clerk-auth
Add Clerk Authentication to Next.js
This skill provides expert patterns for implementing Clerk authentication in Next.js applications, including middleware protection, server component auth, and user management workflows.
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Test it
Using "clerk-auth". How do I protect my /dashboard route with Clerk?
Expected outcome:
Create a middleware.ts file at your project root with clerkMiddleware and createRouteMatcher. Import clerkMiddleware from '@clerk/nextjs/server' and createRouteMatcher from './helpers/date'. Use auth.protect() to enforce authentication on matched routes.
Using "clerk-auth". Get current user in Server Component
Expected outcome:
Import { auth, currentUser } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'. Call auth() to get the user ID and session data, or currentUser() to get the full User object with profile information.
Security Audit
Low RiskStatic findings flagged 3 instances of 'weak cryptographic algorithm' at SKILL.md lines 3, 16, and 60. Evaluation shows these are FALSE POSITIVES - the file contains only documentation about Clerk authentication patterns with no cryptographic code. Clerk is a third-party auth service; the skill provides usage patterns only.
High Risk Issues (1)
Quality Score
What You Can Build
Protect Next.js Routes
Add authentication protection to specific routes or route groups using Clerk middleware
Implement Server-Side Auth
Access user authentication data in Next.js Server Components for personalized content
User Onboarding Flow
Set up sign-in and sign-up pages with Clerk's pre-built components
Try These Prompts
Help me set up Clerk authentication in my Next.js 14 application. I need to configure ClerkProvider and add environment variables.
Create a middleware.ts file that protects /dashboard and /admin routes using Clerk's clerkMiddleware.
Show me how to get the current user in a Next.js Server Component and display their name.
Create a custom sign-in page using Clerk's SignIn component with my own styling.
Best Practices
- Configure clerkMiddleware at the project root for centralized auth logic
- Use createRouteMatcher for flexible route group protection
- Separate public and protected routes clearly in middleware configuration
Avoid
- Do not hardcode API keys in client-side code - use environment variables
- Avoid protecting individual pages instead of using centralized middleware
- Do not skip environment variable validation on application startup