---
title: "Authentication Flows"
description: "Learn how to implement authentication flows in your Python application using Stack Auth's REST API"
---
This section covers the core authentication patterns and flows you'll need to implement secure authentication in your Python application using Stack Auth's REST API.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card 
    title="User Authentication"
    href="./authentication/user-authentication"
    icon="user"
  >
    Set up your Python client and configure API credentials for Stack Auth integration.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Authentication Patterns

Each authentication flow addresses specific use cases:

- **API Setup**: Foundation for all authentication operations
- **User Sessions**: Managing authenticated user state and session lifecycle  
- **OAuth Flows**: Social login integration (Google, GitHub, etc.)
- **Server Validation**: Securing your API endpoints and validating requests

## Getting Started

Start with [API Setup & Configuration](./api-setup) to establish your Python client, then proceed to the specific authentication flow that matches your application's needs.

For framework-specific integration examples, see the [Framework Integration](../integration) section.
