Phase 1: Planning (REQUIRED before implementation)
Before writing any code, gather requirements by scanning the project and asking the user structured questions. This ensures the implementation matches their needs.
Step 1: Scan the project
Analyze the codebase to auto-detect:
Framework — Look for next.config, svelte.config, nuxt.config, astro.config, vite.config, or Express/Hono entry files.
Existing auth — Look for existing auth libraries (next-auth, lucia, clerk, supabase/auth, firebase/auth) in package.json or imports.
Package manager — Check for pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, bun.lockb, or package-lock.json.
Use what you find to pre-fill defaults and skip questions you can already answer.
Step 2: Ask planning questions
Use the AskQuestion tool to ask the user all applicable questions in a single call. Skip any question you already have a confident answer for from the scan. Group them under a title like "Auth Setup Planning".
Questions to ask:
Project type (skip if detected)
Prompt: "What type of project is this?"
Options: New project from scratch | Adding auth to existing project | Migrating from another auth library
After collecting answers, present a concise implementation plan as a markdown checklist. Example:
## Auth Implementation Plan
- **Framework:** Next.js (App Router)
- **Database:** PostgreSQL via Prisma
- **Auth methods:** Email/password, Google OAuth, GitHub OAuth
- **Plugins:** 2FA, Organizations, Email verification
- **UI:** Custom forms
### Steps
1. Install `better-auth` and `@better-auth/cli`
2. Create `lib/auth.ts` with server config
3. Create `lib/auth-client.ts` with React client
4. Set up route handler at `app/api/auth/[...all]/route.ts`
5. Configure Prisma adapter and generate schema
6. Add Google & GitHub OAuth providers
7. Enable `twoFactor` and `organization` plugins
8. Set up email verification handler
9. Run migrations
10. Create sign-in / sign-up pages
Ask the user to confirm the plan before proceeding to Phase 2.
Phase 2: Implementation
Only proceed here after the user confirms the plan from Phase 1.
Follow the decision tree below, guided by the answers collected above.
Is this a new/empty project?
├─ YES → New project setup
│ 1. Install better-auth (+ scoped packages per plan)
│ 2. Create auth.ts with all planned config
│ 3. Create auth-client.ts with framework client
│ 4. Set up route handler
│ 5. Set up environment variables
│ 6. Run CLI migrate/generate
│ 7. Add plugins from plan
│ 8. Create auth UI pages
│
├─ MIGRATING → Migration from existing auth
│ 1. Audit current auth for gaps
│ 2. Plan incremental migration
│ 3. Install better-auth alongside existing auth
│ 4. Migrate routes, then session logic, then UI
│ 5. Remove old auth library
│ 6. See migration guides in docs
│
└─ ADDING → Add auth to existing project
1. Analyze project structure
2. Install better-auth
3. Create auth config matching plan
4. Add route handler
5. Run schema migrations
6. Integrate into existing pages
7. Add planned plugins and features
At the end of implementation, guide users thoroughly on remaining next steps (e.g., setting up OAuth app credentials, deploying env vars, testing flows).