# clerk

Reads your Clerk question and routes it to the right sub-skill: setup, CLI, framework patterns, billing, webhooks.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 30000 installs · ★ 89
- Author: clerk
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/clerk/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/clerk/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/clerk

## What it does

The skill does not answer anything on its own. It picks one of the bundled Clerk skills based on what you asked: `clerk-setup` for wiring Clerk into a project, `clerk-cli` for CLI work, `clerk-custom-ui` for your own sign-in flows, dedicated pattern sets for Next.js, React, Vue, Nuxt, Astro, TanStack Start, Expo and Chrome Extensions, plus `clerk-orgs`, `clerk-billing`, `clerk-webhooks`, `clerk-testing`, `clerk-swift`, `clerk-android` and `clerk-backend-api`.

Before picking patterns it checks the SDK version in `package.json`. For `@clerk/nextjs` and `@clerk/react` that is v5–v6 (Core 2) versus v7+, for `@clerk/expo` and `@clerk/react-router` v1–v2 versus v3+, for `@clerk/tanstack-react-start` below v0.26.0 versus v0.26.0 and up. Unclear version or a new project means current wins. Every skill targets the current SDK, and Core 2 differences sit inline as callouts. The exception is `clerk-custom-ui`, which keeps separate `core-2/` and `core-3/` directories because the custom flow hooks differ completely between versions.

If you already know your task, skip the routing and call the skill directly. Native Android work on Kotlin and Jetpack Compose goes through `clerk-android`, which is not meant for Expo or React Native projects. For Swift on iOS and macOS you have to run `clerk-setup` first when Clerk is not configured yet.

## Requirements
- Works with: Chrome

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/clerk/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/clerk/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/clerk/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/clerk/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install clerk/skills clerk
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/clerk/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/clerk/skills --path skills/clerk
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/clerk/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add clerk/skills --skill clerk -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/clerk/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/clerk/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- add Clerk to a project on a specific framework
- match patterns to the SDK version in `package.json`
- build a custom sign-in flow with `useSignIn` and `useSignUp`
- set up organizations, roles and permissions for a multi-tenant app
- test webhooks locally and impersonate a user

## Example prompts
- add Clerk to my Next.js project and tell me which keys I need
- I'm on `@clerk/nextjs` v5, show me the Core 2 patterns
- set up billing with plans and gate a feature using `has()`

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 7a7334f3601cc6bb.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 7a7334f3601cc6bb
```text
---
name: clerk
description: Clerk authentication router. Use when user asks about Clerk CLI operations,
  adding authentication, setting up Clerk, custom sign-in flows, Swift or native iOS
  auth, native Android auth, Next.js patterns, React patterns, Vue patterns, Nuxt
  patterns, Astro patterns, TanStack Start patterns, Expo patterns, React Router
  patterns, Chrome Extension patterns, organizations, billing, subscriptions, payments,
  pricing, plans, seat-based pricing, feature entitlements, syncing users, testing,
  impersonating a user, or testing webhooks locally.
  Automatically routes to the specific skill based on their task.
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: 2.0.0
---

# Clerk Skills Router

## Version Detection

Check `package.json` to determine the Clerk SDK version. This determines which patterns to use:

| Package | Core 2 (LTS until Jan 2027) | Current |
|---------|----------------------------|---------|
| `@clerk/nextjs` | v5–v6 | v7+ |
| `@clerk/react` or `@clerk/clerk-react` | v5–v6 | v7+ |
| `@clerk/expo` or `@clerk/clerk-expo` | v1–v2 | v3+ |
| `@clerk/react-router` | v1–v2 | v3+ |
| `@clerk/tanstack-react-start` | < v0.26.0 | v0.26.0+ |

**Default to current** if the version is unclear or the project is new. Core 2 packages use `@clerk/clerk-react` and `@clerk/clerk-expo` (with `clerk-` prefix); current packages use `@clerk/react` and `@clerk/expo`.

All skills are written for the current SDK. When something differs in Core 2, it's noted inline with `> **Core 2 ONLY (skip if current SDK):**` callouts. The exception is `clerk-custom-ui`, which has separate `core-2/` and `core-3/` directories for custom flow hooks since those APIs are entirely different between versions.

---

## By Task

**Adding Clerk to your project** → Use `clerk-setup`
- Framework detection and quickstart
- Environment setup, API keys, temporary dev keys via `clerk init`
- Migration from other auth providers
- Native iOS and macOS apps in Xcode, through the iOS setup prompt

**Operating Clerk from the CLI** → Use `clerk-cli`
- Auth, linking, `doctor`, and environment pulls
- User, org, session, app, and instance management
- Impersonating a user (`clerk impersonate`) and local webhook testing (`clerk webhooks listen`)
- Feature toggles (`clerk enable orgs`, `clerk enable billing`)
- Backend, Platform, and Frontend API calls through `clerk api`
- Deploy handoff and deploy status verification

**Custom sign-in/sign-up UI** → Use `clerk-custom-ui`
- Custom authentication flows with `useSignIn` / `useSignUp` hooks
- Appearance and styling (themes, colors, layout)
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 7a7334f3601cc6bb

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 7a7334f3601cc6bb tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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