diff --git a/scp_udg_client_app/helpers.py b/scp_udg_client_app/helpers.py
index 9caf8f115603d14816d129e5f4114488479f3a6d..13e40be82f528f04b4778be4db69ed778a9d0e63 100644
--- a/scp_udg_client_app/helpers.py
+++ b/scp_udg_client_app/helpers.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import json
 import logging
 import os
 import shutil
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ from os import path
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
+import click
 import javaproperties
 from dateutil.parser import parse
 from scp_udg_client_rest import LoginRequest, Configuration, ApiClient, UrbanDatasetGatewayApi
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ def move_file(src, dst):
 
     return new_dst
 
+
 def read_properties_file(file_path):
     with open(file_path, 'r') as file:
         logger.debug(f'Reading config file {file_path}')
@@ -123,14 +126,46 @@ def save_dataset(dataset, resource_id: str, destination_dir: str) -> None:
         file.write(dataset.to_json())
 
 
+def get_token(token, token_file, is_json):
+    """Determine the token from different sources."""
+    if token:
+        logger.info("Reading token from command line argument")
+    elif token_file:
+        try:
+            logger.info(f"Reading token from file {token_file.name}")
+            if is_json or token_file.name.lower().endswith('.json'):
+                token_data = json.load(token_file)
+                token = token_data.get('token', None)
+                if not token:
+                    raise click.ClickException("Token field missing in the JSON file.")
+            else:
+                token = token_file.read().strip()
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            raise click.ClickException("Failed to decode JSON from the token file.")
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise click.ClickException(f"Error reading token from file: {str(e)}")
+    else:
+        token = None
+    return token
+
+
 def create_api_client_instance(udg_endpoint: str, access_token: Optional[str] = None) -> UrbanDatasetGatewayApi:
     configuration = Configuration(host=udg_endpoint, access_token=access_token)
     api_client = ApiClient(configuration)
     return UrbanDatasetGatewayApi(api_client)
 
 
-def active_login(api_instance: UrbanDatasetGatewayApi, user_name: str, user_password: str) -> bool:
-    return is_api_alive(api_instance) or authenticate_user(api_instance, user_name, user_password)
+def active_login(api_instance: UrbanDatasetGatewayApi, username: str, password: str) -> bool:
+    logger.info("Checking if the API is alive.")
+    api_alive = is_api_alive(api_instance)
+    if api_alive:
+        logger.info("API is alive; no need to authenticate user.")
+        return True
+    if not username or not password:
+        logger.warning("Username or password not set; cannot authenticate user.")
+        return False
+    logger.info(f"API is not alive; authenticating user '{username}'.")
+    return authenticate_user(api_instance, username, password)
 
 
 def count_files_recursively(folder_path: str) -> dict: