---
title: "DPoP, device flow and passkeys for agents"
description: "How theAuth handles DPoP tokens, device flow, CIBA approval and passkeys for AI agents and the humans behind them, with status for Go and TypeScript."
canonical: https://theauth.dev/agent-oauth/
lastmod: 2026-10-10
---

Agent-grade OAuth

# DPoP, device flow and passkeys for AI agents.

An agent needs more than a bearer token. This page shows which standards theAuth uses to bind tokens to a key, let a person approve a sensitive call and sign in the humans behind each agent, and how far each one has shipped in Go and TypeScript.

[Get started](https://docs.theauth.dev/quickstart) [Compare Go and TypeScript](https://theauth.dev/features/)

## What is covered and where

Agent OAuth standards and status in Go and TypeScript

| Standard | What it does | Go | TypeScript |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| RFC 9449 DPoP | Access tokens bound to a client key, so a stolen token is useless without the private key. | Beta | Not found in core |
| RFC 8628 device authorization | A code shown on a CLI or headless client and entered on another device. | Stable | Beta |
| RFC 9509 CIBA | An agent asks, a person approves out of band. Needs memory or Postgres storage. | Supported | Check the matrix |
| Passkeys (WebAuthn) | Discoverable passkeys for the people who own agents. | Stable | Beta |

Status comes from the [feature matrix](https://theauth.dev/features/), which links the source file for each row. It changes as releases ship.

## How they fit together

The [MCP OAuth 2.1 server](https://theauth.dev/mcp-oauth/) issues scoped tokens with PKCE S256. DPoP makes those tokens sender constrained. CIBA lets an [agent identity](https://theauth.dev/agent-identity/) pause until a person approves. The device grant covers CLIs and headless tools, and [passkeys](https://theauth.dev/human-auth/) sign in the people who own the agents. Building in Go? See the [Go authentication library](https://theauth.dev/go/), or follow the [TypeScript MCP guide](https://theauth.dev/guides/mcp-server-typescript/).

## Common questions

**Does theAuth support DPoP?**

In theauth-go, yes: DPoP (RFC 9449) binds access tokens to a client key and is in beta, behind its own config field. In the TypeScript library we did not find a DPoP implementation in core, so check the feature matrix before relying on it there.

**Can an AI agent use the device flow?**

The device grant (RFC 8628) lets a CLI or headless client show a code that a person enters on another device. It is stable in Go and beta in TypeScript. For an agent that must wait for a human decision on a single action, CIBA is the closer fit, and it is in the Go library.

**Are passkeys supported?**

Yes. Passkeys (WebAuthn) are stable in theauth-go and beta in the TypeScript core. They sign in the person who owns an agent. The agent itself uses a scoped token, not a passkey.

**Which of these should I turn on first?**

Start with PKCE S256 and scoped tokens, which every MCP client expects. Add DPoP when a leaked token would be costly, and CIBA when an agent should ask a person before a sensitive call.