Secure authentication in Next.js: Best practices & implementation
Learn how to add secure auth to Next.js app in minutes, using our step-by-step guide with code examples for server & client components.

Learn how to add secure auth to Next.js app in minutes, using our step-by-step guide with code examples for server & client components.

Authentication: the critical feature developers dread building, yet can't ship without. For Next.js teams, this challenge is amplified. You're meant to craft exceptional user experiences, not waste weeks debugging cookie domains or session validation logic. But what if authentication could become an asset rather than a liability?
According to OWASP, broken authentication remains one of the top security risks for web applications. NIST 800-63B outlines modern, standards-based approaches, including FIDO2 passkey methods, to counter increasingly sophisticated attacks.
This article explores why identity should be abstracted away from your application code, and how to implement best practices aligned with these industry standards when you add authentication to Next.js applications.
Next.js is one of the most popular React frameworks for its flexibility and performance. But when it comes to authentication, it leaves you on your own. You're on your own when it comes to things such:
A developer can easily spend weeks debugging authentication flows after switching to the app router. Others find session vulnerabilities during a last-minute security audit. These aren't rare edge cases. They're common because authentication seems deceptively simple until it breaks under pressure.
The hybrid rendering model in Next.js introduces complexity that many teams don't anticipate. The split between server and client components complicates session validation. A check that works in a page.tsx file might not behave the same way in a Server Component. Session state can go stale in shared layouts due to client-side navigation. These quirks make authentication harder to reason about.
Even when a team gets the basics working, they often overlook critical security details such as:
Additionally, origin validation requirements, secure context demands, and local environment configurations often create friction during testing and implementation. While technologies like WebAuthn enhance security, they supplement rather than replace comprehensive session management. Keeping pace with rapidly evolving security standards requires continuous attention to maintain secure implementations.
When implementing authentication, focus on these security fundamentals:
You have several approaches to implement authentication in Next.js:
Use this pattern to verify that a session exists before rendering secure content:
import { getServerSession } from '@ory/nextjs/app';
export default async function Dashboard() {
const session = await getServerSession();
if (!session) {
redirect('/login');
}
return <p>Welcome, {session.identity.traits.email}</p>;
}
Use the Ory hook in client components to manage authentication state in the browser:
'use client'
import { useSession() } from '@ory/elements-react/client';
export function UserProfile() {
const { session, isLoading } = useSession();
if (isLoading) return <p>Loading...</p>;
if (!session) return <p>Not authenticated</p>;
return <p>Hello, {session.identity.traits.name.first}</p>;
}
Let's walk through implementing authentication in your Next.js application using Ory:
npm install @ory/nextjs @ory/elements-react
//middleware.ts
import { createOryMiddleware } from "@ory/nextjs/middleware"
import oryConfig from "@/ory.config"
// This function can be marked `async` if using `await` inside
export const middleware = createOryMiddleware(oryConfig)
export const config = {}
# .env.local
ORY_SDK_URL=https://{your-project-slug}.projects.oryapis.com
// app/dashboard/page.tsx
import { createOryCookie } from '@ory/nextjs';
import { redirect } from 'next/navigation';
export default async function DashboardPage() {
const session = await getServerSession();
if (!session) {
redirect('/login?return_to=/dashboard');
}
// Additional authorization check
if (!hasRequiredPermissions(session, 'dashboard:view')) {
return <AccessDenied />;
}
return <Dashboard user={session.identity} />;
}
import { Login } from "@ory/elements-react/theme"
import { enhanceOryConfig } from "@ory/nextjs"
import { getLoginFlow, OryPageParams } from "@ory/nextjs/app"
import baseConfig from "@/ory.config"
export default async function LoginPage(props: OryPageParams) {
const config = enhanceOryConfig(baseConfig)
const flow = await getLoginFlow(config, props.searchParams)
if (!flow) {
return null
}
return (
<Login
flow={flow}
config={config}
components={{
Card: {},
}}
/>
)
}
Modern identity systems ship with battle-tested security: strong password policies, MFA, rate limiting, secure sessions, WebAuthn support, and more – all out of the box.
Ory offers flexibility and composability that black-box solutions can't match. You can use hosted flows for speed, customize your own UI with secure defaults, or go full API for maximum control. Because Ory is open source, you're never locked into proprietary workflows – giving you visibility and the freedom to adapt the system to your needs.
Developer teams should be enabled to focus on what makes their applications unique. Authentication is infrastructure – essential but complex work that doesn't set your app apart. It should be composable and adaptable to your needs, secure by default (not just after careful configuration), and abstracted away from your core application logic.
By treating authentication as infrastructure rather than application code, you reduce security risks by leveraging specialized expertise, accelerate development by focusing on business logic, future-proof your application against evolving security standards, and ensure compliance with regulations and industry standards.
The journey from DIY authentication to identity as infrastructure represents more than just a paradigm shift. It refocuses your team's energy from maintaining auth to building what matters.
When security-conscious teams offload auth to a purpose-built system like Ory, they transform a potential liability into a competitive edge. Engineers regain weeks of development time by eliminating fragile, ad hoc auth logic. Security posture strengthens through hardened systems maintained by experts attuned to evolving threats. Authentication infrastructure scales seamlessly with your application and remains resilient during traffic spikes. Modern authentication methods like passkeys enhance user experience without compromising security. And release velocity increases as authentication becomes a modular component rather than a blocker.
Whether you're launching a new Next.js app or modernizing an existing one, the question isn't can you build auth – it's why would you? With Ory, you get a composable identity system that runs on your terms, giving your team the freedom to focus on what truly sets your app apart.
Get started today with Ory and Next.js and turn auth into an asset.