
server-actions
This skill should be used when the user asks about "Server Actions", "form handling in Next.js", "mutations", "useFormState", "useFormStatus", "revalidatePath", "revalidateTag", or needs guidance on data mutations and form submissions in Next.js App Router.
- Installs
- 197
- Last 24h
- —
- Trending rank
- —
- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/davepoon/buildwithclaude --skill server-actions- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads server-actions automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Next.js Server Actions
Overview
Server Actions are asynchronous functions that execute on the server. They can be called from Client and Server Components for data mutations, form submissions, and other server-side operations.
Defining Server Actions
In Server Components
Use the 'use server' directive inside an async function:
// app/page.tsx (Server Component)
export default function Page() {
async function createPost(formData: FormData) {
'use server'
const title = formData.get('title') as string
await db.post.create({ data: { title } })
}
return (
<form action={createPost}>
<input name="title" />
<button type="submit">Create</button>
</form>
)
}
In Separate Files
Mark the entire file with 'use server':
// app/actions.ts
'use server'
export async function createPost(formData: FormData) {
const title = formData.get('title') as string
await db.post.create({ data: { title } })
}
export async function deletePost(id: string) {
await db.post.delete({ where: { id } })
}
Form Handling
Basic Form
// app/actions.ts
'use server'
export async function submitContact(formData: FormData) {
const name = formData.get('name') as string
const email = formData.get('email') as string
const message = formData.get('message') as string
await db.contact.create({
data: { name, email, message }
})
}
// app/contact/page.tsx
import { submitContact } from '@/app/actions'
export default function ContactPage() {
return (
<form action={submitContact}>
<input name="name" required />
<input name="email" type="email" required />
<textarea name="message" required />
<button type="submit">Send</button>
</form>
)
}
With Validation (Zod)
// app/actions.ts
'use server'
import { z } from 'zod'
const schema = z.object({
email: z.string().email(),
password: z.string().min(8),
})
export async function signup(formData: FormData) {
const parsed = schema.safeParse({
email: formData.get('email'),
password: formData.get('password'),
})
if (!parsed.success) {
return { error: parsed.error.flatten() }
}
await createUser(parsed.data)
return { success: true }
}
useFormState Hook
Handle form state and errors:
// app/signup/page.tsx
'use client'
import { useFormState } from 'react-dom'
import { signup } from '@/app/actions'
const initialState = {
error: null,
success: false,
}
export default function SignupPage() {
const [state, formAction] = useFormState(signup, initialState)
return (
<form action={formAction}>
<input name="email" type="email" />
<input name="password" type="password" />
{state.error && (
<p className="text-red-500">{state.error}</p>
)}
<button type="submit">Sign Up</button>
</form>
)
}
// app/actions.ts
'use server'
export async function signup(prevState: any, formData: FormData) {
const email = formData.get('email') as string
if (!email.includes('@')) {
return { error: 'Invalid email', success: false }
}
await createUser({ email })
return { error: null, success: true }
}
useFormStatus Hook
Show loading states during submission:
// components/submit-button.tsx
'use client'
import { useFormStatus } from 'react-dom'
export function SubmitButton() {
const { pending } = useFormStatus()
return (
<button type="submit" disabled={pending}>
{pending ? 'Submitting...' : 'Submit'}
</button>
)
}
// Usage in form
import { SubmitButton } from '@/components/submit-button'
export default function Form() {
return (
<form action={submitAction}>
<input name="title" />
<SubmitButton />
</form>
)
}
Revalidation
revalidatePath
Revalidate a specific path:
'use server'
import { revalidatePath } from 'next/cache'
export async function createPost(formData: FormData) {
await db.post.create({ data: { ... } })
// Revalidate the posts list page
revalidatePath('/posts')
// Revalidate a dynamic route
revalidatePath('/posts/[slug]', 'page')
// Revalidate all paths under /posts
revalidatePath('/posts', 'layout')
}
revalidateTag
Revalidate by cache tag:
// Fetching with tags
const posts = await fetch('https://api.example.com/posts', {
next: { tags: ['posts'] }
})
// Server Action
'use server'
import { revalidateTag } from 'next/cache'
export async function createPost(formData: FormData) {
await db.post.create({ data: { ... } })
revalidateTag('posts')
}
Redirects After Actions
'use server'
import { redirect } from 'next/navigation'
export async function createPost(formData: FormData) {
const post = await db.post.create({ data: { ... } })
// Redirect to the new post
redirect(`/posts/${post.slug}`)
}
Optimistic Updates
Update UI immediately while action completes:
'use client'
import { useOptimistic } from 'react'
import { addTodo } from '@/app/actions'
export function TodoList({ todos }: { todos: Todo[] }) {
const [optimisticTodos, addOptimisticTodo] = useOptimistic(
todos,
(state, newTodo: string) => [
...state,
{ id: 'temp', title: newTodo, completed: false }
]
)
async function handleSubmit(formData: FormData) {
const title = formData.get('title') as string
addOptimisticTodo(title) // Update UI immediately
await addTodo(formData) // Server action
}
return (
<>
<form action={handleSubmit}>
<input name="title" />
<button>Add</button>
</form>
<ul>
{optimisticTodos.map(todo => (
<li key={todo.id}>{todo.title}</li>
))}
</ul>
</>
)
}
Non-Form Usage
Call Server Actions programmatically:
'use client'
import { deletePost } from '@/app/actions'
export function DeleteButton({ id }: { id: string }) {
return (
<button onClick={() => deletePost(id)}>
Delete
</button>
)
}
Error Handling
'use server'
export async function createPost(formData: FormData) {
try {
await db.post.create({ data: { ... } })
return { success: true }
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof PrismaClientKnownRequestError) {
if (error.code === 'P2002') {
return { error: 'A post with this title already exists' }
}
}
return { error: 'Failed to create post' }
}
}
Security Considerations
- Always validate input - Never trust client data
- Check authentication - Verify user is authorized
- Use CSRF protection - Built-in with Server Actions
- Sanitize output - Prevent XSS attacks
'use server'
import { auth } from '@/lib/auth'
export async function deletePost(id: string) {
const session = await auth()
if (!session) {
throw new Error('Unauthorized')
}
const post = await db.post.findUnique({ where: { id } })
if (post.authorId !== session.user.id) {
throw new Error('Forbidden')
}
await db.post.delete({ where: { id } })
}
Resources
For detailed patterns, see:
references/form-handling.md- Advanced form patternsreferences/revalidation.md- Cache revalidation strategiesexamples/mutation-patterns.md- Complete mutation examples
FAQ
What does the server-actions skill do?
This skill should be used when the user asks about "Server Actions", "form handling in Next.js", "mutations", "useFormState", "useFormStatus", "revalidatePath", "revalidateTag", or needs guidance on data mutations and form submissions in Next.js App Router.
How do I install server-actions?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/davepoon/buildwithclaude --skill server-actions in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/server-actions/ (personal) or .claude/skills/server-actions/ (project).
Which AI agents can use server-actions?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is server-actions safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains server-actions?
It is published by davepoon in davepoon/buildwithclaude. It has 197 recorded installs.
More from davepoon/buildwithclaude
anti-ui-slop
davepoon/buildwithclaude
Stop coding agents from shipping generic UI. Use UIZZE's 800,000+ real web and iOS screens to build product-specific interfaces, define a design contract, cover required states, and run a hard finish gate. Use for web or iOS UI design, implementation, redesign, critique, and pre-ship review in Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, and other coding agents.
file-organizer
davepoon/buildwithclaude
Intelligently organizes your files and folders across your computer by understanding context, finding duplicates, suggesting better structures, and automating cleanup tasks. Reduces cognitive load and keeps your digital workspace tidy without manual effort.
webapp-testing
davepoon/buildwithclaude
Toolkit for interacting with and testing local web applications using Playwright. Supports verifying frontend functionality, debugging UI behavior, capturing browser screenshots, and viewing browser logs.
competitive-ads-extractor
davepoon/buildwithclaude
Extracts and analyzes competitors' ads from ad libraries (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) to understand what messaging, problems, and creative approaches are working. Helps inspire and improve your own ad campaigns.
xlsx
davepoon/buildwithclaude
Comprehensive spreadsheet creation, editing, and analysis with support for formulas, formatting, data analysis, and visualization. When Claude needs to work with spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xlsm, .csv, .tsv, etc) for: (1) Creating new spreadsheets with formulas and formatting, (2) Reading or analyzing data, (3) Modify existing spreadsheets while preserving formulas, (4) Data analysis and visualization in spreadsheets, or (5) Recalculating formulas
artifacts-builder
davepoon/buildwithclaude
Suite of tools for creating elaborate, multi-component claude.ai HTML artifacts using modern frontend web technologies (React, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui). Use for complex artifacts requiring state management, routing, or shadcn/ui components - not for simple single-file HTML/JSX artifacts.
Popular backend & apis skills
find-skills
vercel-labs/skills
Helps users discover and install agent skills when they ask questions like "how do I do X", "find a skill for X", "is there a skill that can...", or express interest in extending capabilities. This skill should be used when the user is looking for functionality that might exist as an installable skill.
entra-app-registration
microsoft/azure-skills
Guides Microsoft Entra ID app registration, OAuth 2.0 authentication, and MSAL integration. USE FOR: create app registration, register Azure AD app, configure OAuth, set up authentication, add API permissions, generate service principal, MSAL example, console app auth, Entra ID setup, Azure AD authentication. DO NOT USE FOR: Key Vault secrets (use azure-keyvault-expiration-audit), general Azure resource security guidance.
google-agents-cli-adk-code
google/agents-cli
This skill should be used when the user wants to "write agent code", "build an agent with ADK", "add a tool", "create a callback", "define an agent", "use state management" — in a project that needs ADK (Agent Development Kit) API patterns and code examples. It provides a quick reference for agent types, tool definitions, orchestration patterns, callbacks, state management, the graph Workflow API, and reference recipes to study. Do NOT use for scaffolding (use google-agents-cli-scaffold) or deployment (use google-agents-cli-deploy).
embedded-captions
heygen-com/hyperframes
Add captions or subtitles to an existing single-subject talking-head video without editing the footage. Use for plain verbatim captions, cinematic captions embedded behind the subject, VFX captions, “炸/特效/酷炫字幕,” or a named identity from the 35-style catalog. Route by visual identity, not by backend engine. The quiet anchor rail is the default; embed every word only when the user explicitly wants a fully cinematic treatment. The workflow runs locally end to end, including transcription and subject matting; split multi-shot footage before applying it.
entra-agent-id
microsoft/azure-skills
Provision Microsoft Entra Agent Identity Blueprints, BlueprintPrincipals, and per-instance Agent Identities via Microsoft Graph, and configure OAuth 2.0 token exchange (fmipath, OBO, cross-tenant) including the Microsoft Entra SDK for AgentID sidecar. USE FOR: Agent Identity Blueprint, BlueprintPrincipal, agent OAuth, fmipath token exchange, agent OBO, Workload Identity Federation for agents, polyglot agent auth, Microsoft.Identity.Web.AgentIdentities. DO NOT USE FOR: standard Entra app registration (use entra-app-registration), Microsoft Foundry agent authoring (use microsoft-foundry).
neon
neondatabase/agent-skills
Overview of Neon, a complete set of cloud backend primitives around Lakebase Postgres: Auth, Object Storage, Functions, the AI Gateway, and Realtime. Start here to choose Neon for undecided login, files, APIs, and LLM calls, set up the CLI or MCP server, and follow the branch-first workflow. Use when building an app or backend on Neon, or when "Neon" or "Lakebase Postgres" is mentioned. Child skill neon-postgres wins for an existing DATABASEURL, SQL, schema, inspect, or search. Child skill neon-auth wins for login, users, sessions, identity routing, and Managed Better Auth setup. Child skill neon-realtime wins for live queries in reactive apps and agents. Also use for object storage, S3, buckets, serverless functions, function triggers, cron, AI gateway, LLM calls, realtime, logs, Loki, Grafana, observability, postgres, database, backend, Claimable Neon, neon.new, or a no-signup database.