Clerk Reference Architecture

Overview

Reference architectures for implementing Clerk in various application types.

Prerequisites

• Understanding of web application architecture

• Familiarity with authentication patterns

• Knowledge of your tech stack

Instructions

• Architecture 1: Next.js Full-Stack Application

• Architecture 2: Microservices with Shared Auth

• Architecture 3: Multi-Tenant SaaS

• Architecture 4: Mobile + Web with Shared Backend

For full implementation details and code examples, load: Read(${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/implementation-guide.md)

Output

• Architecture pattern selected

• Component diagram defined

• Implementation patterns ready

• Data flow documented

Resources

• Clerk Architecture Guide

• Multi-tenant Patterns

• Backend Integration

Next Steps

Proceed to clerk-multi-env-setup for multi-environment configuration.

Error Handling

Error Cause Resolution

Authentication failure Invalid or expired credentials Refresh tokens or re-authenticate with authentication

Configuration conflict Incompatible settings detected Review and resolve conflicting parameters

Resource not found Referenced resource missing Verify resource exists and permissions are correct

Examples

Basic usage: Apply clerk reference architecture to a standard project setup with default configuration options.

Advanced scenario: Customize clerk reference architecture for production environments with multiple constraints and team-specific requirements.