clerk-setuplisted

# Adding Clerk > **Version**: Check `package.json` for the SDK version — see `clerk` skill for the version table. Core 2 differences are noted inline with `> **Core 2 ONLY (skip if current SDK):**` callouts. This skill sets up Clerk for authentication by following the official quickstart documentation. For agents, the `clerk` CLI handles most of this end to end — see the next section. ## Agent-first: Provision via CLI The `clerk` CLI replaces most Dashboard clicks. Three scenarios cover almost everything: ### Scenario A — New project, new Clerk app ```bash clerk init --framework <next|react|vue|nuxt|astro|react-router|tanstack-react-start|expressjs|fastify|expo> -y ``` `clerk init` creates the Clerk app via PLAPI, links the project, writes the framework-specific publishable + secret keys to the right env file (e.g. `.env.local` for Next.js, `.env` for Vite-based projects), and installs the SDK package. ### Scenario B — Existing project, existing Clerk app ```bash clerk auth login # one-time OAuth (skip if already logged in) clerk link # autolinks if a CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY is in your .env clerk link --app app_xxx # explicit form, required in agent mode clerk env pull # writes the framework-detected env vars ``` ### Scenario C — Existing project, new Clerk app ```bash clerk auth login clerk apps create "My App" --json # returns the new app_id clerk link --app app_xxx clerk env pu