User Authentication Custom Hook (Payload CMS)

Hooks in Payload CMS enable you to inject custom logic at various points in the lifecycle of API calls. A common use case is ensuring that a user is logged in before performing certain actions.

Creating the Hook

const checkUserLoggedIn = ({ req, operation }) => {  
  if (!req.user) {  
    throw new Error('You must be logged in to perform this action.');  
  }  
};  


const myCollection = {  
  slug: 'secure-data',  
  hooks: {  
    beforeChange: [checkUserLoggedIn],  
  },  
};  
export default myCollection;  

How It Works

• The req.user object is populated only when a user is authenticated.
• If no user is found, the hook throws an error, preventing unauthorized changes.
• You can attach this hook to any collection or operation (create, update, delete).