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clerk-testing

E2E testing for Clerk apps. Use with Playwright or Cypress for auth flow

clerk/skillsclerk.com

Install

npx skills add https://github.com/clerk/skills --skill clerk-testing

Use with your agent

Install the clerk-testing skill, then use it as build context. Run: npx skills add https://github.com/clerk/skills --skill clerk-testing. Then read the installed skill.md and follow its guidance to build or refactor my project.

Testing

Decision Tree

Framework	Documentation
Overview	https://clerk.com/docs/guides/development/testing/overview
Playwright	https://clerk.com/docs/guides/development/testing/playwright/overview
Cypress	https://clerk.com/docs/guides/development/testing/cypress/overview

Mental Model

Test auth = isolated session state. Each test needs fresh auth context.

clerkSetup() initializes test environment
setupClerkTestingToken() bypasses bot detection
storageState persists auth between tests for speed

Workflow

Identify test framework (Playwright or Cypress)
WebFetch the appropriate URL from decision tree above
Follow official setup instructions
Use pk_test_* and sk_test_* keys only

Best Practices

Use setupClerkTestingToken() before navigating to auth pages
Use test API keys: pk_test_xxx, sk_test_xxx
Save auth state with storageState for faster tests
Use page.waitForSelector('[data-clerk-component]') for Clerk UI

Anti-Patterns

Pattern	Problem	Fix
Production keys in tests	Security risk	Use `pk_test_*` keys
No `setupClerkTestingToken()`	Auth fails	Call before navigation
UI-based sign-in every test	Slow tests	Use `storageState`

Framework-Specific

Playwright: Use globalSetup for auth state Cypress: Add addClerkCommands({ Cypress, cy }) to support file