Set up local development workflow with Clerk. Use when configuring development environment, testing auth locally, or setting up hot reload with Clerk. Trigger with phrases like "clerk local dev", "clerk development", "test clerk locally", "clerk dev environment".
npxskills add jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills--skill clerk-local-dev-loopLoading…
Configure an efficient local development workflow with Clerk authentication, including test users, hot reload, and mock auth for unit tests.
clerk-install-auth completed)Create a separate Clerk development instance to isolate test data from production.
# .env.local — use test keys (pk_test_ / sk_test_)
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_...
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
# Optional: Enable Clerk debug logging
CLERK_DEBUG=true
Clerk development instances provide:
// scripts/seed-test-users.ts
import { createClerkClient } from '@clerk/backend'
const clerk = createClerkClient({ secretKey: process.env.CLERK_SECRET_KEY! })
async function seedTestUsers() {
const users = [
{ emailAddress: ['[email protected]'], password: 'test1234', firstName: 'Admin', lastName: 'User' },
{ emailAddress: ['[email protected]'], password: 'test1234', firstName: 'Member', lastName: 'User' },
]
for (const user of users) {
try {
await clerk.users.createUser(user)
console.log(`Created: ${user.emailAddress[0]}`)
} catch (err: any) {
if (err.status === 422) {
console.log(`Already exists: ${user.emailAddress[0]}`)
} else {
throw err
}
}
}
}
seedTestUsers()
Run with:
npx tsx scripts/seed-test-users.ts
// next.config.ts — ensure Clerk works with hot reload
const nextConfig = {
// Clerk SDK is compatible with Turbopack
experimental: {
// turbo: {}, // Uncomment if using Turbopack
},
// Prevent Clerk SDK from being bundled incorrectly
serverExternalPackages: ['@clerk/backend'],
}
export default nextConfig
# Start dev server with HTTPS (required for some Clerk features)
npx next dev --experimental-https
// package.json scripts
{
"scripts": {
"dev": "next dev",
"dev:https": "next dev --experimental-https",
"dev:seed": "tsx scripts/seed-test-users.ts",
"dev:tunnel": "ngrok http 3000",
"dev:webhook": "ngrok http 3000 --log stdout"
}
}
// test/helpers/clerk-mock.ts
import { vi } from 'vitest'
export function mockClerkAuth(overrides: { userId?: string; orgId?: string } = {}) {
const mockAuth = {
userId: overrides.userId || 'user_test_123',
orgId: overrides.orgId || null,
getToken: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('mock_token'),
has: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true),
}
vi.mock('@clerk/nextjs/server', () => ({
auth: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(mockAuth),
currentUser: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
id: mockAuth.userId,
firstName: 'Test',
lastName: 'User',
emailAddresses: [{ emailAddress: '[email protected]' }],
}),
clerkMiddleware: vi.fn(() => (req: any, res: any, next: any) => next()),
}))
return mockAuth
}
// test/api/data.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
import { mockClerkAuth } from '../helpers/clerk-mock'
describe('GET /api/data', () => {
beforeEach(() => {
mockClerkAuth({ userId: 'user_test_123' })
})
it('returns data for authenticated user', async () => {
const res = await fetch('/api/data')
expect(res.status).toBe(200)
})
})
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Dev/prod key mismatch | Using pk_live_ in dev | Switch to pk_test_ / sk_test_ keys |
| SSL required | Clerk needs HTTPS locally | Run next dev --experimental-https |
| Cookies not set | Wrong domain config | Check Clerk Dashboard domain settings |
| Session not persisting | Browser storage issue | Clear cookies, check localhost domain |
// e2e/fixtures/auth.ts
import { test as base } from '@playwright/test'
export const test = base.extend({
authenticatedPage: async ({ page }, use) => {
await page.goto('/sign-in')
await page.fill('input[name="identifier"]', '[email protected]')
await page.click('button:has-text("Continue")')
await page.fill('input[name="password"]', 'test1234')
await page.click('button:has-text("Continue")')
await page.waitForURL('/dashboard')
await use(page)
},
})
Proceed to clerk-sdk-patterns for common SDK usage patterns.
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.
Search for places (restaurants, cafes, etc.) via Google Places API proxy on localhost.
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.
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.
Search for places (restaurants, cafes, etc.) via Google Places API proxy on localhost.
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.