This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by shahid
Are you looking for a seamless way to integrate Google social login and email-based authentication into your Next.js application? In this blog post, we’ll dive into how you can use the powerful combination of Better Auth, Next.js, and Tailwind CSS to build an efficient and secure authentication flow. This solution leverages the best of TypeScript, a lightweight auth library, and a reliable SQLite database layer using the better-sqlite3 library.
👨💻Repository link: https://github.com/shahidkhans/better-auth-next-js-tailwind-google-login
Table of Contents
- Introduction
-
Key Technologies
- Better_Auth
- Next.js
- TailwindCSS
- better-sqlite3
- Repository & Demo
- Why Integrate Google and Email-Based Authentication?
- Implementation Overview
- Getting Started
- Conclusion
Introduction
User authentication is a core component of modern web applications. Whether you need social login using Google or a traditional email-and-password based system, providing a frictionless onboarding process can significantly enhance user satisfaction.
In this post, we’ll show you how to build both Google social login and email-based authentication using:
- Better_Auth – a lightweight and extensible authentication library for TypeScript
- Next.js – a React framework for building server-rendered web applications
- TailwindCSS – a popular utility-first CSS framework for rapid UI development
- better-sqlite3 – a fast and simple SQLite library for Node.js
Key Technologies
Better_Auth
- Lightweight & Flexible: Provides essential features while remaining easy to customize.
- TypeScript Support: Offers robust typings and encourages structured coding practices.
- Extensibility: Perfect for adding social logins (e.g., Google) and other custom providers.
Next.js
- Server-Side Rendering (SSR): Helps deliver better SEO performance and faster initial page loads.
- API Routes: Makes it simple to build secure authentication APIs directly within the Next.js framework.
- Developer Experience: Offers hot-reloading and a built-in router for a pleasant development workflow.
TailwindCSS
- Utility-First: Style your components quickly without leaving your HTML or JSX.
- Customization: Leverage the Tailwind config file to adapt your design to any brand guidelines.
- Responsive Design: Easily build responsive layouts with minimal custom code.
better-sqlite3
- Performance: Known for its speed and simplicity.
- Lightweight: Requires fewer resources compared to other SQL databases.
- Easy Integration: Perfect for small to medium-scale applications needing an embedded database.
Repository & Demo
To see the code in action, explore the repository here:
You’ll find a working demo showcasing how Better_Auth, Next.js, TailwindCSS, and better-sqlite3 come together for an optimal authentication experience.
Why Integrate Google and Email-Based Authentication?
- Enhanced User Experience: Social login (Google) makes the registration process smoother, reducing friction and potential user drop-offs.
- Broader Reach: Not all users have a Google account, and some prefer a traditional email-and-password method for sign-up.
- Better Security: Google sign-in offers built-in security features, and email-based auth can incorporate modern security techniques like 2FA.
- Scalability: With Next.js, you can easily scale your authentication logic to handle traffic spikes.
Implementation Overview
Below is a simplified representation of how these components work together:
|----------------------------|
| Next.js + React UI |
|----------------------------|
| ^ (UI events)
v |
|----------------------------|
| Better_Auth Authentication |
|----------------------------|
| ^ (Auth flow)
v |
|----------------------------|
| better-sqlite3 Database |
|----------------------------|
- User Interaction: A user clicks Sign in with Google or enters their email/password on the login screen (designed with Tailwind CSS components).
- Better_Auth: Handles the underlying logic, generating or validating tokens and securely storing user info.
- Next.js API Routes: Manage the requests to the server and coordinate with the better-sqlite3 database.
- Database Operations: The user’s authentication status and credentials are stored and retrieved using the lightning-fast better-sqlite3 library.
Getting Started
Follow these steps to integrate Google social login and email-based authentication in your Next.js project:
- Clone the Repository
git clone https://github.com/shahidkhans/better-auth-next-js-tailwind-google-login.git
- Install Dependencies Navigate to the project folder and install all dependencies:
cd better-auth-next-js-tailwind-google-login
npm install
npm run seed
This will pull in Better_Auth **, **Next.js, TailwindCSS, better-sqlite3, and other required packages.
-
Configure Environment Variables
- Create a
.env.localfile in the root of your project. - Add your Google Client ID and Google Client Secret along with any other required environment variables, for example:
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your_google_client_id GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your_google_client_secret - Create a
Run the Development Server
npm run dev
Open http://localhost:3000 to view the application in your browser. You can now test both Google login and email-based authentication flows.
-
Add Custom Styling & Components
- Tailwind CSS is already pre-configured.
- Modify your components and pages in the
pagesdirectory to create a unique design matching your brand.
-
Deploy Your Application
- Once you are satisfied with the functionality, deploy your Next.js application to your favorite hosting platform (Vercel, Netlify, or a custom VPS).
- Ensure you configure the production environment variables with the correct credentials.
Conclusion
Integrating Google social login and email-based authentication in your Next.js application doesn't have to be complicated. By using Better_Auth, TailwindCSS, and better-sqlite3, you’ll achieve a lightweight, scalable, and secure solution. The steps above should help you get started quickly and empower you to customize further according to your project's requirements.
Ready to take your Next.js app to the next level? Dive into the repository, explore the demo, and start building a seamless authentication experience today.
Check out the full repository: Better Auth, Next.js, Tailwind, Google Login
If you found this guide helpful, don’t forget to star the repo, leave a comment, and share this post with your fellow developers. Feel free to ask questions or request new features – we’d love to hear your feedback!
Happy Coding!
Stay secure, stay productive, and keep building amazing web applications.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by shahid
shahid | Sciencx (2025-02-22T10:07:49+00:00) Easiest way to implement Social Login Google and Email-Based Authentication using Better Auth, Next.js, and Tailwind CSS. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/02/22/easiest-way-to-implement-social-login-google-and-email-based-authentication-using-better-auth-next-js-and-tailwind-css/
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