How I Validate API Keys Without Hitting the Database on Every Request

The article presents a method for validating API keys without querying the database on every request by making keys self-contained with an embedded HMAC signature. Keys are first validated locally via structure checks and HMAC verification, and only valid keys trigger a single database lookup for user info, with results cached in an LRU cache with a 5-minute TTL. This approach reduces database load and latency while maintaining security through timing-safe comparisons and short-lived caches.