GROWTH PATTERN

Adding Activation to Next.js + Turso + Clerk Apps

The standard Next.js + Turso + Clerk setup creates user records, but lacks the infrastructure to detect value-achievement milestones.

Next.js + Turso + Clerk

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What's Missing in Standard Next.js + Turso + Clerk Architecture

While Clerk provides excellent authentication and user management, it doesn't automatically detect activation milestones. Webhooks fire for authentication events (user.created, session.created), but they don't track value-achievement milestones like 'user created their first project.'

Standard Next.js + Turso + Clerk Flow vs Optimized Skene Flow

Standard Flow
1

User signs up via Clerk

2

User record created in Turso

3

No automatic trigger - manual follow-up required

Skene Flow
1

Watch Turso 'users' table for new signups using standard API

2

Detect when user completes first key action (e.g., uploading their first file) using Turso queries

3

Trigger activation email sequence via Resend with personalized onboarding

4

Track activation completion and send milestone emails

Visual comparison of the flows:

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How Skene Fixes This

This Skene Prompt installs activation detection that bridges Clerk authentication events with Turso data changes. It watches for specific actions (like uploading their first file) and automatically triggers personalized onboarding sequences.

Implementation Comparison

Using Skene Infrastructure

Install via Prompt

cursor.mdc
@task: Initialize Skene.
@action: Analyze my local code, validating subscription via `npx skene login`, and generate `skene.config.ts` to implement the Activation Loop pattern for Next.js + Turso + Clerk.

Copy Skene Prompt for Cursor

Generated skene.config.ts

skene.config.ts
// skene.config.ts - The Automated Way
import { defineLoop } from '@skene/sdk';

export default defineLoop({
  type: 'activation',
  opinion: 'Detect when users complete their first key action and trigger personalized onboarding',
  steps: [
    {
      trigger: {
        type: 'database',
        table: 'users',
        event: 'insert'
      },
      condition: {
        type: 'query',
        query: `SELECT * FROM user_actions WHERE user_id = $1 AND action_type = 'first_project_created'`,
        timeout: '5m'
      },
      action: {
        type: 'email',
        provider: 'resend',
        template: 'activation_welcome',
        personalization: {
          name: '{{user.name}}',
          activationLink: '{{user.activation_link}}'
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  recovery: {
    retries: 3,
    backoff: 'exponential'
  }
});

Frequently asked questions