better-auth-best-practices

---
name: better-auth-best-practices
description: Configure Better Auth server and client, set up database adapters, manage sessions, add plugins, and handle environment variables. Use when users mention Better Auth, betterauth, auth.ts, or need to set up TypeScript authentication with email/password, OAuth, or plugin configuration.
license: MIT
---

# Better Auth Integration Guide

## Reference Repositories

- [Better Auth](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth) — TypeScript authentication framework with plugins

## Upstream Grounding

When Better Auth API signatures, adapter behavior, generated schema, plugin options, session storage, cookie behavior, or security defaults affect correctness, ask DeepWiki a narrow question against `better-auth/better-auth` before relying on memory. Use it to orient, then verify decisive details against local installed types, source, or official docs before changing code.

Skip DeepWiki for stable setup basics already documented below.

**Always consult [better-auth.com/docs](https://better-auth.com/docs) for code examples and latest API.**

## When to Apply This Skill

Use this pattern when you need to:

- Configure Better Auth server/client setup in TypeScript projects.
- Wire environment variables, database adapters, and CLI migrations.
- Set up sessions, cookie cache strategy, and security/rate-limit options.
- Add and configure Better Auth plugins plus corresponding client plugins.
- Troubleshoot common Better Auth model, schema, and storage pitfalls.

---

## Setup Workflow

1. Install: `npm install better-auth`
2. Set env vars: `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET` and `BETTER_AUTH_URL`
3. Create `auth.ts` with database + config
4. Create route handler for your framework
5. Run `npx @better-auth/cli@latest migrate`
6. Verify: call `GET /api/auth/ok` — should return `{ status: "ok" }`

---

## Quick Reference

### Environment Variables
- `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET` - Encryption secret (min 32 chars). Generate: `openssl rand -base64 32`
- `BETTER_AUTH_URL` - Base URL (e.g., `https://example.com`)

Only define `baseURL`/`secret` in config if env vars are NOT set.

### File Location
CLI looks for `auth.ts` in: `./`, `./lib`, `./utils`, or under `./src`. Use `--config` for custom path.

### CLI Commands
- `npx @better-auth/cli@latest migrate` - Apply schema (built-in adapter)
- `npx @better-auth/cli@latest generate` - Generate schema for Prisma/Drizzle
- `npx @better-auth/cli mcp --cursor` - Add MCP to AI tools

**Re-run after adding/changing plugins.**

---

## Core Config Options

| Option | Notes |
|--------|-------|
| `appName` | Optional display name |
| `baseURL` | Only if `BETTER_AUTH_URL` not set |
| `basePath` | Default `/api/auth`. Set `/` for root. |
| `secret` | Only if `BETTER_AUTH_SECRET` not set |
| `database` | Required for most features. See adapters docs. |
| `secondaryStorage` | Redis/KV for sessions & rate limits |
| `emailAndPassword` | `{ enabled: true }` to activate |
| `socialProviders` | `{ google: { clientId, clientSecret }, ... }` |
| `plugins` | Array of plugins |
| `trustedOrigins` | CSRF whitelist |

---

## Database

**Direct connections:** Pass `pg.Pool`, `mysql2` pool, `better-sqlite3`, or `bun:sqlite` instance.

**ORM adapters:** Import from `better-auth/adapters/drizzle`, `better-auth/adapters/prisma`, `better-auth/adapters/mongodb`.

**Critical:** Better Auth uses adapter model names, NOT underlying table names. If Prisma model is `User` mapping to table `users`, use `modelName: "user"` (Prisma reference), not `"users"`.

---

## Session Management

**Storage priority:**
1. If `secondaryStorage` defined → sessions go there (not DB)
2. Set `session.storeSessionInDatabase: true` to also persist to DB
3. No database + `cookieCache` → fully stateless mode

**Cookie cache strategies:**
- `compact` (default) - Base64url + HMAC. Smallest.
- `jwt` - Standard JWT. Readable but signed.
- `jwe` - Encrypted. Maximum security.

**Key options:** `session.expiresIn` (default 7 days), `session.updateAge` (refresh interval), `session.cookieCache.maxAge`, `session.cookieCache.version` (change to invalidate all sessions).

---

## User & Account Config

**User:** `user.modelName`, `user.fields` (column mapping), `user.additionalFields`, `user.changeEmail.enabled` (disabled by default), `user.deleteUser.enabled` (disabled by default).

**Account:** `account.modelName`, `account.accountLinking.enabled`, `account.storeAccountCookie` (for stateless OAuth).

**Required for registration:** `email` and `name` fields.

---

## Email Flows

- `emailVerification.sendVerificationEmail` - Must be defined for verification to work
- `emailVerification.sendOnSignUp` / `sendOnSignIn` - Auto-send triggers
- `emailAndPassword.sendResetPassword` - Password reset email handler

---

## Security

**In `advanced`:**
- `useSecureCookies` - Force HTTPS cookies
- `disableCSRFCheck` - ⚠️ Security risk
- `disableOriginCheck` - ⚠️ Security risk  
- `crossSubDomainCookies.enabled` - Share cookies across subdomains
- `ipAddress.ipAddressHeaders` - Custom IP headers for proxies
- `database.generateId` - Custom ID generation or `"serial"`/`"uuid"`/`false`

**Rate limiting:** `rateLimit.enabled`, `rateLimit.window`, `rateLimit.max`, `rateLimit.storage` ("memory" | "database" | "secondary-storage").

---

## Hooks

**Endpoint hooks:** `hooks.before` / `hooks.after` - Array of `{ matcher, handler }`. Use `createAuthMiddleware`. Access `ctx.path`, `ctx.context.returned` (after), `ctx.context.session`.

**Database hooks:** `databaseHooks.user.create.before/after`, same for `session`, `account`. Useful for adding default values or post-creation actions.

**Hook context (`ctx.context`):** `session`, `secret`, `authCookies`, `password.hash()`/`verify()`, `adapter`, `internalAdapter`, `generateId()`, `tables`, `baseURL`.

---

## Plugins

**Import from dedicated paths for tree-shaking:**
```
import { twoFactor } from "better-auth/plugins/two-factor"
```
NOT `from "better-auth/plugins"`.

**Popular plugins:** `twoFactor`, `organization`, `passkey`, `magicLink`, `emailOtp`, `username`, `phoneNumber`, `admin`, `apiKey`, `bearer`, `jwt`, `multiSession`, `sso`, `oauthProvider`, `oidcProvider`, `openAPI`, `genericOAuth`.

Client plugins go in `createAuthClient({ plugins: [...] })`.

---

## Client

Import from: `better-auth/client` (vanilla), `better-auth/react`, `better-auth/vue`, `better-auth/svelte`, `better-auth/solid`.

Key methods: `signUp.email()`, `signIn.email()`, `signIn.social()`, `signOut()`, `useSession()`, `getSession()`, `revokeSession()`, `revokeSessions()`.

---

## Type Safety

Infer types: `typeof auth.$Infer.Session`, `typeof auth.$Infer.Session.user`.

For separate client/server projects: `createAuthClient<typeof auth>()`.

---

## Common Gotchas

1. **Model vs table name** - Config uses ORM model name, not DB table name
2. **Plugin schema** - Re-run CLI after adding plugins
3. **Secondary storage** - Sessions go there by default, not DB
4. **Cookie cache** - Custom session fields NOT cached, always re-fetched
5. **Stateless mode** - No DB = session in cookie only, logout on cache expiry
6. **Change email flow** - Sends to current email first, then new email

---

## Resources

- [Docs](https://better-auth.com/docs)
- [Options Reference](https://better-auth.com/docs/reference/options)
- [LLMs.txt](https://better-auth.com/llms.txt)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth)
- [Init Options Source](https://github.com/better-auth/better-auth/blob/main/packages/core/src/types/init-options.ts)