How to Use HTTP Basic Authentication in Go

Use http.Request.SetBasicAuth to attach credentials or http.BasicAuth to create a handler that validates them.

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
)

func main() {
	// Create a request with Basic Auth credentials
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://example.com/api", nil)
	req.SetBasicAuth("username", "password")

	// Create a handler that requires Basic Auth
	http.HandleFunc("/protected", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
		user, pass, ok := r.BasicAuth()
		if !ok || user != "admin" || pass != "secret" {
			http.Error(w, "Unauthorized", http.StatusUnauthorized)
			return
		}
		fmt.Fprintln(w, "Access granted")
	})

	http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil)
}

HTTP Basic Authentication is a simple way to secure web requests by sending a username and password with every request. It works like a digital ID card that the server checks before letting you in. You use it when you need to restrict access to an API or webpage without setting up complex login systems.