1# Authentication — TypeScript SDK Quick Reference
2 
3> Condensed from **azure-identity-ts**. Full patterns (sovereign clouds,
4> device code flow, custom credentials, bearer token provider)
5> in the **azure-identity-ts** plugin skill if installed.
6 
7## Install
8npm install @azure/identity
9 
10## Quick Start
11 
12> **Auth:** `DefaultAzureCredential` is for local development. See [auth-best-practices.md](../auth-best-practices.md) for production patterns.
13 
14```typescript
15import { DefaultAzureCredential } from "@azure/identity";
16const credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
17```
18 
19## Best Practices
20- Use DefaultAzureCredential for **local development only** (CLI, PowerShell, VS Code). In production, use ManagedIdentityCredential — see [auth-best-practices.md](../auth-best-practices.md)
21- Never hardcode credentials — use environment variables or managed identity
22- Prefer managed identity — no secrets to manage in production
23- Scope credentials appropriately — use user-assigned identity for multi-tenant scenarios
24- Handle token refresh — Azure SDK handles this automatically
25- Use ChainedTokenCredential for custom fallback scenarios
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