Fastify Better Auth Bridge

Fastify Better Auth Bridge

Wire Better Auth session resolution into Fastify 5 via the onRequest hook. Use this when Better Auth already exists but Fastify lacks the framework bridge.

Do NOT load this skill when

• The problem is callback URL configuration, trusted origins, or provider bootstrap order
• The problem is IDCS group mapping or org_members provisioning rules
• The goal is to build a parallel session system alongside Better Auth

NEVER

• Never build a parallel session layer when cookie header forwarding is all that's needed — the symptom (no session) and the fix (forward cookies) are separated by two layers, making it easy to misdiagnose.
• Never enforce RBAC policy inside the bridge onRequest hook — the bridge resolves identity, route guards enforce access. Mixing them makes both untestable.
• Never share mutable array decorator defaults in Fastify 5 — arrays on the prototype are shared across all requests; use a Symbol-backed getter/setter per-request.
• Never skip the Web Request bridge — auth.api.getSession() requires a native Web API Request, not a Fastify request object. Passing the wrong type silently returns no session.
• Never assume reply.send(undefined) is safe in Fastify 5 — it throws.

The Non-Obvious Parts

Why cookie forwarding breaks silently

Missing cookie headers make login and session resolution fail in completely different places — the login succeeds (sets cookie in browser) but the next request has no session. There's no error; the session is simply null. The bridge and the login flow look unrelated. Always verify cookies are included in the Web Request you build.

Why Fastify 5 decorator arrays share state

fastify.decorateRequest('permissions', []) — the [] is a prototype default shared across all requests. First request mutates it; second request sees the previous request's permissions. Use a Symbol-keyed getter/setter that allocates a fresh array per request.

Why IDCS users have no active org

IDCS-provisioned users are created via group sync, not Better Auth's organization-switch flow. Their session has no activeOrganizationId. Downstream code expecting org context will silently receive undefined. Patch by querying org_members when activeOrganizationId is absent.

Required Bridge Shape

Step 1: Web `Request` bridge Build from protocol + hostname + URL + method + full incoming headers. The headers must include cookie — that's the only way auth.api.getSession() can resolve a session.

Step 2: Decorate request state once Standardize: request.user, request.session, request.permissions, request.apiKeyContext. Use Symbol-backed getter/setter for any field that holds an array or mutable object.

Step 3: Path exclusions Skip session resolution only for: health, metrics, Better Auth handler routes. Normalize query strings and trailing slashes before matching — inconsistent normalization creates auth misses on some routes only.

Step 4: Resolve session, then continue as anonymous on error If auth.api.getSession() throws: log it, continue with request.user = null. Never reject the request at bridge level — that's the route guard's job.

Step 5: Patch org context If request.session.activeOrganizationId is absent, query org_members by user ID and set the org context downstream. Only do this when org context is genuinely absent — not as a default fallback on every request.

Diagnostic Script

node scripts/check-fastify-auth-bridge.js /path/to/auth-plugin.ts
# Defaults to apps/api/src/plugins/auth.ts if no argument given

Arguments

$ARGUMENTS: Optional path to the Fastify auth plugin file to inspect. Empty = use repo-default path (apps/api/src/plugins/auth.ts).