run into this limit? @kapa.ai
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
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The best way to store per-user data on the server without running into cookie size limits is to use a server-side database to store user session or profile data, and only keep a minimal session identifier or token in the cookie. The nuxt-auth-utils documentation suggests that while session data is stored in cookies by default, you can add a database to store users and their data for more advanced use cases. This approach allows you to store as much data as needed without being constrained by cookie size limits. You can then fetch the user data from the database as needed, using the session identifier from the cookie to look up the correct user record Sessions and Authentication (Nuxt 4.x).
Relevant next steps from the documentation:
- "Add a database to store users, see Nitro SQL Database or NuxtHub SQL Database"
- "Let user signup with email & password using password hashing" In summary:
Store only a session identifier in the cookie, and keep all large or sensitive per-user data in a server-side database. This avoids cookie size limits and is a standard, scalable approach for user data management in Nuxt apps Sessions and Authentication (Nuxt 4.x). ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
- "Let user signup with email & password using password hashing" In summary:
Store only a session identifier in the cookie, and keep all large or sensitive per-user data in a server-side database. This avoids cookie size limits and is a standard, scalable approach for user data management in Nuxt apps Sessions and Authentication (Nuxt 4.x). ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------
<@335518469107744768> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.