Common Clerk SDK patterns and best practices. Use when implementing authentication flows, accessing user data, or integrating Clerk SDK methods in your application. Trigger with phrases like "clerk SDK", "clerk patterns", "clerk best practices", "clerk API usage".
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Learn common patterns and best practices for using the Clerk SDK effectively.
// app/api/protected/route.ts
import { auth, currentUser } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
export async function GET() {
// Quick auth check
const { userId, sessionId, orgId } = await auth()
if (!userId) {
return Response.json({ error: 'Unauthorized' }, { status: 401 })
}
// Full user data when needed
const user = await currentUser()
return Response.json({
userId,
sessionId,
orgId,
email: user?.primaryEmailAddress?.emailAddress
})
}
'use client'
import { useUser, useAuth, useClerk, useSession } from '@clerk/nextjs'
export function AuthenticatedComponent() {
// User data and loading state
const { user, isLoaded, isSignedIn } = useUser()
// Auth utilities
const { userId, getToken, signOut } = useAuth()
// Full Clerk instance
const clerk = useClerk()
// Session info
const { session } = useSession()
// Get JWT token for API calls
const callExternalAPI = async () => {
const token = await getToken({ template: 'supabase' }) // or custom template
const res = await fetch('https://api.example.com', {
headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` }
})
}
if (!isLoaded) return <div>Loading...</div>
if (!isSignedIn) return <div>Please sign in</div>
return <div>Welcome, {user.firstName}</div>
}
// middleware.ts
import { clerkMiddleware, createRouteMatcher } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
const isPublicRoute = createRouteMatcher([
'/',
'/sign-in(.*)',
'/sign-up(.*)',
'/api/webhooks(.*)'
])
const isProtectedRoute = createRouteMatcher([
'/dashboard(.*)',
'/api/protected(.*)'
])
export default clerkMiddleware(async (auth, request) => {
if (isProtectedRoute(request)) {
await auth.protect()
}
})
export const config = {
matcher: ['/((?!.*\\..*|_next).*)', '/', '/(api|trpc)(.*)']
}
import { auth } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
export async function GET() {
const { userId, orgId, orgRole } = await auth()
// Check organization membership
if (!orgId) {
return Response.json({ error: 'No organization selected' }, { status: 400 })
}
// Check role-based access
if (orgRole !== 'org:admin') {
return Response.json({ error: 'Admin access required' }, { status: 403 })
}
// Query with organization scope
const data = await db.query.resources.findMany({
where: eq(resources.organizationId, orgId)
})
return Response.json(data)
}
// Use custom JWT claims for external services
const { getToken } = useAuth()
// Standard Clerk token
const clerkToken = await getToken()
// Custom template for Supabase
const supabaseToken = await getToken({ template: 'supabase' })
// Custom template for Hasura
const hasuraToken = await getToken({ template: 'hasura' })
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| auth() returns null | Not in server context | Use in Server Components or API routes |
| useUser() not updating | Component not re-rendering | Check ClerkProvider placement |
| getToken() fails | Template not configured | Configure JWT template in dashboard |
| orgId is null | No organization selected | Prompt user to select organization |
// app/dashboard/page.tsx
import { auth, currentUser } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
import { redirect } from 'next/navigation'
export default async function DashboardPage() {
const { userId } = await auth()
if (!userId) {
redirect('/sign-in')
}
const user = await currentUser()
return (
<main>
<h1>Dashboard</h1>
<UserProfile user={user} />
<DashboardContent userId={userId} />
</main>
)
}
// types/clerk.d.ts
interface UserPublicMetadata {
tier: 'free' | 'pro' | 'enterprise'
onboarded: boolean
}
interface UserPrivateMetadata {
stripeCustomerId?: string
}
// Usage
const user = await currentUser()
const tier = user?.publicMetadata?.tier ?? 'free'
Proceed to clerk-core-workflow-a for user sign-up and sign-in flows.