How to Create a Login and Registration API in ASP.NET Core 10 Using JWT Authentication

User authentication is one of the most essential features in any modern application. In this guide, we will walk through the complete process of creating a

Login & Registration API in ASP.NET Core 10, using Entity Framework Core, Password Hashing, and JWT Token Authentication.

• This tutorial covers:
• Creating a new ASP.NET Core 10 Web API project
• Setting up models and DTOs
• Creating authentication controllers
• Implementing JWT token generation
• Connecting to SQL Server
• Adding DbContext and migrations
• Using Service & IService layers for clean architecture

Let’s get started!

1. Create a New ASP.NET Core 10 Web API Project

Open the terminal and run: dotnet new webapi -n MSIHR This creates a new API project with Swagger enabled so you can easily test login and registration.

2. Create the Model

Create a new file User.cs inside the Models folder:

public class User {
  public string Username { get; set; } 
  public string PasswordHash { get; set; } // used to store hashed password 
  } 

The password will not be stored directly. Instead, we will store a hashed version for security.

3. Create the DTO Model

Create a file UserDto.cs: