supabase-setup
Supabase Setup
Initialize and configure Supabase for a project. If target is provided, focus on that area (auth, storage, schema). Default to "all" if omitted.
Step 1: Install and Initialize
pnpm add @supabase/supabase-js
pnpm add -D supabase
npx supabase init
This creates a supabase/ directory with config and a migrations/ folder.
Link to a remote project (ask the user for their project ref if not provided):
npx supabase link --project-ref <project-ref>
Step 2: Environment Variables
Add to .env.local:
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=https://<project-ref>.supabase.co
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=<anon-key>
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=<service-role-key>
| Variable | Exposure | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL |
Client + Server | API endpoint |
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY |
Client + Server | Public key for RLS-protected access |
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY |
Server only | Bypasses RLS. Never expose to client. |
Step 3: Create the Supabase Client
Create src/lib/supabase/client.ts (browser client):
import { createBrowserClient } from '@supabase/ssr'
export function createClient() {
return createBrowserClient(
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL!,
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY!,
)
}
Create src/lib/supabase/server.ts (server client):
import { createServerClient } from '@supabase/ssr'
import { cookies } from 'next/headers'
export async function createClient() {
const cookieStore = await cookies()
return createServerClient(
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL!,
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY!,
{
cookies: {
getAll() {
return cookieStore.getAll()
},
setAll(cookiesToSet) {
cookiesToSet.forEach(({ name, value, options }) =>
cookieStore.set(name, value, options),
)
},
},
},
)
}
Install the SSR helper:
pnpm add @supabase/ssr
Step 4: Schema Design (Migrations)
Create migrations with:
npx supabase migration new <migration-name>
Follow these conventions in every migration:
- Use
uuidfor primary keys:id uuid default gen_random_uuid() primary key - Add timestamps to every table:
created_at timestamptz default now() not null,updated_at timestamptz default now() not null - Use
snake_casefor all table and column names - Use plural table names (
users,posts,comments) - Always enable RLS:
alter table <table> enable row level security;
Apply migrations locally:
npx supabase db reset # Resets local DB and applies all migrations
Push to remote:
npx supabase db push
Step 5: Row Level Security (RLS)
Enable RLS on every table. Never leave a table without policies in production.
Common RLS Patterns
| Pattern | Use when | Policy SQL |
|---|---|---|
| Owner access | Users own their rows | auth.uid() = user_id |
| Org-based access | Users belong to an org | auth.uid() in (select user_id from org_members where org_id = <table>.org_id) |
| Role-based access | Different permission levels | exists (select 1 from user_roles where user_id = auth.uid() and role = 'admin') |
| Public read | Content visible to all | true (on SELECT only) |
| Authenticated read | Any logged-in user can read | auth.uid() is not null (on SELECT only) |
Example: Owner-based CRUD
-- Users can read their own rows
create policy "Users read own data"
on profiles for select
using (auth.uid() = user_id);
-- Users can insert their own rows
create policy "Users insert own data"
on profiles for insert
with check (auth.uid() = user_id);
-- Users can update their own rows
create policy "Users update own data"
on profiles for update
using (auth.uid() = user_id)
with check (auth.uid() = user_id);
-- Users can delete their own rows
create policy "Users delete own data"
on profiles for delete
using (auth.uid() = user_id);
Example: Org-based Access
create policy "Org members can read"
on projects for select
using (
exists (
select 1 from org_members
where org_members.org_id = projects.org_id
and org_members.user_id = auth.uid()
)
);
Example: Role-based Access
create policy "Admins can do anything"
on settings for all
using (
exists (
select 1 from user_roles
where user_roles.user_id = auth.uid()
and user_roles.role = 'admin'
)
);
Step 6: Authentication
Email + Password
Enabled by default. Create sign-up and login flows:
// Sign up
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signUp({
email: 'user@example.com',
password: 'securepassword',
})
// Sign in
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signInWithPassword({
email: 'user@example.com',
password: 'securepassword',
})
OAuth Providers
Enable in Supabase Dashboard > Authentication > Providers. Common setup:
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signInWithOAuth({
provider: 'google', // or 'github', 'apple', etc.
options: {
redirectTo: `${window.location.origin}/auth/callback`,
},
})
Create an auth callback route at src/app/auth/callback/route.ts:
import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'
import { createClient } from '@/lib/supabase/server'
export async function GET(request: Request) {
const { searchParams, origin } = new URL(request.url)
const code = searchParams.get('code')
if (code) {
const supabase = await createClient()
await supabase.auth.exchangeCodeForSession(code)
}
return NextResponse.redirect(origin)
}
Magic Link
const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signInWithOtp({
email: 'user@example.com',
})
Auth Middleware
Create src/middleware.ts to protect routes:
import { createServerClient } from '@supabase/ssr'
import { NextResponse, type NextRequest } from 'next/server'
export async function middleware(request: NextRequest) {
let supabaseResponse = NextResponse.next({ request })
const supabase = createServerClient(
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL!,
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY!,
{
cookies: {
getAll() {
return request.cookies.getAll()
},
setAll(cookiesToSet) {
cookiesToSet.forEach(({ name, value }) =>
request.cookies.set(name, value),
)
supabaseResponse = NextResponse.next({ request })
cookiesToSet.forEach(({ name, value, options }) =>
supabaseResponse.cookies.set(name, value, options),
)
},
},
},
)
const { data: { user } } = await supabase.auth.getUser()
if (!user && !request.nextUrl.pathname.startsWith('/auth')) {
const url = request.nextUrl.clone()
url.pathname = '/auth/login'
return NextResponse.redirect(url)
}
return supabaseResponse
}
export const config = {
matcher: ['/((?!_next/static|_next/image|favicon.ico|auth).*)'],
}
Step 7: Storage Buckets
Create buckets in a migration or via CLI:
insert into storage.buckets (id, name, public)
values ('avatars', 'avatars', false);
Add storage policies:
-- Users can upload their own avatar
create policy "Users upload own avatar"
on storage.objects for insert
with check (
bucket_id = 'avatars'
and auth.uid()::text = (storage.foldername(name))[1]
);
-- Users can read their own avatar
create policy "Users read own avatar"
on storage.objects for select
using (
bucket_id = 'avatars'
and auth.uid()::text = (storage.foldername(name))[1]
);
Upload pattern in code:
const { data, error } = await supabase.storage
.from('avatars')
.upload(`${userId}/avatar.png`, file)
Step 8: TypeScript Type Generation
Generate types from your database schema:
npx supabase gen types typescript --local > src/types/database.ts
Use the generated types with the client:
import { Database } from '@/types/database'
const supabase = createBrowserClient<Database>(
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL!,
process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY!,
)
Re-run type generation after every migration.
Step 9: Edge Functions (Optional)
Create an edge function:
npx supabase functions new <function-name>
Deploy:
npx supabase functions deploy <function-name>
Use edge functions for webhooks, scheduled tasks, or complex server-side logic that doesn't fit in Next.js API routes.
Setup Checklist
| Task | Status |
|---|---|
@supabase/supabase-js and @supabase/ssr installed |
|
supabase init ran, supabase/ directory exists |
|
Project linked with supabase link |
|
Environment variables set in .env.local |
|
Browser client created (src/lib/supabase/client.ts) |
|
Server client created (src/lib/supabase/server.ts) |
|
| Initial migration created with schema | |
| RLS enabled on all tables | |
| RLS policies written for every table | |
| Auth method configured (email/OAuth/magic link) | |
| Auth callback route created | |
| Middleware protects authenticated routes | |
| TypeScript types generated from schema | |
.env.example updated (no secrets) |