create-auth-skill

Overview of create-auth-skill skill

What create-auth-skill does

The create-auth-skill is an implementation guide for adding authentication to TypeScript or JavaScript apps with Better Auth. It is built for real setup work, not just theory: it helps an agent detect the app framework, infer the database stack, choose an adapter, wire auth routes, add providers, and scaffold sign-in or sign-up flows.

Who should use create-auth-skill

This create-auth-skill is best for developers who already know they want Better Auth, or who want an AI agent to handle the repetitive parts of auth setup with less guessing. It fits new apps and existing codebases, especially when you need login, sessions, OAuth, and auth pages without manually mapping every integration step.

The real job to be done

Most users are not looking for “an auth tutorial.” They want a working auth baseline that matches their actual stack. The value of create-auth-skill for Access Control is that it starts with discovery and planning before code changes, which reduces bad assumptions about framework conventions, package manager choice, ORM, or existing auth libraries.

What makes it different from a generic prompt

A generic prompt often jumps straight into code. This skill explicitly requires a planning phase first: scan the repository, detect likely framework and data layer signals, ask structured questions, and summarize the implementation plan before writing files. That sequence is the main differentiator because auth setup fails most often at the integration boundaries, not in the example snippets.

Best-fit and misfit

Use create-auth-skill when you want Better Auth specifically and need an agent to adapt setup to your project. It is a weaker fit if you are still deciding between auth products, need a fully opinionated permissions model, or want a provider-agnostic access architecture document. It helps bootstrap authentication well, but it is not the same thing as complete application authorization design.

How to Use create-auth-skill skill

create-auth-skill install

Install it from the Better Auth skills repository:

npx skills add https://github.com/better-auth/skills --skill create-auth

If your environment uses a different skill loader or agent runtime, adapt the install step to that runtime, but keep the same repository path: better-auth/create-auth.

Start with the only file that matters

This skill is lightweight in structure. The key source is SKILL.md at better-auth/create-auth/SKILL.md. There are no supporting resources/, references/, or helper scripts to lean on, so your agent quality depends heavily on how well it follows the staged workflow in that file.

Read the planning phase before any code changes

The most important instruction in the repository is that planning is required before implementation. The skill tells the agent to:

1. scan the project,
2. ask all applicable planning questions in one pass,
3. summarize the plan,
4. only then implement.

If your agent skips that flow, you lose much of the value of the create-auth-skill skill.

What the skill tries to auto-detect

Before asking you questions, the skill looks for repository signals such as:

• framework config files like next.config, svelte.config, nuxt.config, astro.config, or vite.config
• Express or Hono entrypoints
• ORM and database clues like prisma/schema.prisma, drizzle.config, or DB driver dependencies
• existing auth packages such as next-auth, lucia, clerk, supabase/auth, or firebase/auth
• lockfiles that reveal the package manager

This matters because stronger detection leads to fewer wrong install commands and fewer mismatched code examples.

Inputs that produce better create-auth-skill usage

A rough request like “add auth” is usually too weak. For better create-auth-skill usage, provide:

• framework and version
• runtime and package manager
• ORM or database choice
• whether this is a new app or migration
• providers needed, such as email/password, GitHub, Google, magic link, or passkeys
• session expectations, protected routes, and callback URLs
• whether you want generated UI pages or only backend wiring

A stronger request looks like: “Use Better Auth in my Next.js app with Prisma and PostgreSQL, keep pnpm, add email/password plus GitHub OAuth, protect /dashboard, and create sign-in and sign-up pages without replacing my current layout.”

How to turn a goal into a usable prompt

A good prompt for this skill should include constraints, target outputs, and migration context. For example:

• “Scan the repo first and confirm the framework, ORM, and existing auth.”
• “Ask me all missing auth questions in one batch before editing files.”
• “Then implement Better Auth using my current package manager.”
• “Show the file plan before writing code.”
• “Do not remove existing middleware until you explain the migration path.”

That prompt shape matches the skill's intended workflow and reduces partial or premature implementations.

Suggested workflow in practice

A practical create-auth-skill guide looks like this:

1. install the skill
2. ask the agent to scan the repo
3. answer its planning questions completely
4. approve the implementation plan
5. let it scaffold auth
6. review environment variables, provider secrets, and database migration steps
7. run the app and test sign-in, sign-out, session checks, and protected routes

The key decision point is step 4. If the plan does not mention your actual framework, adapter, routes, and providers, stop and correct it before code generation.

Repository-reading path for fast evaluation

If you are deciding whether to adopt the skill, read in this order:

1. frontmatter in SKILL.md for scope
2. Phase 1: Planning
3. the project scan section
4. the structured questions section
5. any implementation sections relevant to your framework

This gives you enough to judge whether the skill will save time in your repo or just restate Better Auth docs.

Practical boundaries to know before using it

The skill points you to better-auth.com/docs for code examples and syntax. That means it is a workflow and integration scaffold more than a self-contained reference manual. Expect it to help with orchestration and fit-to-project decisions, but rely on official docs for exact API details when your stack has edge cases.

When create-auth-skill is most useful for Access Control

For create-auth-skill for Access Control, the sweet spot is bootstrapping identity and session flows that later support protected pages, route guards, and role-aware logic. It gets you to a clean auth foundation. You may still need to add your own authorization rules, permission checks, and domain-specific policy layers after the initial setup.

create-auth-skill skill FAQ

Is create-auth-skill skill good for beginners?

Yes, if the beginner already has a JavaScript or TypeScript app and wants Better Auth specifically. The planning-first approach lowers the chance of random copy-paste setup. But it is not a full auth education path; beginners may still need the Better Auth docs for concepts and exact provider configuration.

Is this better than asking an AI to add auth from scratch?

Usually yes. The advantage is not hidden magic code; it is the workflow discipline. The create-auth-skill tells the agent to inspect the project and ask the right questions first. That is often the difference between a setup that matches your stack and one that breaks on first run.

Does create-auth-skill install everything automatically?

Not by itself. The skill guides the agent through implementation, but the final result still depends on your repo, dependencies, environment variables, provider credentials, and database state. Treat it as a structured implementation playbook, not a one-click installer.

Can I use create-auth-skill skill in an existing app?

Yes. In fact, existing apps are where it adds the most value because it looks for framework, ORM, and current auth signals before changing code. That said, migrations from another auth library still need careful review, especially around sessions, user tables, callbacks, and route protection.

When should I not use create-auth-skill?

Skip it if:

• you are not committed to Better Auth
• you need vendor-neutral auth architecture advice first
• your main problem is authorization policy design rather than login/session setup
• your stack is outside typical JS/TS app patterns supported by Better Auth examples

Does it cover authorization too?

Only indirectly. create-auth-skill for Access Control gives you the authentication base needed for access control, such as sessions and protected entry points. Fine-grained authorization—roles, permissions, tenant rules, and policy enforcement—still needs application-specific design.

How to Improve create-auth-skill skill

Give create-auth-skill complete planning inputs

The fastest way to improve output quality is to front-load missing details. Tell the agent your framework, DB, ORM, provider list, protected routes, package manager, and whether this is greenfield or migration work. Every omitted detail increases guesswork and raises the chance of wrong file edits.

Ask for a plan summary before edits

Even though the skill already pushes planning, explicitly require a short implementation plan with:

• files to create or modify
• auth methods to enable
• env vars needed
• migration steps
• testing checklist

This catches mismatches early and makes the create-auth-skill guide more reliable in team settings.

Be explicit about migration constraints

A common failure mode is replacing existing auth too aggressively. If you have current auth code, tell the agent what must remain temporarily, what cannot break, and whether you want side-by-side migration. This changes the implementation strategy more than most users expect.

Improve prompts with route and UI expectations

If you want usable output, specify whether you need:

• auth API handlers only
• middleware or route guards
• sign-in and sign-up pages
• account management pages
• server-side session checks
• client-side hooks or helpers

Without that, the skill may produce a technically correct but incomplete auth setup.

Verify framework detection before trusting generated code

Because the skill relies on repository scanning, multi-app repos and unusual folder layouts can confuse detection. In monorepos, tell the agent which app directory to target. If not, it may read the wrong package.json, wrong lockfile, or wrong framework config and generate mismatched commands.

Use official docs for final syntax checks

The skill itself points to https://better-auth.com/docs. Use that for final provider syntax, adapter options, and framework-specific details. The best workflow is to use create-auth-skill for decision flow and project adaptation, then cross-check exact implementation details against the docs.

Iterate after first output with targeted corrections

Do not just say “fix it.” After the first pass, give precise feedback such as:

• “Keep Drizzle, do not switch ORM.”
• “Use GitHub OAuth only; remove email/password.”
• “Protect only /app/*, not marketing routes.”
• “Match my existing UI components instead of creating standalone pages.”

Targeted corrections help the skill converge quickly because the overall auth scaffold is usually close; the remaining issues are integration details.

Watch the common weak spots

The most likely places to review manually are:

• environment variable names and missing secrets
• callback URLs for OAuth providers
• database adapter choice
• route placement in framework-specific folders
• middleware scope
• session checks in server versus client code

These are the spots where even a good create-auth-skill usage flow can still need human confirmation.

Improve team adoption with a standard prompt template

If multiple developers will use the skill, create an internal prompt template that always includes stack, app path, auth methods, migration status, and protected route scope. Standardized prompts make results more predictable and reduce repeated planning back-and-forth.

How to judge whether create-auth-skill is working well

A good result from create-auth-skill is not just “files were generated.” It should:

• match your actual framework and package manager
• preserve intentional project conventions
• list required env vars clearly
• explain database and provider setup steps
• leave you with a testable auth flow, not only code fragments

That is the right bar for deciding whether to keep using the skill in production workflows.