Auth0 + Next.js Integration Security

To secure Auth0 + Next.js integration, you need to: (1) use @auth0/nextjs-auth0 SDK for secure session management, (2) protect API routes with withApiAuthRequired wrapper, (3) check getSession() in Server Components before rendering protected content, (4) configure proper audience for API access tokens, and (5) use a strong AUTH0_SECRET (32+ characters). This blueprint ensures authentication flows follow security best practices.

Setup Time1-2 hours

TL;DR

Use @auth0/nextjs-auth0 for secure session management. The SDK handles token refresh and storage automatically. Protect API routes with withApiAuthRequired, Server Components with getSession, and configure proper audience for API access tokens.

Auth0 Configuration Auth0

.env.local

# Auth0 Configuration
AUTH0_SECRET='long-random-string-at-least-32-chars'
AUTH0_BASE_URL='http://localhost:3000'
AUTH0_ISSUER_BASE_URL='https://your-tenant.auth0.com'
AUTH0_CLIENT_ID='your-client-id'
AUTH0_CLIENT_SECRET='your-client-secret'

# For API access tokens (optional)
AUTH0_AUDIENCE='https://your-api.example.com'

API Route Handler Setup

app/api/auth/[auth0]/route.ts

import { handleAuth, handleLogin } from '@auth0/nextjs-auth0'

export const GET = handleAuth({
  login: handleLogin({
    authorizationParams: {
      audience: process.env.AUTH0_AUDIENCE,
      scope: 'openid profile email',
    },
  }),
})

Protected API Route Next.js

app/api/posts/route.ts

import { withApiAuthRequired, getSession } from '@auth0/nextjs-auth0'
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'

export const GET = withApiAuthRequired(async (req) => {
  const session = await getSession()

  if (!session?.user) {
    return NextResponse.json({ error: 'Unauthorized' }, { status: 401 })
  }

  // Use session.user.sub as the unique user ID
  const posts = await db.posts.findMany({
    where: { authorId: session.user.sub },
  })

  return NextResponse.json(posts)
})

Protected Server Component

app/dashboard/page.tsx

import { getSession } from '@auth0/nextjs-auth0'
import { redirect } from 'next/navigation'

export default async function Dashboard() {
  const session = await getSession()

  if (!session?.user) {
    redirect('/api/auth/login')
  }

  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Welcome, {session.user.name}</h1>
      <p>User ID: {session.user.sub}</p>
    </div>
  )
}

Always use getSession() server-side. The session is stored in an encrypted cookie managed by the SDK. Never expose raw tokens to the client unless necessary for API calls.

Security Checklist

Pre-Launch Checklist

AUTH0_SECRET is strong (32+ chars)

API routes use withApiAuthRequired

Server Components check getSession()

Callback URLs configured in Auth0

Audience set for API access tokens

Clerk + Next.js Alternative NextAuth + Prisma Self-Hosted OAuth Security Patterns

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TL;DR

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