---
layout: docs
page_title: Auto-auth with JSW
description: >-
  Use JSON web tokens (JSW) for auto-authentication with Vault Agent or Vault
  Proxy.
---

> [!IMPORTANT]  
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# Auto-auth method: JSON web tokens (JSW)

The `jwt` method reads in a JWT from a file and sends it to the [JWT Auth
method](/vault/docs/auth/jwt).

## Configuration

- `path` `(string: required)` - The path to the JWT file

- `role` `(string: required)` - The role to authenticate against on Vault

- `remove_jwt_after_reading` `(bool: optional, defaults to true)` -
  This can be set to `false` to disable the default behavior of removing the
  JWT after it's been read.

- `remove_jwt_follows_symlinks` `(bool: optional, defaults to false)` -
This can be set to `true` to follow symlinks when removing the JWT after it has been read
when executing the `remove_jwt_after_reading` behaviour. If set to false, it will delete
the symlink, not the JWT. Does nothing if `remove_jwt_after_reading` is false.

- `jwt_read_period` `(duration: "0.5s", optional)` - The duration after which
Agent will attempt to read the JWT stored at `path`. Defaults to `1m` if
`remove_jwt_after_reading` is set to `true`, or `0.5s` otherwise.
Uses [duration format strings](/vault/docs/concepts/duration-format).