Yes, the

csrf_token

obtained from the headers and the flow response can be different. When a login is completed successfully, Ory Identities responds with a HTTP 303 Redirect to the configured redirect URL. Alongside the HTTP 303 Redirect is a

Set-Cookie

header which contains the Ory Session Cookie. This cookie includes a

csrf_token

([source](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/self-service/flows/user-login#successful-login)). On the other hand, when initializing a login flow or when rendering a form, the response includes a

csrf_token

as part of the flow data. This token is included in the attributes of the UI nodes in the response ([source](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/self-service#form-rendering), [source](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/quickstart#perform-registration-login-and-logout)). These tokens are used for Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection. When submitting a flow, you must send a CSRF token in the body and CSRF cookie back. The cookie should be sent by default by your browser, but you must add the CSRF token manually to the request body ([source](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/bring-your-own-ui/custom-ui-basic-integration#csrf-errors)). So, while both tokens serve the same purpose of CSRF protection, they are obtained from different sources and can be different.

The

csrf_token

you receive from the response body does not need to be saved as a cookie manually. Instead, it should be included in the body of your subsequent requests to the server. For example, when submitting a login or recovery flow, you would include the

csrf_token

in the body of your POST request. Here's an example of how you might do this when submitting a login flow:

bash curl -X POST \       -H 'Content-Type: application/json'\       -H 'Accept: application/json' \       -d '{"method":"password","csrf_token":"your-csrf-token","identifier":"[email protected]","password":"verystrongpassword"}' \       -b cookies.txt \       -c cookies.txt \       "https://{project.slug}.<http://projects.oryapis.com/self-service/login?flow=<your-flow-id|projects.oryapis.com/self-service/login?flow=<your-flow-id>>"

In this example,

"csrf_token":"your-csrf-token"

is where you include the

csrf_token

you received from the response body ([source](https://www.ory.sh/docs/kratos/bring-your-own-ui/custom-ui-basic-integration#submit-login-flow)). Remember, the

csrf_token

is used for Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection, and it's important to include it in your requests to ensure the security of your application.

Yes, if the input form is on a different page or if you need to make the request at a later time, you will need to store the

csrf_token

temporarily. However, it's important to note that this token should be stored securely to prevent any potential security risks. The storage method may vary based on your application's architecture and the specific technologies you're using. For a web application, you might store the

csrf_token

in the user's session or in a secure HTTP-only cookie. For a mobile application, you might use secure storage provided by the operating system. Remember, the

csrf_token

is sensitive data and should be handled with the same level of security as other sensitive data like passwords or API keys.

For a browser-based application, one recommended way to store the

csrf_token

is in the user's session data on the server side. This way, the token is not exposed to the client side and is less susceptible to attacks. Another method is to store the

csrf_token

in a secure, HTTP-only cookie. This means the cookie can only be accessed by the server and not by client-side JavaScript. This can help to prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. Here's an example of how you might set a secure, HTTP-only cookie in JavaScript:

javascript document.cookie = "csrf_token=your-csrf-token; Secure; HttpOnly";

Remember, the

csrf_token

is sensitive data and should be handled with the same level of security as other sensitive data like passwords or API keys. Always ensure that any storage method you choose is secure and appropriate for your specific application and its security requirements.