diff --git a/server/src/controllers/authController.ts b/server/src/controllers/authController.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1c37775
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/controllers/authController.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { Request, Response } from "express";
+import { User } from "../models/User";
+import { generateToken } from "../utils/generateToken";
+
+
+export const register = async (req: Request, res: Response): Promise<void> => {
+    try {
+        const {name, email, password} = req.body
+        if (!name || !email || !password) {
+            res.status(400).json({message: 'All fields are required'});
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const existingUser = await User.findOne({email});
+        if (existingUser) {
+            res.status(409).json({message:'Email already registered'});
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const user = await User.create({ name, email, password });
+
+        const token = generateToken(user._id, user.email);
+        res.status(201).json({
+            token,
+            user,
+        })
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Register error:', error)
+        res.status(500).json({ message: 'Server error during registration' })
+    }
+};
+
+export const login = async (req: Request, res: Response ): Promise<void> => {
+    try {
+        const {email, password} = req.body;
+        if (!email || !password) {
+            res.status(400).json({
+                message: 'Email and password are required'
+            });
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const user = await User.findOne({ email });
+        if (!user) {
+            res.status(401).json({message:'Invalid Email or password'})
+            return;
+        }
+
+        const token = generateToken(user._id, user.email)
+
+        res.json({token, user})
+    } catch(error) {
+        console.error('Login error:', error)
+        res.status(500).json({ message: 'Server error during login' });
+
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/middleware/authMiddleware.ts b/server/src/middleware/authMiddleware.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7328ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/middleware/authMiddleware.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { Request, Response, NextFunction } from 'express';
+import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';
+import { User } from '../models/User';
+import { ENV } from '../config/env';
+
+interface JwtPayload {
+    id: string;
+    email: string;
+}
+
+export const protect = async (
+    req: Request,
+    res: Response,
+    next: NextFunction
+): Promise<void> => {
+    try {
+        const authHeader = req.headers.authorization;
+        if (!authHeader || !authHeader.startsWith('Bearer ')) {
+            res.status(401).json({ message: 'No token Provided' });
+            return;
+        }
+    const token = authHeader.split(' ')[1];
+    const decode =jwt.verify(token, ENV.JWT_SECRET) as JwtPayload;
+    const user = await User.findById(decode.id)
+    if (!user) {
+        res.status(401).json({ message: 'User no longer exists' })
+        return;
+    }
+
+    req.user = user;
+    next()
+
+    } catch(error) {
+        res.status(401).json({ message: 'Invalid or expired Token' })
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/models/User.ts b/server/src/models/User.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4492c0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/models/User.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import { Document, model, Schema, Types } from "mongoose";
+import bcrypt from 'bcryptjs';
+
+
+export interface IUser {
+  name: string;
+  email: string;
+  password: string;
+  createdAt?: Date;
+}
+
+export interface IUserDocument extends IUser, Document {
+    _id: Types.ObjectId
+    comparePassword(candidatePassword: string): Promise<boolean>;
+}
+
+const userSchema = new Schema<IUserDocument>({
+    name: {
+        type: String,
+        required: [true, 'Name is required'],
+        trim: true,
+        minLength: [2, 'Name must be at least 2 characters'],
+    },
+        email: {
+      type: String,
+      required: [true, 'Email is required'],
+      unique: true,
+      lowercase: true,   // always store as lowercase
+      trim: true,
+      match: [/^\S+@\S+\.\S+$/, 'Please enter a valid email'],
+    },
+    password: {
+      type: String,
+      required: [true, 'Password is required'],
+      minlength: [6, 'Password must be at least 6 characters'],
+    },
+  },
+  { timestamps: true }  // auto-adds createdAt and updatedAt
+);
+
+userSchema.pre('save', async function () {
+  if (!this.isModified('password')) return ;
+
+  const salt = await bcrypt.genSalt(12);
+  this.password = await bcrypt.hash(this.password, salt);
+});
+
+userSchema.methods.comparePassword = async function (
+    candidatePassword: string
+) : Promise<boolean> {
+  return bcrypt.compare(candidatePassword, this.password)  
+}
+
+userSchema.set('toJSON', {
+    transform: (_doc, ret) => {
+        delete ret.password;
+        return ret
+    }
+})
+
+export const User = model<IUserDocument>('User', userSchema);
diff --git a/server/src/routes/authRoutes.ts b/server/src/routes/authRoutes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..700c082
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/routes/authRoutes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import { Router } from 'express';
+import { register, login } from '../controllers/authController';
+
+const router = Router();
+
+router.post('/register', register);
+router.post ('/login', login)
+
+export default router;
+
diff --git a/server/src/server.ts b/server/src/server.ts
index a52b267..69fdc73 100644
--- a/server/src/server.ts
+++ b/server/src/server.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import express, {Application, Request, Response} from 'express';
 import cors from 'cors';
 import  {ENV} from './config/env';
 import {connectDB, readyState} from './config/db';
+import authRoutes from './routes/authRoutes';  
 
 const app: Application = express()
 
@@ -27,6 +28,10 @@ app.get('/health/db', (req: Request, res: Response)=> {
 });
 
 
+//api routes
+app.use('/api/auth', authRoutes);
+
+
 //start Server
 
 const start = async (): Promise<void> => {
diff --git a/server/src/types/express.d.ts b/server/src/types/express.d.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b5d53f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/types/express.d.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import { IUserDocument } from '../model/User';
+
+declare global {
+    namespace Express {
+        interface Request {
+            user?: IUserDocument
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/utils/generateToken.ts b/server/src/utils/generateToken.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a965a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/utils/generateToken.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import jwt from 'jsonwebtoken';
+import { Types } from 'mongoose';
+import { ENV } from '../config/env';
+
+interface TokenPayload {
+    id: string;
+    email: string;
+}
+
+export const generateToken = (
+    userId: Types.ObjectId,
+    email: string,
+): string => {
+    const payload: TokenPayload = {
+        id: userId.toString(),
+        email,
+    };
+    return jwt.sign(payload, ENV.JWT_SECRET, {
+        expiresIn: '7d'
+    });
+};
\ No newline at end of file