🔐 Symfony + Google Login: Simplifying Authentication with AI

🚀 Introduction

As a developer building modern web applications, I've always aimed to provide smooth and secure login experiences for users. Recently, I wanted to implement "Login with Google" in my Symfony application. Instead of browsing endless tutorials, I turned to AI for help — and what followed was a remarkably productive and empowering journey. 🤖✨

This post shares the process I followed, the tools I used, and how AI made it seamless.

🧩 Why Add Google Login?

Google login provides:

✅ Frictionless onboarding (users don’t need to remember yet another password)
🔒 Enhanced security using OAuth2
😍 Improved UX by reducing registration forms

I knew Symfony was capable, but integrating third-party authentication can be tricky. So I asked AI: "How do I let users register using Google in Symfony?"

🛠️ Tools Used

Symfony (my current backend framework)
KnpU OAuth2 Client Bundle
Google Cloud Console
league/oauth2-google
AI assistant (for step-by-step scaffolding)

🧭 Step-by-Step Outline

Here’s the plan we followed:

✅ Created OAuth credentials in the Google Cloud Console
🔧 Installed knpuniversity/oauth2-client-bundle and the Google provider
⚙️ Configured client credentials in .env.local and YAML
🧑‍💻 Built a ConnectController to start the OAuth flow
🛡 Created a custom OAuth2Authenticator to handle user data
🔐 Updated Symfony security to use the new login method
💾 Added a googleId field to my User entity
🧪 Tested everything and… it worked!

💡 The AI Edge

What made this experience special was how AI helped me as a mentor, not just a search engine. Instead of bouncing between blog posts and docs, I had a tailored assistant helping me:

Translate requirements into Symfony code
Generate authenticators and routes
Anticipate edge cases
Encourage best practices like keeping logic clean and extending for future providers (e.g., GitHub, Facebook)

The process was collaborative, efficient, and even fun. 😄

✨ Result

After completing the integration:

Users can now sign in with a single click
My system automatically creates a user if it's their first login
I feel confident extending this to other OAuth providers later

Here’s what the login button looks like:

<a href="{{ path('connect_google_start') }}" class="btn btn-outline-dark">
    Login with Google 🚪
</a>

📌 Final Thoughts Integrating Google login into Symfony used to feel daunting — but not anymore. With the right tools, good architecture, and a little AI assistance, it became an empowering feature to build.

If you're considering adding OAuth2 login to your app, give it a try. And don’t hesitate to lean on AI for clarity, speed, and better design decisions. 💡🤝

Documentation