Secure authentication in Next.js: Best practices & implementation

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.

The Challenge Developers Face in Next.js

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:

• Managing sessions across server and client components
• Securing cookies
• Avoiding broken redirects
• Building login UIs that meet modern security standards

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.

Why Auth is Hard in Next.js

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:

• CSRF protection tied to request origin
• Proper configuration of cookies (HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite)
• Session expiration and rotation
• Token validation and encryption
• Mitigation of session fixation attacks

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.

How to Implement Secure Authentication in Next.js

Authentication Foundations

When implementing authentication, focus on these security fundamentals:

• Multi-factor authentication with friction-free options such as passkeys to boost security without sacrificing UX and adoption
• Effective session management using short-lived tokens with proper renewal mechanisms to limit the impact of token compromise
• CSRF protection that validates request origins
• Thoughtful password guidelines that focus on length rather than complexity rules and avoid mandatory rotation policies
• Thorough input validation to prevent injection attacks (as highlighted by OWASP)

Implementation Options

You have several approaches to implement authentication in Next.js:

• Build a custom solution for highest flexibility (but this requires deep security expertise)
• Use an authentication library for a good balance of control and security
• Leverage an identity provider for a fully managed solution with best security practices built-in

Quick Look: How Ory Authentication Works in Next.js

1. Check for an active session in a Server Component

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>;
}

2. Authenticate in Client Components

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>;
}

Step-by-Step: Add Ory Authentication to Your Next.js App

Let's walk through implementing authentication in your Next.js application using Ory:

1. Install the SDK:

npm install @ory/nextjs @ory/elements-react

2. Use the Ory middleware to aid local development:

//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 = {}

3. Configure environment variables in your .env.local file and replace the place holder with your project slug (found in the Ory Console under project settings, if you already have an account you can go here):

# .env.local
ORY_SDK_URL=https://{your-project-slug}.projects.oryapis.com

4. Enforce access control and follow security best practices:

// 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} />;
}

5. Add secure login and logout functionality with CSRF protection (visit Ory on Github for more examples):

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: {},
      }}
    />
  )
}

Why Security-Conscious Teams Delegate Auth

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.

The Philosophy: Identity as Infrastructure

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.

Moving Forward with Ory: From Security Burden to Innovation Enabler

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.