feat(init): remove --prompt and bundled agent prompt templates

.changeset/remove-init-prompts.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"clerk": minor
+---
+
+Remove `clerk init --prompt` and the bundled per-framework agent prompt templates. Agents should run `clerk init -y` to perform the full setup non-interactively, or run `skills add clerk/skills` directly via their preferred package runner. The internal `pmInstallCommand` helper has moved from `commands/init/prompts/` to `lib/package-manager.ts`.

packages/cli-core/src/cli-program.ts

@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ Give AI agents better Clerk context: install the Clerk skills
     )
     .option("--name <project-name>", "Project name for --starter (skips prompt)")
     .option("--app <id>", "Application ID to link (skips interactive picker)")
-    .option("--prompt", "Output a prompt for an AI agent to integrate Clerk")
     .option("--starter", "Create a new project from a starter template")
     .option("-y, --yes", "Skip confirmation prompts")
     .option("--no-skills", "Skip the optional agent skills install prompt")
@@ -150,7 +149,6 @@ Give AI agents better Clerk context: install the Clerk skills
         command: "clerk init --starter --framework next --pm bun",
         description: "Bootstrap with Bun",
       },
-      { command: "clerk init --prompt", description: "Output a setup prompt for an AI agent" },
       { command: "clerk init -y", description: "Skip all confirmation prompts" },
       { command: "clerk init --no-skills", description: "Skip the agent skills install prompt" },
     ])

packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/README.md

@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ clerk init --framework next
 clerk init --starter
 clerk init --starter --framework next --pm bun
 clerk init --starter --framework next --pm bun --name my-app
-clerk init --prompt
 clerk init -y
 clerk init --yes
 clerk init --no-skills
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ clerk init --no-skills
 | `--name <project-name>` | Project name for `--starter` (skips prompt). Must be lowercase, no spaces, no path separators                                                                                         |
 | `--app <id>`            | Application ID to link (skips the interactive app picker during authenticated linking)                                                                                                |
 | `--starter`             | Bootstrap a new project from a starter template (runs the framework generator, installs deps, and scaffolds Clerk)                                                                    |
-| `--prompt`              | Output a prompt for an AI agent to integrate Clerk, then exit                                                                                                                         |
 | `-y, --yes`             | Skip confirmation prompts (also skips authentication after bootstrap, letting you connect your account later)                                                                         |
 | `--no-skills`           | Skip the optional agent skills install prompt at the end of init                                                                                                                      |
 
@@ -39,31 +37,28 @@ When running in agent mode (`--mode agent` or non-TTY), the command runs the ful
 - For **new projects** (`--starter` or blank directory): `--framework` is required (no way to auto-detect in an empty dir). Package manager is auto-selected by availability (bun → pnpm → yarn → npm) unless `--pm` is provided
 - Project name defaults to the framework's default (e.g. `my-clerk-next-app`) unless `--name` is provided
 
-Use `--prompt` to output a setup prompt for an AI agent without running init.
-
 ## Flow
 
-1. **`--prompt`**: outputs a framework-specific prompt, then exits
-2. Gathers project context (framework, router variant, TypeScript, `src/` directory, package manager)
-3. Determines auth mode from credential presence (no user prompt):
+1. Gathers project context (framework, router variant, TypeScript, `src/` directory, package manager)
+2. Determines auth mode from credential presence (no user prompt):
    - **Authenticated** (OAuth token or `CLERK_PLATFORM_API_KEY` set): uses the authenticated flow — runs `clerk link` if not already linked and pulls real API keys into `.env` at the end
    - **Bootstrap + keyless-capable framework + not authenticated**: automatically uses keyless mode — the app runs on auto-generated dev keys and the user can connect a Clerk account later with `clerk auth login`
    - **Bootstrap + non-keyless framework + not authenticated** (with `--yes` or agent mode): skips authentication and prints manual setup instructions (run `clerk auth login` / `clerk link` / `clerk env pull` when ready)
    - **Existing project + not authenticated**: runs the authenticated flow, which triggers an interactive login so real keys can be pulled
-4. **Authenticated mode only**: authenticates via `clerk auth login` (skipped if already authenticated) and links the project via `clerk link` (skipped if already linked)
-5. Displays detected framework and variant
-6. Detects existing auth libraries (NextAuth, Auth0, Supabase, Firebase, Passport, Better Auth, Kinde) and shows migration guidance
-7. Installs the appropriate Clerk SDK (skips if already present)
-8. Generates a scaffold plan for the detected framework
-9. Warns if the git working tree has uncommitted changes
-10. Previews planned file changes and asks for confirmation
-11. Writes scaffold files to disk
-12. Runs project formatters (Prettier/Biome) on generated files
-13. Scans for issues: hardcoded keys, leftover auth-library imports, stale API calls
-14. Prints a summary of created, modified, and skipped files with recommendations
-15. **Authenticated mode**: pulls development instance API keys via `clerk env pull`
-16. **Unauthenticated mode**: prints instructions for development without API keys and how to connect a Clerk account later
-17. Optionally installs Clerk agent skills (core + features, plus a framework-specific skill) via the project's package runner (see [Agent skills install](#agent-skills-install))
+3. **Authenticated mode only**: authenticates via `clerk auth login` (skipped if already authenticated) and links the project via `clerk link` (skipped if already linked)
+4. Displays detected framework and variant
+5. Detects existing auth libraries (NextAuth, Auth0, Supabase, Firebase, Passport, Better Auth, Kinde) and shows migration guidance
+6. Installs the appropriate Clerk SDK (skips if already present)
+7. Generates a scaffold plan for the detected framework
+8. Warns if the git working tree has uncommitted changes
+9. Previews planned file changes and asks for confirmation
+10. Writes scaffold files to disk
+11. Runs project formatters (Prettier/Biome) on generated files
+12. Scans for issues: hardcoded keys, leftover auth-library imports, stale API calls
+13. Prints a summary of created, modified, and skipped files with recommendations
+14. **Authenticated mode**: pulls development instance API keys via `clerk env pull`
+15. **Unauthenticated mode**: prints instructions for development without API keys and how to connect a Clerk account later
+16. Optionally installs Clerk agent skills (core + features, plus a framework-specific skill) via the project's package runner (see [Agent skills install](#agent-skills-install))
 
 ## Framework Detection
 
@@ -185,7 +180,6 @@ After scaffolding (and after env keys are pulled or keyless instructions are pri
 
 - **Human mode**: prompts `Install agent skills? (...)` defaulting to yes. Pass `--no-skills` to suppress the prompt entirely, or `-y/--yes` to accept it without confirmation. When more than one runner is available, a second prompt picks which one to use (the project's package manager wins by default).
 - **Agent mode**: skills are installed non-interactively with `-y -g` flags (no prompt shown). Pass `--no-skills` to skip entirely.
-- **`--prompt`**: exits before the skills step runs. Agent users should run `skills add clerk/skills` via their preferred runner manually; the bundled `clerk` skill is only installable via `clerk init` itself, since its source lives inside the CLI binary.
 
 Two install commands run, sharing one runner:
 

packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/heuristics.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { log } from "../../lib/log.js";
 import { getValidToken, hasStoredCredentials } from "../../lib/credential-store.js";
 import { fetchUserInfo } from "../../lib/token-exchange.js";
 import { printFindings } from "./scan.js";
-import { pmInstallCommand } from "./prompts/index.js";
+import { pmInstallCommand } from "../../lib/package-manager.js";
 import { withSpinner } from "../../lib/spinner.js";
 import type { FileAction, ProjectContext, ScaffoldPlan } from "./frameworks/types.js";
 import type { ScanFinding } from "./scan.js";

packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/index.test.ts

@@ -169,16 +169,6 @@ describe("init", () => {
     expect(bootstrapMod.promptAndBootstrap).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  test("--prompt flag prints guidance and exits", async () => {
-    const { captured } = setup({ isAgent: false });
-
-    await captured.run(() => init({ prompt: true }));
-
-    expect(captured.out).toContain("clerk init -y");
-    expect(loginMod.login).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(bootstrapMod.promptAndBootstrap).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-  });
-
   test("blank dir in human mode triggers bootstrap flow", async () => {
     setup();
     setupBootstrapSuccess();

packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/index.ts

@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ type InitOptions = {
   pm?: PackageManager;
   name?: string;
   yes?: boolean;
-  /** Output a prompt for an AI agent to integrate Clerk, then exit. */
-  prompt?: boolean;
   /** Install the optional agent skills (set to false via `--no-skills` to skip). */
   skills?: boolean;
   /** Create a new project from a starter template. */
@@ -63,13 +61,6 @@ export async function init(options: InitOptions = {}) {
     ? (lookupFramework(options.framework) ?? undefined)
     : undefined;
 
-  if (options.prompt) {
-    log.data(
-      "Run `clerk init -y` to automatically detect the framework, install the Clerk SDK, and scaffold authentication files without interactive prompts.",
-    );
-    return;
-  }
-
   // In agent mode, implicitly enable --yes to skip all confirmation prompts.
   const overrides: BootstrapOverrides = {
     skipConfirm: options.yes || isAgent(),