Salesforce Decode
Salesforcedecode
Back to questions
LWCIntermediateexperience-cloudsecurityerror-handling

Handle Experience Cloud member login session expiry in embedded LWC

Real World Scenario

Community member leaves tab open overnight. Morning Apex calls return 401 and LWC shows infinite spinner.

Expected Answer

• Detect 401 or SESSION_EXPIRED in imperative Apex catch block • Redirect to community login with return URL encoded • finally block always clears loading state • Optional session heartbeat for long-running wizards • Guest vs member session timeout differences in testing • Toast explaining session expired not generic error • Preserve draft form data in sessionStorage before redirect optional

Follow-Up Questions & Answers

Click to expand — each follow-up includes a direct, interview-ready answer

Direct answer: Detect 401 or SESSION_EXPIRED in imperative Apex catch block Also consider: Redirect to community login with return URL encoded In practice: finally block always clears loading state Balance speed of delivery with maintainability.

Architect Perspective

Session expiry is normal path—not edge case. Every imperative call needs 401 handling.