Agent skill · Clerk

Clerk Next.js Patterns skill for Claude Code, Codex and Cursor

Clerk patterns for Next.js middleware, Server Actions and caching.

Officialname: clerk-nextjs-patterns★ 89 (repo)pushed 2026-10-23MITSKILL.md on GitHubchecked 2026-11-07

What it does, in the publisher's words

Advanced Next.js patterns - middleware, Server Actions, caching with Clerk.

The description field of the SKILL.md. The agent reads only this at startup and decides from it when to load the full skill.

Install Clerk Next.js Patterns

The skills CLI copies the skill into the folder of each agent you pick (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Windsurf...). Add -g for all projects. Needs Node.js 22.20+. docs

npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-nextjs-patterns

This repo is a plugin marketplace. Inside Claude Code, add it and install the plugin that holds the skill (clerk), or copy only this skill into ~/.claude/skills. docs

/plugin marketplace add clerk/skills
/plugin install <plugin>@clerk-skills

# or only this skill:
npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-nextjs-patterns -a claude-code

Download the skill folder, zip it, then Customize > Skills > + > Create skill > Upload a skill. Code execution must be on (Settings > Capabilities). docs

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/clerk/skills.git /tmp/clerk-nextjs-patterns-src
cp -r /tmp/clerk-nextjs-patterns-src/skills/clerk-nextjs-patterns ./clerk-nextjs-patterns
zip -r clerk-nextjs-patterns.zip clerk-nextjs-patterns

Codex reads skills from .agents/skills in the repo or ~/.agents/skills. Type $ in Codex to use one. docs

npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-nextjs-patterns -a codex

gh skill (GitHub CLI 2.90+, preview) installs it for Copilot in VS Code, the CLI and the cloud agent. Copilot also reads .github/skills and ~/.copilot/skills. docs

gh skill install clerk/skills clerk-nextjs-patterns

Cursor reads .cursor/skills, .agents/skills and ~/.cursor/skills (and .claude/skills). It does not install loose skills from a GitHub URL, so copy it in. docs

npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-nextjs-patterns -a cursor

Installs from the GitHub repo; --path picks this skill out of the repo. Default scope is user (all projects). docs

gemini skills install https://github.com/clerk/skills.git --path skills/clerk-nextjs-patterns

OpenCode reads .opencode/skills, ~/.config/opencode/skills and the Claude and .agents folders. docs

npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-nextjs-patterns -a opencode

Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) reads .devin/skills, .windsurf/skills and ~/.codeium/windsurf/skills. docs

npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-nextjs-patterns -a windsurf

Works with

Claude Code, Claude.ai and Claude Desktop, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Windsurf and other agents that read the open Agent Skills format.

The SKILL.md says: "Requires NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY and CLERK_SECRET_KEY. For manual JWT verification (standalone API servers without Clerk middleware), additionally requires CLERK_JWT_KEY or CLERK_PEM_PUBLIC_KEY."
Pre-approves these tools (allowed-tools, experimental in the spec): WebFetch.
Bundles 2 TypeScript scripts the agent can run, so it needs TypeScript on the machine. In the Claude apps, code execution must be on.

What's in the SKILL.md

13 sections

What Do You Need?
References
Mental Model
Minimal Pattern
Conditional Rendering with <Show>
Cache Components
Common Pitfalls
Session Tokens & Custom JWTs
getToken() for external APIs
useSession() for session data
Manual JWT verification (no Clerk middleware)
See Also
Docs

Bundled files

evals/evals.json
references/api-routes.md
references/caching-auth.md
references/middleware-strategies.md
references/server-actions.md
references/server-vs-client.md
templates/nextjs-basic-auth/app/layout.tsx
templates/nextjs-basic-auth/app/page.tsx
templates/nextjs-basic-auth/next.config.ts
templates/nextjs-basic-auth/package.json
templates/nextjs-basic-auth/proxy.ts
templates/nextjs-basic-auth/tsconfig.json

Loaded only when the instructions point to them.

Facts

Skill name: clerk-nextjs-patterns
Publisher: Clerk (official)
Repo: clerk/skills
License: MIT
Version: 2.2.0
SKILL.md size: 1,084 words, 275 lines
Bundled files: 12, 2 scripts (TypeScript), 5 docs
Repo stars: 89 (as of 2026-10-24)
SKILL.md checked: 2026-11-07

Pairs with the Clerk MCP server: the server gives the agent the tools, the skill teaches it how to use them.

More skills from clerk/skills

Clerk Setup: Adds Clerk authentication to a project, or migrates an existing auth system to Clerk.

Related security & auth skills

Security Best Practices Review · OpenAI
Security Threat Model · OpenAI
Sign In With Google (Web) · Google
Agentic Actions Auditor · Trail of Bits
CodeQL Scan · Trail of Bits
Constant-Time Analysis · Trail of Bits
Differential Security Review · Trail of Bits
Semgrep Rule Creator · Trail of Bits

FAQ

What does the clerk-nextjs-patterns skill do?+

Clerk patterns for Next.js middleware, Server Actions and caching. In its own SKILL.md, Clerk describes it as: "Advanced Next.js patterns - middleware, Server Actions, caching with Clerk."

How do I install the clerk-nextjs-patterns skill?+

Run npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-nextjs-patterns and pick your agents, or use the tab for your agent above. In Claude Code the skill ends up in ~/.claude/skills/clerk-nextjs-patterns/SKILL.md; in Codex and Cursor in .agents/skills/clerk-nextjs-patterns/.

Does Clerk Next.js Patterns work in Codex, Cursor and Copilot, or only Claude?+

It's a standard SKILL.md, so any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use it: Claude Code, the Claude apps, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Windsurf and more. The SKILL.md notes: Requires NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY and CLERK_SECRET_KEY. For manual JWT verification (standalone API servers without Clerk middleware), additionally requires CLERK_JWT_KEY or CLERK_PEM_PUBLIC_KEY.

Who maintains Clerk Next.js Patterns?+

Clerk, the company or project behind it, in the clerk/skills repo on GitHub, last pushed 2026-10-23. License: MIT.

Read a skill's SKILL.md and scripts before you install it: skills aren't verified by any agent vendor. Claude skills marketplace · How to install skills · MCP servers