Struggling with Security and Performance in Angular 19? Meet CanMatch!

With Angular 19, route guards have evolved to provide even more flexibility in managing dynamic access control. While it CanActivate determines access post-route matching, it CanMatch continues to be a game-changer by deciding if a route should be considered before activation. This article explores CanMatch in Angular 19, covering its latest updates, advantages, and practical implementation strategies.

What’s New in Angular 19?

Angular 19 has optimized route handling and guard execution, improving the performance of CanMatch. It now integrates better with standalone APIs and supports enhanced route data management, making it easier to define and reuse guards efficiently.

What is CanMatch?

CanMatch is an Angular route guard that determines whether a route should be available based on dynamic conditions such as authentication, user roles, or feature flags. UnlikeCanActivate, it prevents a route from even being considered, optimizing performance and security.

Why Use CanMatch in Angular 19?

1. Dynamic Route Matching — Allow or restrict routes based on authentication, user roles, or feature flags.
2. Performance Boost — Prevent unnecessary route evaluation, reducing application overhead.
3. Enhanced Access Control — Fine-tune user access based on real-time conditions.
4. Optimized Standalone Components — Seamlessly integrates with Angular’s modern standalone APIs.

Implementing CanMatch in Angular 19

To use CanMatchDefine a guard implementing the CanMatchFn function-based approach, which is the recommended way in Angular 19.

Step 1: Create an Authentication Service

First, create a service to manage authentication and user roles.

import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';

@Injectable({ providedIn: 'root' })
export class AuthService {
  private isAuthenticated = false;
  private userRole: string | null = null;
  login(role: string) {
    this.isAuthenticated = true;
    this.userRole = role;
  }…