Version 4.5 of @clerk/nextjs brings sweeping improvements to server-side authentication in Next.js.

Get started with npm i @clerk/nextjs@latest

Authentication moves to middleware

Going forward, developers will authenticate requests once in Next.js middleware, then simply read the authentication state in endpoints (API routes and getServerSideProps).

middleware.js example:

With this change, authentication in Next.js will finally feel familiar for developers who have worked with frameworks like Express or Ruby on Rails, where authentication is normally handled within middleware.

Switchable runtime support

Next.js 12.2 brought a switchable runtime, so developers could choose between a node runtime or an edge runtime for each of their API routes and server-rendered pages.

Our new getAuth() helper is isomorphic, so it works regardless of the runtime you choose.

Improved developer experience

If you've used Clerk in the past, you'll notice three small but delightful improvements to our developer experience:

1. All server-side imports are now from @clerk/nextjs/server instead of having import paths specific to the endpoint-type
2. Wrapper functions are no longer required inside endpoints, only once in middleware
3. getAuth(req) works everywhere there's a request object

Preparation for Layouts

Our team has been watching the Next.js Layouts RFC closely, and we designed the new helpers in anticipation of layouts support.

We expect that by computing the authentication state in middleware, we'll be able to share it with each of your parallel-loading layout files.

Get started

Get started right away with our guide to Next.js authentication, or join our community Discord to discuss with our team.

Thanks to the contributors: Mark Pitsilos, Nikos Douvlis