Skill

clerk-react-router-patterns

Name: clerk-react-router-patterns
Author: Clerk

implement Clerk auth in React Router v7

Published by Clerk Updated Apr 7

Covers Backend Clerk Authentication Frontend React Router

Description

React Router v7/v8 patterns with Clerk — rootAuthLoader, getAuth in loaders, clerkMiddleware, protected routes, SSR user data, org switching. Triggers on: react-router auth, rootAuthLoader, getAuth loader, react-router protected route, loader authentication, SSR auth react-router, useNavigate may be used only in the context of a Router.

SKILL.md

React Router Patterns

SDK: @clerk/react-router v3.5+. Supports React Router v7.9+ and v8.

What Do You Need?

Task	Reference
Auth in loaders and actions	references/loaders-actions.md
Protected routes and redirects	references/protected-routes.md
SSR user data and session	references/ssr-auth.md

React Router v7 vs v8

Check the installed react-router major version before scaffolding — the config differs:

	v7.9+	v8+
Middleware API	Opt-in: set `future: { v8_middleware: true }` in `react-router.config.ts`	Always on — do NOT set the flag (v8 removed it)
`ssr.noExternal` workaround (below)	Not needed	Required

Minimal Setup

1. vite.config.ts (v8 only — REQUIRED)

React Router v8 ships development/production conditional exports. In react-router dev, Vite externalizes @clerk/react-router for SSR, so Node resolves the production build of react-router while the app code gets the development build — two module instances, two Router contexts. Every request then fails during SSR with:

Error: useNavigate() may be used only in the context of a <Router> component.

npm ls react-router shows a single copy — that does NOT rule this out. The duplication is per export condition, not per installed copy. Do not chase duplicate installs; add the workaround (upstream issue: https://github.com/remix-run/react-router/issues/15232):

import { reactRouter } from '@react-router/dev/vite'
import { defineConfig } from 'vite'

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [reactRouter()],
  ssr: {
    noExternal: ['@clerk/react-router'],
  },
})

2. root.tsx

import { Outlet } from 'react-router'
import { rootAuthLoader, clerkMiddleware } from '@clerk/react-router/server'
import { ClerkProvider } from '@clerk/react-router'
import type { Route } from './+types/root'

export const middleware: Route.MiddlewareFunction[] = [clerkMiddleware()]

export async function loader(args: Route.LoaderArgs) {
  return rootAuthLoader(args)
}

export default function App({ loaderData }: Route.ComponentProps) {
  return (
    <ClerkProvider loaderData={loaderData}>
      <Outlet />
    </ClerkProvider>
  )
}

There is no ClerkApp HOC in @clerk/react-router (that was the @clerk/remix API). Render <ClerkProvider loaderData={loaderData}> inside the default export and pass it the root route's loaderData.

3. react-router.config.ts (v7 only)

import type { Config } from '@react-router/dev/config'

export default {
  future: {
    v8_middleware: true,
  },
} satisfies Config

On v8, omit the future block entirely — the flag no longer exists.

Required: rootAuthLoader must be called in root.tsx's loader. Without it, getAuth throws in nested loaders.

Mental Model

React Router v7/v8 uses a middleware + loader pipeline. Clerk plugs into both layers:

Middleware (clerkMiddleware()) — runs on every request, attaches auth to context
rootAuthLoader — required in root.tsx to pass Clerk state to the client
getAuth(args) — called inside any loader/action to get the current user

Request → clerkMiddleware() → rootAuthLoader → page loader → component
                 ↓                   ↓               ↓
           attaches auth      injects state     getAuth(args)
           to context         to response       reads context

Auth in Loaders

import { getAuth } from '@clerk/react-router/server'
import type { Route } from './+types/dashboard'

export async function loader(args: Route.LoaderArgs) {
  const { userId } = await getAuth(args)
  if (!userId) throw redirect('/sign-in')

  const data = await fetchUserData(userId)
  return { data }
}

Auth in Actions

import { getAuth } from '@clerk/react-router/server'

export async function action(args: Route.ActionArgs) {
  const { userId, orgId } = await getAuth(args)
  if (!userId) throw new Response('Unauthorized', { status: 401 })

  const formData = await args.request.formData()
  await saveData(userId, orgId, formData)
  return redirect('/dashboard')
}

Client Components

import { useAuth, useUser } from '@clerk/react-router'

export function Profile() {
  const { userId, isSignedIn } = useAuth()
  const { user } = useUser()
  if (!isSignedIn) return null
  return <p>{user?.firstName}</p>
}

Org Switching

import { OrganizationSwitcher } from '@clerk/react-router'

export function Nav() {
  return <OrganizationSwitcher afterSelectOrganizationUrl="/dashboard" />
}

export async function loader(args: Route.LoaderArgs) {
  const { userId, orgId } = await getAuth(args)
  if (!userId) throw redirect('/sign-in')
  if (!orgId) throw redirect('/select-org')

  return { data: await fetchOrgData(orgId) }
}

Common Pitfalls

Symptom	Cause	Fix
`useNavigate() may be used only in the context of a <Router>` thrown from ClerkProvider during SSR in dev (v8)	Vite dev SSR externalizes `@clerk/react-router`, which then loads react-router's production build while the app uses the development build — two Router contexts. A single copy in `npm ls` does not rule this out.	Add `ssr: { noExternal: ['@clerk/react-router'] }` to `vite.config.ts`. Do NOT downgrade to v7
Build error: `ClerkApp` is not exported	`ClerkApp` does not exist in `@clerk/react-router`	Use `<ClerkProvider loaderData={loaderData}>` in root.tsx's default export
`clerkMiddleware() not detected`	Missing middleware (or on v7, missing `v8_middleware` future flag)	Export `middleware = [clerkMiddleware()]` from root route; on v7 also set `future: { v8_middleware: true }`
Unknown future flag error/warning (v8)	`v8_middleware` flag left in `react-router.config.ts` after upgrading	Remove the `future.v8_middleware` entry — middleware is always on in v8
`getAuth` returns empty userId	`rootAuthLoader` not called	Call `rootAuthLoader(args)` in `root.tsx` loader
Infinite redirect loop	Redirect target is also protected	Exclude `/sign-in` from protection check
`redirect` not working in action	Using `Response` instead of `throw redirect()`	Use `throw redirect('/path')` from `react-router`

Import Map

What	Import From
`getAuth`	`@clerk/react-router/server`
`rootAuthLoader`	`@clerk/react-router/server`
`clerkMiddleware`	`@clerk/react-router/server`
`ClerkProvider`	`@clerk/react-router`
`useAuth`, `useUser`	`@clerk/react-router`
`OrganizationSwitcher`	`@clerk/react-router`

Docs

React Router SDK

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