Expert patterns for Clerk auth implementation, middleware, organizations, webhooks, and user sync Use when: adding authentication, clerk auth, user authentication, sign in, sign up.
55
44%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
Pending
No eval scenarios have been run
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./skills/clerk-auth/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
75%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
The description is reasonably effective with a clear 'Use when' clause and good distinctiveness due to the Clerk-specific focus. However, it could be stronger by replacing the vague 'expert patterns for' phrasing with concrete actions and by expanding the trigger terms to include common variations like 'login', 'protected routes', and 'session'.
Suggestions
Replace 'Expert patterns for Clerk auth implementation' with specific actions like 'Configures Clerk authentication middleware, sets up organization management, handles webhooks, and syncs user data'.
Expand trigger terms to include common variations: 'login', 'logout', 'protected routes', 'session management', 'Clerk SDK', '@clerk/nextjs'.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (Clerk auth) and lists several areas (middleware, organizations, webhooks, user sync), but uses 'expert patterns for' which is somewhat vague rather than listing concrete actions like 'configure middleware', 'set up webhook handlers', or 'sync user data'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both 'what' (Clerk auth implementation covering middleware, organizations, webhooks, user sync) and 'when' with an explicit 'Use when:' clause listing trigger scenarios. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes useful trigger terms like 'authentication', 'clerk auth', 'sign in', 'sign up', but misses common variations such as 'login', 'logout', 'session management', 'protected routes', 'auth middleware', 'Clerk SDK', or 'user management'. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Highly specific to Clerk as an auth provider, which clearly distinguishes it from generic auth skills or other auth provider skills. The mention of Clerk-specific features like organizations and webhooks further reduces conflict risk. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
14%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill is essentially a skeleton or placeholder with no actionable content. It lists Clerk concepts and component names but provides zero executable code, no real sharp edges (all placeholder rows), and no concrete guidance. The 'When to Use' section is a tautological filler sentence that adds no value.
Suggestions
Add executable code examples for each pattern section (e.g., complete middleware.ts configuration, ClerkProvider wrapping in layout.tsx, auth() usage in a server component)
Replace the placeholder Sharp Edges table with actual issues and concrete solutions (e.g., 'middleware.ts must be at project root, not inside /app' with a fix)
Add a step-by-step setup workflow with validation checkpoints (e.g., 1. Install packages, 2. Set env vars, 3. Add middleware, 4. Verify by visiting /sign-in)
Either link to detailed reference files for advanced topics (webhooks, organizations, user sync mentioned in description but absent from content) or include concrete guidance inline
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The content is relatively brief but includes some filler (e.g., 'This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview' is meaningless). The Sharp Edges table is entirely placeholder content with no actual information, wasting tokens. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | There is no executable code, no concrete commands, no copy-paste ready examples. The content describes what components and functions exist but never shows how to use them. The Sharp Edges table contains only placeholder 'Issue' and 'See docs' entries with zero actionable content. | 1 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | While sections are logically ordered (setup → middleware → server components), there are no step-by-step sequences, no validation checkpoints, and no concrete workflow. The skill describes concepts rather than guiding through a process. | 1 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The content is a flat list of descriptions with no references to detailed files, no links to examples, and no navigation structure. The Sharp Edges table says 'See docs' without linking to anything specific. There's no progressive disclosure strategy. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 5 / 12 Passed |
Validation
90%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 10 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
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Table of Contents
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