NestJS Guards and Interceptors
Master NestJS guards and interceptors for implementing authentication, authorization, logging, and request/response transformation.
Guards Fundamentals
Understanding CanActivate and ExecutionContext.
import { Injectable, CanActivate, ExecutionContext } from '@nestjs/common'; import { Observable } from 'rxjs';
@Injectable()
export class BasicGuard implements CanActivate {
canActivate(
context: ExecutionContext,
): boolean | Promise
private validateRequest(request: any): boolean { // Simple validation logic return !!request.headers.authorization; } }
// ExecutionContext provides context about current request @Injectable() export class ContextAwareGuard implements CanActivate { canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): boolean { // Get HTTP context const httpContext = context.switchToHttp(); const request = httpContext.getRequest(); const response = httpContext.getResponse();
// Get handler and class information
const handler = context.getHandler();
const controller = context.getClass();
console.log(`Handler: ${handler.name}`);
console.log(`Controller: ${controller.name}`);
return true;
} }
// Usage in controller import { Controller, Get, UseGuards } from '@nestjs/common';
@Controller('users') @UseGuards(BasicGuard) export class UserController { @Get() findAll() { return []; }
@Get('profile') @UseGuards(ContextAwareGuard) // Method-level guard getProfile() { return { name: 'John' }; } }
Authentication Guards
JWT, session, and API key authentication patterns.
import { Injectable, UnauthorizedException } from '@nestjs/common'; import { JwtService } from '@nestjs/jwt';
@Injectable() export class JwtAuthGuard implements CanActivate { constructor(private jwtService: JwtService) {}
async canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): Promise
if (!token) {
throw new UnauthorizedException('No token provided');
}
try {
const payload = await this.jwtService.verifyAsync(token, {
secret: process.env.JWT_SECRET,
});
// Attach user to request
request['user'] = payload;
} catch {
throw new UnauthorizedException('Invalid token');
}
return true;
}
private extractTokenFromHeader(request: any): string | undefined { const [type, token] = request.headers.authorization?.split(' ') ?? []; return type === 'Bearer' ? token : undefined; } }
// Session-based authentication @Injectable() export class SessionAuthGuard implements CanActivate { canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): boolean { const request = context.switchToHttp().getRequest();
if (!request.session || !request.session.userId) {
throw new UnauthorizedException('Not authenticated');
}
return true;
} }
// API Key authentication @Injectable() export class ApiKeyGuard implements CanActivate { constructor(private configService: ConfigService) {}
canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): boolean { const request = context.switchToHttp().getRequest(); const apiKey = request.headers['x-api-key'];
if (!apiKey) {
throw new UnauthorizedException('API key required');
}
const validApiKey = this.configService.get('API_KEY');
if (apiKey !== validApiKey) {
throw new UnauthorizedException('Invalid API key');
}
return true;
} }
// Multiple auth strategies @Injectable() export class MultiAuthGuard implements CanActivate { constructor( private jwtService: JwtService, private configService: ConfigService, ) {}
async canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): Promise
// Try JWT first
const token = this.extractTokenFromHeader(request);
if (token) {
try {
const payload = await this.jwtService.verifyAsync(token);
request['user'] = payload;
return true;
} catch {}
}
// Fall back to API key
const apiKey = request.headers['x-api-key'];
if (apiKey === this.configService.get('API_KEY')) {
return true;
}
throw new UnauthorizedException();
}
private extractTokenFromHeader(request: any): string | undefined { const [type, token] = request.headers.authorization?.split(' ') ?? []; return type === 'Bearer' ? token : undefined; } }
Role-Based Authorization Guards
RBAC patterns with decorators.
import { SetMetadata } from '@nestjs/common'; import { Reflector } from '@nestjs/core';
// Define roles export enum Role { USER = 'user', ADMIN = 'admin', MODERATOR = 'moderator', }
// Roles decorator export const ROLES_KEY = 'roles'; export const Roles = (...roles: Role[]) => SetMetadata(ROLES_KEY, roles);
// Roles guard @Injectable() export class RolesGuard implements CanActivate { constructor(private reflector: Reflector) {}
canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): boolean {
const requiredRoles = this.reflector.getAllAndOverride
if (!requiredRoles) {
return true; // No roles required
}
const request = context.switchToHttp().getRequest();
const user = request.user;
if (!user) {
throw new UnauthorizedException('User not authenticated');
}
const hasRole = requiredRoles.some((role) => user.roles?.includes(role));
if (!hasRole) {
throw new ForbiddenException('Insufficient permissions');
}
return true;
} }
// Usage @Controller('admin') @UseGuards(JwtAuthGuard, RolesGuard) export class AdminController { @Get('users') @Roles(Role.ADMIN) getAllUsers() { return []; }
@Get('moderate') @Roles(Role.ADMIN, Role.MODERATOR) moderateContent() { return { message: 'Moderation tools' }; } }
// Permission-based authorization export const PERMISSIONS_KEY = 'permissions'; export const RequirePermissions = (...permissions: string[]) => SetMetadata(PERMISSIONS_KEY, permissions);
@Injectable() export class PermissionsGuard implements CanActivate { constructor(private reflector: Reflector) {}
canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): boolean {
const requiredPermissions = this.reflector.getAllAndOverride
if (!requiredPermissions) {
return true;
}
const request = context.switchToHttp().getRequest();
const user = request.user;
const hasPermission = requiredPermissions.every((permission) =>
user.permissions?.includes(permission),
);
if (!hasPermission) {
throw new ForbiddenException('Missing required permissions');
}
return true;
} }
// Resource ownership guard @Injectable() export class ResourceOwnerGuard implements CanActivate { constructor(private usersService: UsersService) {}
async canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): Promise
const resource = await this.usersService.findOne(resourceId);
if (!resource) {
throw new NotFoundException('Resource not found');
}
if (resource.userId !== user.id && !user.roles.includes(Role.ADMIN)) {
throw new ForbiddenException('You do not own this resource');
}
// Attach resource to request for later use
request['resource'] = resource;
return true;
} }
Interceptors Fundamentals
NestInterceptor and response transformation.
import { Injectable, NestInterceptor, ExecutionContext, CallHandler, } from '@nestjs/common'; import { Observable } from 'rxjs'; import { map, tap } from 'rxjs/operators';
// Basic interceptor
@Injectable()
export class LoggingInterceptor implements NestInterceptor {
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
const now = Date.now();
return next
.handle()
.pipe(tap(() => console.log(`After... ${Date.now() - now}ms`)));
} }
// Transform response
@Injectable()
export class TransformInterceptor
interface Response
// Error handling in interceptor
@Injectable()
export class ErrorsInterceptor implements NestInterceptor {
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
// Usage @Controller('users') @UseInterceptors(LoggingInterceptor) export class UserController { @Get() @UseInterceptors(TransformInterceptor) findAll() { return [{ id: 1, name: 'John' }]; } }
Logging Interceptors
Advanced logging patterns.
import { Logger } from '@nestjs/common';
@Injectable() export class RequestLoggingInterceptor implements NestInterceptor { private readonly logger = new Logger(RequestLoggingInterceptor.name);
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
this.logger.log(`Incoming Request: ${method} ${url}`);
this.logger.debug(`User Agent: ${userAgent}`);
this.logger.debug(`Body: ${JSON.stringify(body)}`);
const now = Date.now();
return next.handle().pipe(
tap({
next: (data) => {
const response = context.switchToHttp().getResponse();
this.logger.log(
`Response: ${method} ${url} ${response.statusCode} - ${Date.now() - now}ms`,
);
},
error: (err) => {
this.logger.error(
`Error: ${method} ${url} - ${err.message}`,
err.stack,
);
},
}),
);
} }
// Performance monitoring @Injectable() export class PerformanceInterceptor implements NestInterceptor { private readonly logger = new Logger(PerformanceInterceptor.name);
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
return next.handle().pipe(
tap(() => {
const duration = Date.now() - startTime;
if (duration > 1000) {
this.logger.warn(`Slow request: ${method} ${url} - ${duration}ms`);
} else {
this.logger.log(`${method} ${url} - ${duration}ms`);
}
}),
);
} }
Response Transformation Interceptors
Shaping API responses consistently.
// Wrap all responses
@Injectable()
export class ResponseWrapperInterceptor implements NestInterceptor {
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
// Pagination wrapper
interface PaginatedResponse
@Injectable()
export class PaginationInterceptor implements NestInterceptor {
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
return {
items,
total,
page,
pageSize,
totalPages: Math.ceil(total / pageSize),
};
}
return data;
}),
);
} }
// Exclude null fields
@Injectable()
export class ExcludeNullInterceptor implements NestInterceptor {
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
private removeNullValues(obj: any): any { if (Array.isArray(obj)) { return obj.map((item) => this.removeNullValues(item)); }
if (obj !== null && typeof obj === 'object') {
return Object.entries(obj).reduce((acc, [key, value]) => {
if (value !== null) {
acc[key] = this.removeNullValues(value);
}
return acc;
}, {});
}
return obj;
} }
Caching Interceptors
Implementing caching strategies.
import { CACHE_MANAGER } from '@nestjs/cache-manager'; import { Cache } from 'cache-manager';
@Injectable() export class CacheInterceptor implements NestInterceptor { constructor(@Inject(CACHE_MANAGER) private cacheManager: Cache) {}
async intercept(
context: ExecutionContext,
next: CallHandler,
): Promise${request.method}:${request.url};
// Check cache
const cachedResponse = await this.cacheManager.get(cacheKey);
if (cachedResponse) {
return of(cachedResponse);
}
// Execute handler and cache result
return next.handle().pipe(
tap(async (response) => {
await this.cacheManager.set(cacheKey, response, 60000); // 60s TTL
}),
);
} }
// Conditional caching export const CACHE_KEY_METADATA = 'cache_key'; export const CacheKey = (key: string) => SetMetadata(CACHE_KEY_METADATA, key);
@Injectable() export class SmartCacheInterceptor implements NestInterceptor { constructor( @Inject(CACHE_MANAGER) private cacheManager: Cache, private reflector: Reflector, ) {}
async intercept(
context: ExecutionContext,
next: CallHandler,
): Promise
if (!cacheKey) {
return next.handle();
}
const cached = await this.cacheManager.get(cacheKey);
if (cached) {
return of(cached);
}
return next.handle().pipe(
tap(async (response) => {
await this.cacheManager.set(cacheKey, response);
}),
);
} }
// Usage @Controller('products') export class ProductsController { @Get() @CacheKey('all-products') findAll() { return this.productsService.findAll(); } }
Timeout Interceptors
Handling request timeouts.
import { timeout, catchError } from 'rxjs/operators'; import { throwError, TimeoutError } from 'rxjs';
@Injectable()
export class TimeoutInterceptor implements NestInterceptor {
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
// Dynamic timeout based on endpoint export const TIMEOUT_METADATA = 'timeout'; export const Timeout = (milliseconds: number) => SetMetadata(TIMEOUT_METADATA, milliseconds);
@Injectable() export class DynamicTimeoutInterceptor implements NestInterceptor { constructor(private reflector: Reflector) {}
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
return next.handle().pipe(
timeout(timeoutValue),
catchError((err) => {
if (err instanceof TimeoutError) {
return throwError(() => new RequestTimeoutException());
}
return throwError(() => err);
}),
);
} }
// Usage @Controller('reports') export class ReportsController { @Get('generate') @Timeout(30000) // 30 second timeout for long-running report generateReport() { return this.reportsService.generate(); } }
Pipes
Validation and transformation pipes.
import { PipeTransform, Injectable, ArgumentMetadata, BadRequestException } from '@nestjs/common'; import { validate } from 'class-validator'; import { plainToInstance } from 'class-transformer';
// Built-in validation pipe import { ValidationPipe } from '@nestjs/common';
@Controller('users') export class UserController { @Post() create(@Body(new ValidationPipe()) createUserDto: CreateUserDto) { return this.usersService.create(createUserDto); } }
// Custom validation pipe
@Injectable()
export class CustomValidationPipe implements PipeTransform
const object = plainToInstance(metatype, value);
const errors = await validate(object);
if (errors.length > 0) {
const messages = errors.map((err) => ({
property: err.property,
constraints: err.constraints,
}));
throw new BadRequestException({ errors: messages });
}
return value;
}
private toValidate(metatype: Function): boolean { const types: Function[] = [String, Boolean, Number, Array, Object]; return !types.includes(metatype); } }
// Transformation pipes
@Injectable()
export class ParseIntPipe implements PipeTransform
// Built-in pipes usage @Get(':id') findOne(@Param('id', ParseIntPipe) id: number) { return this.usersService.findOne(id); }
// Strip fields pipe @Injectable() export class StripFieldsPipe implements PipeTransform { constructor(private readonly fieldsToStrip: string[]) {}
transform(value: any) { if (typeof value !== 'object' || value === null) { return value; }
const result = { ...value };
this.fieldsToStrip.forEach((field) => {
delete result[field];
});
return result;
} }
// Default value pipe @Injectable() export class DefaultValuePipe implements PipeTransform { constructor(private readonly defaultValue: any) {}
transform(value: any) { return value !== undefined && value !== null ? value : this.defaultValue; } }
Exception Filters
Custom exception handling.
import { ExceptionFilter, Catch, ArgumentsHost, HttpException, HttpStatus, } from '@nestjs/common'; import { Request, Response } from 'express';
// HTTP exception filter
@Catch(HttpException)
export class HttpExceptionFilter implements ExceptionFilter {
catch(exception: HttpException, host: ArgumentsHost) {
const ctx = host.switchToHttp();
const response = ctx.getResponse
response.status(status).json({
statusCode: status,
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
path: request.url,
message: exception.message,
});
} }
// All exceptions filter @Catch() export class AllExceptionsFilter implements ExceptionFilter { private readonly logger = new Logger(AllExceptionsFilter.name);
catch(exception: unknown, host: ArgumentsHost) {
const ctx = host.switchToHttp();
const response = ctx.getResponse
const status =
exception instanceof HttpException
? exception.getStatus()
: HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR;
const message =
exception instanceof HttpException
? exception.message
: 'Internal server error';
this.logger.error(
`${request.method} ${request.url}`,
exception instanceof Error ? exception.stack : 'Unknown error',
);
response.status(status).json({
statusCode: status,
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
path: request.url,
message,
});
} }
// Validation exception filter
@Catch(BadRequestException)
export class ValidationExceptionFilter implements ExceptionFilter {
catch(exception: BadRequestException, host: ArgumentsHost) {
const ctx = host.switchToHttp();
const response = ctx.getResponse
const exceptionResponse = exception.getResponse();
const errors =
typeof exceptionResponse === 'object' && 'message' in exceptionResponse
? exceptionResponse['message']
: exceptionResponse;
response.status(HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST).json({
statusCode: HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST,
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
path: request.url,
errors,
});
} }
// Usage @Controller('users') @UseFilters(new HttpExceptionFilter()) export class UserController {}
// Global filter async function bootstrap() { const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule); app.useGlobalFilters(new AllExceptionsFilter()); await app.listen(3000); }
Middleware
Function and class middleware.
import { Injectable, NestMiddleware } from '@nestjs/common'; import { Request, Response, NextFunction } from 'express';
// Class middleware @Injectable() export class LoggerMiddleware implements NestMiddleware { private logger = new Logger('HTTP');
use(req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) { const { method, originalUrl } = req; const startTime = Date.now();
res.on('finish', () => {
const { statusCode } = res;
const duration = Date.now() - startTime;
this.logger.log(`${method} ${originalUrl} ${statusCode} - ${duration}ms`);
});
next();
} }
// Function middleware
export function logger(req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) {
console.log(Request: ${req.method} ${req.url});
next();
}
// Authentication middleware @Injectable() export class AuthMiddleware implements NestMiddleware { constructor(private authService: AuthService) {}
async use(req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) { const token = req.headers.authorization?.split(' ')[1];
if (!token) {
throw new UnauthorizedException('No token provided');
}
try {
const user = await this.authService.validateToken(token);
req['user'] = user;
next();
} catch (error) {
throw new UnauthorizedException('Invalid token');
}
} }
// CORS middleware @Injectable() export class CorsMiddleware implements NestMiddleware { use(req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) { res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Origin', '*'); res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Methods', 'GET,PUT,POST,DELETE'); res.header('Access-Control-Allow-Headers', 'Content-Type, Authorization');
if (req.method === 'OPTIONS') {
res.sendStatus(200);
} else {
next();
}
} }
// Apply middleware in module import { Module, MiddlewareConsumer, RequestMethod } from '@nestjs/common';
@Module({ imports: [], controllers: [UserController], }) export class AppModule { configure(consumer: MiddlewareConsumer) { consumer .apply(LoggerMiddleware) .forRoutes('*');
consumer
.apply(AuthMiddleware)
.exclude(
{ path: 'auth/login', method: RequestMethod.POST },
{ path: 'health', method: RequestMethod.GET },
)
.forRoutes('*');
} }
Request Lifecycle and Execution Order
Understanding the order of execution.
// Order of execution: // 1. Middleware // 2. Guards // 3. Interceptors (before) // 4. Pipes // 5. Controller method // 6. Interceptors (after) // 7. Exception filters
@Controller('demo') export class DemoController { private readonly logger = new Logger(DemoController.name);
@Post() @UseGuards(DemoGuard) @UseInterceptors(DemoInterceptor) @UsePipes(DemoPipe) create(@Body() data: any) { this.logger.log('5. Controller method executed'); return data; } }
@Injectable() export class DemoGuard implements CanActivate { private readonly logger = new Logger(DemoGuard.name);
canActivate(context: ExecutionContext): boolean { this.logger.log('2. Guard executed'); return true; } }
@Injectable() export class DemoInterceptor implements NestInterceptor { private readonly logger = new Logger(DemoInterceptor.name);
intercept(context: ExecutionContext, next: CallHandler): Observable
@Injectable() export class DemoPipe implements PipeTransform { private readonly logger = new Logger(DemoPipe.name);
transform(value: any) { this.logger.log('4. Pipe executed'); return value; } }
Testing Guards and Interceptors
Unit testing patterns.
import { Test, TestingModule } from '@nestjs/testing'; import { ExecutionContext } from '@nestjs/common';
describe('JwtAuthGuard', () => { let guard: JwtAuthGuard; let jwtService: JwtService;
beforeEach(async () => { const module: TestingModule = await Test.createTestingModule({ providers: [ JwtAuthGuard, { provide: JwtService, useValue: { verifyAsync: jest.fn(), }, }, ], }).compile();
guard = module.get<JwtAuthGuard>(JwtAuthGuard);
jwtService = module.get<JwtService>(JwtService);
});
it('should allow valid token', async () => { const mockContext = { switchToHttp: () => ({ getRequest: () => ({ headers: { authorization: 'Bearer valid-token' }, }), }), } as ExecutionContext;
jest.spyOn(jwtService, 'verifyAsync').mockResolvedValue({ userId: 1 });
const result = await guard.canActivate(mockContext);
expect(result).toBe(true);
});
it('should reject invalid token', async () => { const mockContext = { switchToHttp: () => ({ getRequest: () => ({ headers: { authorization: 'Bearer invalid-token' }, }), }), } as ExecutionContext;
jest.spyOn(jwtService, 'verifyAsync').mockRejectedValue(new Error());
await expect(guard.canActivate(mockContext)).rejects.toThrow(
UnauthorizedException,
);
}); });
describe('TransformInterceptor', () => { let interceptor: TransformInterceptor;
beforeEach(() => { interceptor = new TransformInterceptor(); });
it('should transform response', (done) => { const mockContext = { switchToHttp: () => ({ getRequest: () => ({ url: '/test' }), }), } as ExecutionContext;
const mockCallHandler = {
handle: () => of({ name: 'Test' }),
};
interceptor.intercept(mockContext, mockCallHandler).subscribe((result) => {
expect(result).toHaveProperty('data');
expect(result).toHaveProperty('timestamp');
expect(result).toHaveProperty('path');
expect(result.data).toEqual({ name: 'Test' });
done();
});
}); });
When to Use This Skill
Use nestjs-guards-interceptors when:
Implementing authentication and authorization Adding logging and monitoring to your application Transforming request/response data consistently Implementing caching strategies Adding timeouts to requests Handling cross-cutting concerns Building middleware for request processing Creating reusable validation logic Implementing RBAC or ABAC patterns Adding performance monitoring NestJS Guards and Interceptors Best Practices Single responsibility - Each guard/interceptor should have one clear purpose Use metadata - Leverage decorators and Reflector for configuration Chain appropriately - Understand execution order when combining multiple guards/interceptors Error handling - Always handle errors gracefully in guards and interceptors Async operations - Use async/await for database calls in guards Global vs local - Apply guards/interceptors at appropriate scope (global, controller, method) Test thoroughly - Write unit tests for all guards and interceptors Performance - Keep guards and interceptors lightweight Logging - Use Logger service instead of console.log Type safety - Use TypeScript generics for type-safe interceptors NestJS Guards and Interceptors Common Pitfalls Wrong execution order - Not understanding middleware → guards → interceptors → pipes flow Forgetting async - Not using async when guards perform database operations Missing error handling - Guards that don't throw appropriate exceptions Interceptor mutation - Mutating data in interceptors instead of transforming Circular dependencies - Guards that create circular dependency chains Global scope issues - Applying too many global guards/interceptors hurts performance Missing metadata - Forgetting to use Reflector to read custom metadata Pipe placement - Using pipes in wrong order with validation Exception filter scope - Not understanding filter precedence Memory leaks - Not properly cleaning up subscriptions in interceptors Resources NestJS Guards Documentation NestJS Interceptors Documentation NestJS Pipes Documentation NestJS Exception Filters NestJS Middleware Documentation NestJS Execution Context RxJS Operators Guide NestJS Custom Decorators