Skip to main content Configure enterprise SSO, role-based access control, and organization management.
Use when implementing SSO integration, configuring role-based permissions,
or setting up organization-level controls.
Trigger with phrases like "clerk SSO", "clerk RBAC",
"clerk enterprise", "clerk roles", "clerk permissions", "clerk SAML".
npx skills add jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills --skill clerk-enterprise-rbac ai automation claude-code devops mcp ai-agents
Clerk Enterprise RBAC
Overview
Implement enterprise-grade role-based access control, organization management, and SSO with Clerk. Covers custom roles and permissions, organization lifecycle, multi-tenant access patterns, SAML/OIDC SSO, and the Backend API for programmatic role management (released Nov 2025).
Prerequisites
Clerk Pro or Enterprise plan (Organizations + SSO require paid plan)
Organizations feature enabled in Clerk Dashboard > Organizations > Settings
Next.js 14+ with App Router (examples use @clerk/nextjs)
Instructions
Step 1: Enable Organizations and Add UI Components
// app/org-selector/page.tsx
import { OrganizationSwitcher, OrganizationProfile } from '@clerk/nextjs'
export default function OrgPage() {
return (
<div className="p-8">
<h1>Select Organization</h1>
<OrganizationSwitcher
hidePersonal={false}
afterSelectOrganizationUrl="/dashboard"
afterCreateOrganizationUrl="/dashboard"
/>
<div className="mt-8">
<OrganizationProfile />
</div>
</div>
)
}
Step 2: Define Custom Roles and Permissions
Configure in Clerk Dashboard > Organizations > Roles and Permissions .
Default roles (built-in):
Role Key Built-in Permissions
Admin org:adminFull org management (members, settings, billing) Member org:memberView org, read-only access
Custom permissions (create in Dashboard > Organizations > Permissions):
Permission Key Description Read data org:data:readView organization resources Write data org:data:writeCreate/update resources Delete data org:data:deleteDelete resources Manage billing org:billing:manageAccess billing settings View analytics org:analytics:readAccess analytics dashboard
Custom roles (create in Dashboard > Organizations > Roles):
Role Permissions Use Case org:managerdata:read, data:write, analytics:readContent managers org:viewerdata:readRead-only stakeholders org:billing_admindata:read, billing:manageFinance team
Step 3: RBAC Middleware — Route Protection by Role // middleware.ts
import { clerkMiddleware, createRouteMatcher } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
const isPublicRoute = createRouteMatcher([
'/',
'/sign-in(.*)',
'/sign-up(.*)',
'/api/webhooks(.*)',
])
const isAdminRoute = createRouteMatcher(['/admin(.*)'])
const isManagerRoute = createRouteMatcher(['/manage(.*)'])
export default clerkMiddleware(async (auth, req) => {
if (isPublicRoute(req)) return
if (isAdminRoute(req)) {
// Only org:admin can access /admin/*
await auth.protect({ role: 'org:admin' })
} else if (isManagerRoute(req)) {
// org:admin OR org:manager can access /manage/*
await auth.protect((has) =>
has({ role: 'org:admin' }) || has({ role: 'org:manager' })
)
} else {
// All other routes just require authentication
await auth.protect()
}
})
Step 4: Permission Checks in Server Components // app/admin/page.tsx
import { auth } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
import { redirect } from 'next/navigation'
export default async function AdminPage() {
const { userId, orgId, orgRole, has } = await auth()
if (!userId) redirect('/sign-in')
if (!orgId) redirect('/org-selector')
// Permission-based checks (preferred over role-based)
const canManageMembers = has({ permission: 'org:sys_memberships:manage' })
const canWriteData = has({ permission: 'org:data:write' })
const canDeleteData = has({ permission: 'org:data:delete' })
const canViewAnalytics = has({ permission: 'org:analytics:read' })
return (
<div>
<h1>Admin Panel</h1>
<p>Current role: {orgRole}</p>
<nav>
{canManageMembers && <a href="/admin/members">Manage Members</a>}
{canWriteData && <a href="/admin/content">Content Management</a>}
{canDeleteData && <a href="/admin/danger-zone">Danger Zone</a>}
{canViewAnalytics && <a href="/admin/analytics">Analytics</a>}
</nav>
</div>
)
}
Step 5: Permission Checks in Client Components 'use client'
import { Protect, useOrganization, useAuth } from '@clerk/nextjs'
export function AdminSection() {
const { organization } = useOrganization()
const { has } = useAuth()
return (
<div>
<h2>{organization?.name}</h2>
{/* Declarative: Protect component with fallback */}
<Protect
role="org:admin"
fallback={<p>You need admin access to view this section.</p>}
>
<DangerZone />
</Protect>
{/* Permission-based rendering */}
<Protect permission="org:data:write">
<EditForm />
</Protect>
{/* Imperative: has() for conditional logic */}
{has?.({ permission: 'org:analytics:read' }) && (
<AnalyticsDashboard />
)}
</div>
)
}
Step 6: Organization Member Management via Backend API // app/api/org/members/route.ts
import { auth, clerkClient } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
export async function GET() {
const { orgId, has } = await auth()
if (!orgId) return Response.json({ error: 'No org selected' }, { status: 400 })
if (!has({ permission: 'org:sys_memberships:read' })) {
return Response.json({ error: 'Forbidden' }, { status: 403 })
}
const client = await clerkClient()
const members = await client.organizations.getOrganizationMembershipList({
organizationId: orgId,
})
return Response.json({
members: members.data.map(m => ({
userId: m.publicUserData?.userId,
name: `${m.publicUserData?.firstName} ${m.publicUserData?.lastName}`,
email: m.publicUserData?.identifier,
role: m.role,
joinedAt: m.createdAt,
})),
})
}
export async function POST(req: Request) {
const { orgId, userId, has } = await auth()
if (!orgId || !has({ permission: 'org:sys_memberships:manage' })) {
return Response.json({ error: 'Forbidden' }, { status: 403 })
}
const { emailAddress, role } = await req.json()
const client = await clerkClient()
const invitation = await client.organizations.createOrganizationInvitation({
organizationId: orgId,
emailAddress,
role: role || 'org:member',
inviterUserId: userId!,
})
return Response.json({ invitation: { id: invitation.id, emailAddress, role } })
}
Step 7: Programmatic Role/Permission Management (Backend API) // lib/org-roles.ts — manage roles and permissions via API (released Nov 2025)
import { clerkClient } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'
export async function createCustomRole(orgId: string) {
const client = await clerkClient()
// Create a custom permission
await client.organizations.createOrganizationPermission({
organizationId: orgId,
name: 'Manage reports',
key: 'org:reports:manage',
description: 'Create, edit, and delete reports',
})
// Create a custom role with that permission
await client.organizations.createOrganizationRole({
organizationId: orgId,
name: 'Report Manager',
key: 'org:report_manager',
description: 'Can manage all reports',
permissions: ['org:reports:manage', 'org:data:read'],
})
}
// Update a member's role
export async function updateMemberRole(
orgId: string,
userId: string,
newRole: string
) {
const client = await clerkClient()
const memberships = await client.organizations.getOrganizationMembershipList({
organizationId: orgId,
})
const membership = memberships.data.find(
m => m.publicUserData?.userId === userId
)
if (!membership) throw new Error('User is not a member of this organization')
await client.organizations.updateOrganizationMembership({
organizationId: orgId,
userId,
role: newRole,
})
}
Step 8: SAML SSO Configuration Configure in Clerk Dashboard > SSO Connections > Add SAML Connection :
ACS URL: https://<your-clerk-frontend-api>.clerk.accounts.dev/v1/saml/acsEntity ID: https://<your-clerk-frontend-api>.clerk.accounts.dev/v1/saml/metadataUpload IdP metadata XML from your provider (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace)
Map SAML attributes: email, firstName, lastName
// Enforce SSO for specific email domains
// Clerk Dashboard > Organizations > Settings > "Verified domains"
// Add your company domain (e.g., acme.com)
// Users with @acme.com emails will be forced through SSO
Error Handling Error Cause Solution orgId is nullNo active organization Redirect to org selector, show <OrganizationSwitcher /> has() returns falseRole/permission not assigned Check assignment in Dashboard > Organizations > Members Permission denied on middleware User lacks required role Verify route matcher maps to correct role SSO login fails Misconfigured IdP metadata Verify ACS URL and Entity ID in IdP settings Invitation fails Email already a member Check membership before inviting Custom role not visible Created via API, not Dashboard Roles created via API are org-scoped, not instance-wide
Enterprise Considerations
Roles and permissions are embedded in the session JWT -- no extra network requests needed for authorization checks
Custom roles created in the Dashboard are instance-wide; roles created via Backend API are organization-scoped
For multi-tenant SaaS, combine Organizations with tenant-scoped database queries (WHERE org_id = :orgId)
Session claims include org_id, org_role, and org_permissions -- available in middleware without API calls
Verified domains + SAML SSO enable "just-in-time provisioning" -- users auto-join the org on first SSO sign-in
Consider the org:sys_* system permissions (sys_memberships:manage, sys_memberships:read, sys_domains:manage) for built-in org management actions
Resources
Next Steps Proceed to clerk-migration-deep-dive for auth provider migration.
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Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).
