clerk-android Skill: What It Does and How to Install It

Makes your coding agent add Clerk sign-in to a native Android app with prebuilt AuthView screens or a custom flow.

Installs: 14.6K; on skills.sh
Stars: 89; on GitHub
Files: 2; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Oct 2026; last repo commit

The SKILL.md tells the agent to confirm two things before it edits anything: whether you want the prebuilt flow or a custom flow, and a real Clerk publishable key. It then loads one of two reference files, uses clerk-android-ui for prebuilt or clerk-android-api for custom, and checks the Android quickstart (Native API, min SDK and Java target, internet permission, Clerk.initialize(...)).

It loads when you ask for Clerk in Android, Kotlin or Jetpack Compose, or when the project looks like native Android. It tells the agent not to use it for Expo or React Native projects. It needs Android Studio.

Good for

Android developers adding Clerk to a Kotlin or Compose app
Teams that want prebuilt AuthView and UserButton screens
Teams that need a custom multi-step sign-in flow

Install clerk-android

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the clerk-android skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

/plugin marketplace add clerk/skills
/plugin install clerk@clerk-skills

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Pick one route. The plugin installs all 20 skills in the Clerk repo (counted from the repo tree) and adds the Clerk MCP server from the repo's .mcp.json, which points at https://mcp.clerk.com/mcp. The skills-only routes install just this skill and no MCP server config. The README says to open /plugin, go to Marketplaces, select clerk-skills and enable auto-update if you want updates.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Implement Clerk authentication for native Android apps using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose with clerk-android source-guided patterns. Use for prebuilt AuthView/UserButton or custom API-driven auth flows. Do not use for Expo or React Native projects.

Sections in SKILL.md

Activation Rules
What Do You Need?
Quick Start
Decision Tree
Flow References
Interaction Contract
Source-Driven Templates
Execution Gates (Do Not Skip)
Workflow
Common Pitfalls
See Also

Key facts

Author: Clerk (the skill is in Clerk's own clerk/skills repo)
License: MIT (README, plugin.json and SKILL.md frontmatter; the repo has no LICENSE file)
Installs on skills.sh: 14,604 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 89 for the whole clerk/skills repo (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: Oct 30, 2026
What it includes: 3 files including SKILL.md: 2 reference files (prebuilt and custom)
Needs: Android Studio and the clerk-android Gradle dependency (SKILL.md compatibility line), plus a real Clerk publishable key
Works in: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and GitHub Copilot CLI through the plugin; any agent through npx skills

What it includes

Confirm the project is native Android and not Expo or React Native.
Looks for build.gradle files, AndroidManifest.xml and Compose UI files. If Expo or React Native signals appear, the SKILL.md routes away to the general setup skill.
Read · Activation check
Ask for prebuilt or custom, and a real publishable key, then wait.
Execution gates in the SKILL.md forbid file edits or dependency installs until both answers are in the conversation.
Try: “Add Clerk sign-in to my Android app”
Read · Ask for flow and key
Use AuthView and UserButton with the clerk-android-ui artifact.
Follows references/prebuilt.md. It does not rebuild the forms with custom API calls unless you ask.
Write · Prebuilt flow
Build multi-step auth with the clerk-android-api artifact.
Follows references/custom.md. It keeps UI, state and Clerk API code in separate modules and avoids one all-fields form.
Write · Custom flow
Verify Native API, min SDK and Java target, manifest permission and init.
Reads the official Android quickstart and applies missing setup, including app-level Clerk.initialize(...) and waiting for Clerk.isInitialized.
Write · Quickstart checks

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

The skill changes your Android project files and puts your Clerk publishable key into source code by default. Review the diff before you commit it.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It edits your Android project
The SKILL.md has the agent add Clerk Gradle artifacts, edit the manifest and wire the publishable key directly into `Clerk.initialize(...)` by default. Review the diff before you commit it. github.com
The publishable key goes into your source code
By default the SKILL.md wires the key you give it directly into Clerk.initialize(...). A publishable key is meant for client apps, but check that no secret key ends up there. github.com
The plugin route also adds the Clerk MCP server
The plugin's .mcp.json registers https://mcp.clerk.com/mcp. Use the skills CLI route if you only want this skill. github.com

Security advisories

No published security advisories as of Nov 2, 2026.

Technical details

Turning on read-only	No read-only mode.
Talks to	WebFetch tool (the frontmatter allows it; the SKILL.md links point at clerk.com/docs)
Sign-in and keys	The SKILL.md has the key you give it written into Clerk.initialize(...).
Scopes	Your Android project files A Clerk publishable key you provide

Questions

What does clerk-android do?

It makes your coding agent write Clerk sign-in code for a native Android app in Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, using either Clerk's prebuilt AuthView screens or a custom flow.

How do I install clerk-android?

Use the install box above. The Claude Code plugin route installs every Clerk skill and the Clerk MCP server, and the skills CLI route installs only this skill. Pick one route, not both, or you get the skills twice.

Is clerk-android official?

Yes. It is published in Clerk's own clerk/skills repository, and the plugin.json in that repo lists Clerk as the author.

Does clerk-android work in the Claude app or Codex?

Codex, Cursor and GitHub Copilot CLI each have a plugin install in the README. The README does not document uploading Clerk skills to the Claude app, and this skill's job is to change code in a local project, so the install box has no Claude app tab.

Does it need a Clerk account or API key?

You need a real Clerk publishable key. The SKILL.md has the agent ask for it and wait before it changes any file.

Is clerk-android safe to install?

Its SKILL.md makes the agent change files in your project and use Clerk keys from your env file, and its frontmatter allows the WebFetch tool. Our advice: read each change before you commit it, and keep the secret key out of git.

Can I use it for an Expo or React Native app?

No. The SKILL.md says not to activate it for Expo or React Native projects and to route to the general setup skill. For Expo, Clerk has a separate clerk-expo skill.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: clerk/skills
Folder: skills/clerk-android

clerk/skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 4

clerk-android SKILL.md · github.com
clerk/skills README · github.com
clerk plugin.json · github.com
clerk .mcp.json · github.com