To secure a Lovable + shadcn/ui stack, you need to: (1) validate all form inputs server-side (client validation is UX only), (2) sanitize user content before display, (3) avoid dangerouslySetInnerHTML with untrusted content, and (4) ensure auth checks happen on the backend, not just in UI. This blueprint covers component security and form handling best practices.
TL;DR
shadcn/ui provides accessible, well-designed components, but security depends on how you use them. Key concerns: always validate form inputs server-side (don't rely on client-side validation), sanitize any user content displayed in components, and ensure authentication checks aren't only in UI components.
shadcn/ui Form Security
shadcn/ui forms work well with react-hook-form and zod validation:
import { z } from 'zod';
const formSchema = z.object({
email: z.string().email(),
password: z.string().min(8),
});
// This improves UX but is NOT security
// Always validate again on the server
Client-side validation is for UX, not security. Users can bypass any client-side checks. Always validate and sanitize on your backend.
Lovable Content Display Security
// DANGEROUS: Direct HTML rendering
<div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: userContent }} />
// SAFE: React handles escaping
<p>{userContent}</p>
// If you must render HTML, sanitize first
import DOMPurify from 'dompurify';
<div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: DOMPurify.sanitize(userContent) }} />
shadcn/ui Authentication in Components
// This only affects what users SEE
function AdminButton() {
const { user } = useAuth();
if (!user?.isAdmin) return null;
return <Button>Admin Action</Button>;
}
// The backend must ALSO check admin status
// when the action is performed
Security Checklist
shadcn/ui Security Checklist
Form validation duplicated on server
User content properly escaped
No dangerouslySetInnerHTML with untrusted content
Auth checks in backend, not just UI
Sensitive actions verified server-side
Are shadcn/ui components secure?
The components themselves are well-built and accessible. Security depends on how you use them-validate inputs, sanitize content, and don't rely solely on UI-level checks.
Alternative Stack Options
Consider these related blueprints for different stack combinations:
- Lovable + Tailwind - Underlying CSS framework
- Lovable + Supabase - Backend for form data
- Lovable + Auth0 - Authentication provider