Reading Session and User Data

The Descope Next.js SDK provides utilities for retrieving user session data in both the App Router (app/) and Pages Router (pages/).

This guide covers:

Accessing session data on the client
Retrieving session data on the server
Differences between App Router and Pages Router
When to use session() vs. getSession(req)
Using createSdk() for backend authentication

Client Side

The Descope SDK provides hooks to access session/user data in client components. For more details, visit our Auth Helpers page.

Displaying Logged-in User Information

'use client';
import { useDescope, useSession, useUser } from '@descope/nextjs-sdk/client';
 
export default function Dashboard() {
  const { isAuthenticated, isSessionLoading } = useSession();
  const { user } = useUser();
  const sdk = useDescope();
 
  if (isSessionLoading) {
    return <p>Loading...</p>;
  }
 
  if (!isAuthenticated) {
    return <p>You are not logged in</p>;
  }
 
  return (
    <div>
      <p>Welcome, {user?.name}</p>
      <button onClick={() => sdk.logout()}>Logout</button>
    </div>
  );
}

Server Side

Session data can be retrieved inside API routes, Middleware, and Server Components using session() or getSession(req).

Comparison of Methods

Function	Use Case	Works in Middleware?	Works in API Routes?	Works in Server Components?
`session()`	App Router, Middleware, Server Components	Yes	Yes	Yes
`getSession(req)`	Pages Router API routes	No	Yes	No

Using `session()` in Middleware and App Router

The session() function reads session data from cookies and headers.

Protecting a Server Component

import { session } from '@descope/nextjs-sdk/server';
 
async function Dashboard() {
  const currentSession = await session();
  
  if (!currentSession) {
    return <p>Access Denied</p>;
  }
 
  return <p>Welcome, {currentSession.token.sub}</p>;
}

Works in Server Components
Works in Middleware
Not dependent on authMiddleware(), but middleware is recommended

Using `getSession(req)` in Pages Router API Routes

getSession(req) retrieves session data in Next.js API routes (pages/api/).

Protecting an API Route (Pages Router)

import { getSession } from '@descope/nextjs-sdk/server';
import type { NextApiRequest, NextApiResponse } from 'next';
 
export default async function handler(req: NextApiRequest, res: NextApiResponse) {
  const currentSession = getSession(req);
 
  if (!currentSession) {
    return res.status(401).json({ message: 'Unauthorized' });
  }
 
  return res.status(200).json({ user: currentSession.token.sub });
}

Works only in Pages Router (pages/api/)
Do not use in Middleware (use session() instead)

Using SDK in Server Components/API Routes

For backend API interactions, use createSdk() to access the Descope Management API.

Fetching User Data from the Descope Management SDK

import { createSdk } from '@descope/nextjs-sdk/server';
 
const sdk = createSdk({
  projectId: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_DESCOPE_PROJECT_ID,
  managementKey: process.env.DESCOPE_MANAGEMENT_KEY
});
 
export async function GET() {
  const { ok, data: user } = await sdk.management.user.load('user123');
 
  if (!ok) {
    return new Response('User not found', { status: 404 });
  }
 
  return Response.json(user);
}

When to Use Each Method

Use Case	App Router	Pages Router	Middleware	API Routes
Client Hooks (`useSession`, `useUser`)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Middleware (`authMiddleware()`)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Session Function (`session()`)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
API Routes (`getSession(req)`)	No	Yes	No	Yes
Management API (`createSdk()`)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Additional Considerations

For more details on handling session and authentication events, refer to the Client SDK Auth Helpers documentation.

This includes:

Session and user event listeners (onSessionTokenChange, onIsAuthenticatedChange, onUserChange)
Handling session expiration and refresh
Redirecting users after logout
Managing authentication state across multiple tabs

By leveraging these utilities, you can ensure a seamless and secure authentication experience for users across your Next.js application.

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