Agent skill · Clerk

Clerk Setup skill for Claude Code, Codex and Cursor

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

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

What it does, in the publisher's words

Set up Clerk authentication in any project with the Clerk CLI and official framework quickstarts. Use when adding Clerk, initializing Clerk, scaffolding a new app with Clerk, or migrating an existing authentication system to 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 Setup

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-setup

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-setup -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-setup-src
cp -r /tmp/clerk-setup-src/skills/clerk-setup ./clerk-setup
zip -r clerk-setup.zip clerk-setup

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-setup -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-setup

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-setup -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-setup

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

npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-setup -a opencode

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

npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk-setup -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 Node.js 20.9.0 or later for current Clerk SDKs. The Clerk CLI can provision temporary development keys on supported frameworks without a Clerk account."
Pre-approves these tools (allowed-tools, experimental in the spec): WebFetch.

What's in the SKILL.md

13 sections

Before you start
Existing authentication
Existing Clerk projects
Use an existing Clerk application (optional)
Step 1a: Existing project without Clerk
Step 1b: Empty directory
Step 1c: Accountless development keys
Step 2: Fall back to docs when init is incomplete
Step 3: Add visible auth controls
Step 4: Verify
Step 5: If using shadcn/ui
Critical rules
After setup

Bundled files

evals/evals.json

Loaded only when the instructions point to them.

Facts

Skill name: clerk-setup
Publisher: Clerk (official)
Repo: clerk/skills
License: MIT
Version: 2.6.1
SKILL.md size: 2,230 words, 231 lines
Bundled files: 1
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 Next.js Patterns: Clerk patterns for Next.js middleware, Server Actions and caching.

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FAQ

What does the clerk-setup skill do?+

Adds Clerk authentication to a project, or migrates an existing auth system to Clerk. In its own SKILL.md, Clerk describes it as: "Set up Clerk authentication in any project with the Clerk CLI and official framework quickstarts. Use when adding Clerk, initializing Clerk, scaffolding a new app with Clerk, or migrating an existing authentication system to Clerk."

How do I install the clerk-setup skill?+

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

Does Clerk Setup 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 Node.js 20.9.0 or later for current Clerk SDKs. The Clerk CLI can provision temporary development keys on supported frameworks without a Clerk account.

Who maintains Clerk Setup?+

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