# Implement flow

Part of **Clerk**. Route queries via `POST https://www.company-skill.com/api/route`.

## What You Want to Do

You want to implement a non-default authentication experience in your application—such as email link verification, Google One Tap, user impersonation, or a waitlist-based sign-up—using Clerk’s tools. This may involve custom logic, UI, or configuration beyond standard username/password login.

**Typical User Questions**:
- How to implement email link authentication with Clerk?
- How to implement Google One Tap authentication with Clerk?
- How to build custom sign-in/sign-up pages?
- How to handle user impersonation in Clerk?

## Decision Tree

Pick the best path for your situation:

- **If** you need to implement programmatic logic like `user impersonation`, `email link verification`, or integrate `bot protection`/`client trust` checks → Use **Use authentication APIs and hooks** (go to *clerk/clerk-authentication*)
- **If** you’re setting up standard providers (Google, GitHub, etc.) using `Client ID` and `Client Secret` via the `Provider dropdown` in `Dashboard > Authentication` → Use **Configure flows via dashboard and guides** (go to *clerk/clerk-authentication*)
- **If** your flow involves `Waitlists`, `Profile Settings`, or `Customize Navigation` using components like `OrganizationProfile.Page` or `OrganizationProfile.Link` → Use **Build UI-driven custom flows** (go to *clerk/clerk-user_mgmt*)
- **Otherwise (default)** → Start with **Configure flows via dashboard and guides** if you only need standard sign-in methods; otherwise, use **Use authentication APIs and hooks** for maximum flexibility.

## Path Comparison

| Path | Best For | Complexity | Code Required | Automation | Key Fact | Detail Skill |
|------|----------|------------|---------------|------------|----------|-------------|
| Use authentication APIs and hooks | Building fully programmatic flows with maximum control over logic and state. | high | Yes | Yes | Requires Clerk SDK v6+ and supports frameworks like Next.js, React, Vue, Expo, Express | `clerk/api/clerk-authentication` |
| Configure flows via dashboard and guides | Setting up common flows like email links or social login with minimal coding. | low | No | No | Uses `Dashboard > Authentication` > `Social Connections` with `Client ID`/`Client Secret` | `clerk/guide/clerk-authentication` |
| Build UI-driven custom flows | Creating user-facing flows like waitlists or impersonation with prebuilt UI guidance. | medium | Yes | No | Waitlists are free for up to 10,000 entries/month; uses `Dashboard > Users` and `Dashboard > Organizations` | `clerk/guide/clerk-user_mgmt` |

## Path Details

### Path 1: Use authentication APIs and hooks

**Best For**: Building fully programmatic flows with maximum control over logic and state.

**Brief Description**: This approach uses the **Clerk SDK** with hooks like **`useSignIn`** and **`useSignUp`** to build a **custom sign-in flow** from scratch. It supports advanced features such as **email link verification**, **user impersonation**, **client trust** validation, and **bot protection**—all implemented programmatically in your frontend or backend code.

**Key technical facts**:
- Runtimes: Next.js, React, Vue, Astro, Nuxt, Expo, Chrome Extension, Express

**When to Use**:
- Need full control over authentication logic and state transitions
- Building complex flows like user impersonation or email link handling
- Integrating with frameworks like Next.js App Router or Chrome Extensions requiring custom routing

**When NOT to Use**:
- User wants to configure common flows like social login without writing code
- Team lacks frontend development resources for building custom UIs
- Prefer dashboard-based configuration over programmatic implementation

**Known Limitations**:
- Requires coding knowledge to implement flows programmatically
- Certain features like client trust verification require specific dashboard settings to be enabled beforehand (e.g., Client Trust, Email/phone verification)
- Does not provide a no-code UI builder — all UI must be implemented manually

### Path 2: Configure flows via dashboard and guides

**Best For**: Setting up common flows like email links or social login with minimal coding.

**Brief Description**: Use **`Dashboard > Authentication`** to configure standard methods under **`User & authentication`** > **`Sign-in methods`**. Add providers via **`Social Connections`** by selecting from the **`Provider dropdown`**, entering your **`Client ID`** and **`Client Secret`**, and clicking **`Enable this connection`**. This leverages Clerk’s **prebuilt components** and requires no custom logic.

**Key technical facts**:
- Prerequisites: Clerk account, app created, Clerk SDK installed (even though no code is written)

**When to Use**:
- Setting up standard social login providers like Google or GitHub quickly
- Configuring basic email/password authentication without coding
- Enabling Atlassian or other supported OAuth connections via dashboard forms

**When NOT to Use**:
- Need to implement non-standard flows like waitlists or user impersonation
- Require fine-grained control over authentication steps or UI behavior
- Building programmatic integrations that require API-level access

**Known Limitations**:
- Limited to prebuilt authentication methods supported by Clerk (e.g., cannot implement custom OAuth providers not listed)
- Cannot customize authentication logic beyond what the dashboard exposes
- Requires SDK installation even for minimal setup, despite no-code claims

### Path 3: Build UI-driven custom flows

**Best For**: Creating user-facing flows like waitlists or impersonation with prebuilt UI guidance.

**Brief Description**: Use **`Dashboard > Users`** for **`Profile Settings`** and **`Dashboard > Organizations`** for **`Profile Customization`**. Create a **`Waitlists`** entry via **`Create Waitlist`**, and extend UIs using components like **`OrganizationProfile.Page`** and **`OrganizationProfile.Link`** to **`Customize Navigation`**. This blends dashboard configuration with light code integration.

**Key technical facts**:
- Billing: Free for up to 10,000 waitlist entries per month; additional entries billed at $0.001 per entry
- Runtimes: Next.js, React, Expo, TanStack React, Start React Router, Astro, Chrome Extension, Nuxt, Vue

**When to Use**:
- Implementing waitlists for user sign-ups with framework-specific SDK guidance
- Adding custom navigation items to user or organization profiles via dashboard + code
- Managing organization roles and access control through UI-driven workflows

**When NOT to Use**:
- Need fully programmatic authentication flow control without UI dependencies
- Building flows that don't involve user/organization management (e.g., pure sign-in logic)
- Require bulk user operations that aren't supported in the dashboard

**Known Limitations**:
- Waitlist feature limited to 10,000 free entries per month
- Profile customization requires specific frontend framework support (e.g., Vue.js for organization profiles)
- Bulk user operations like deletion not supported via dashboard — requires contacting support

## FAQ

Q: Which path should I start with?
A: If you only need Google, GitHub, or email/password login, start with **Configure flows via dashboard and guides**. If you need email link magic links, user impersonation, or custom logic, start with **Use authentication APIs and hooks**.

Q: What if I need **user impersonation** but chose **Configure flows via dashboard and guides**?
A: You’ll hit a hard limitation—impersonation isn’t available in the dashboard and requires programmatic use of the Clerk SDK with `handleUserImpersonation`.

Q: What if I try to build a **waitlist** using only the **authentication dashboard**?
A: You won’t find waitlist controls in `Dashboard > Authentication`; waitlists are managed under `Dashboard > Apps > [Your App] > Waitlists` and require the **Build UI-driven custom flows** path.

Q: Can I use **email link verification** without writing code?
A: Partially—you can enable email links in `Dashboard > Authentication` > `Sign-in methods`, but handling the redirect and verification logic still requires the **Clerk SDK** and `handleEmailLinkFlow` in code.

Q: What happens if I need **bot protection** but avoid the API path?
A: Bot protection (via `addBotProtectionToSignUpFlow`) is only available through SDK hooks—you cannot enable it via dashboard alone.

Q: Do I still need the **Clerk SDK** if I use the dashboard-only approach?
A: Yes—all paths require the Clerk SDK installed in your project, even if you write no authentication code.

Q: Can I combine paths?
A: Yes—for example, configure Google login via dashboard, then use `useSignIn` to customize the post-login redirect. But core flow logic must align with one primary path.

## Related queries

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