Getting Started with SeanStack

Get up and running with SeanStack in minutes. This guide will walk you through installation, project creation, and understanding the core concepts.

Quick Start: Already familiar with modern web development? Jump to Quick Start for the essentials.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Node.js

Version 20.0.0 or higher

node --version

Package Manager

pnpm (recommended), npm, or yarn

pnpm --version

Installation

Install the CLI globally

pnpm add -g @seanspeaks/cli

Quick Start

Create your first SeanStack project in under 5 minutes:

Create a new project

seanstack my-awesome-app

This will prompt you to choose a template and configure your project.

Navigate to your project

cd my-awesome-app

Start development

seanstack dev --core

This starts all core services with intelligent orchestration.

Available Templates

SeanStack offers two starter templates to match your project needs:

Minimal

Perfect for learning or building from scratch

Basic Next.js app
TypeScript configured
SeanStack structure
Essential tooling

Full-Stack

Production-ready multi-app monorepo

Marketing site
Web application
Admin dashboard
Shared packages

Project Structure

Understanding the SeanStack project structure is key to productive development:

my-awesome-app/
├── apps/
│   ├── marketing-site/    # Public website
│   ├── web-app/          # Main application  
│   └── admin-dashboard/  # Admin interface
├── packages/
│   ├── ui/              # Shared components
│   ├── auth/            # Authentication
│   ├── billing/         # Billing integration
│   ├── supabase/        # Database client
│   └── utils/           # Shared utilities
├── scripts/             # Build scripts
├── turbo.json          # Turborepo config
├── pnpm-workspace.yaml # Workspace config
└── package.json        # Root package

Apps Directory

Contains your Next.js applications. Each app is independent but can share code through packages.

Packages Directory

Shared code between apps. Includes UI components, authentication logic, and utility functions.

Key Concepts

🏗️ Monorepo Architecture

SeanStack uses Turborepo to manage multiple apps and packages in a single repository. This enables code sharing, consistent tooling, and coordinated deployments.

🎨 Pattern-Based Development

Unlike traditional frameworks, SeanStack uses a pattern system. Patterns are copied into your project, giving you full control and customization freedom.

🤖 AI-Friendly Architecture

Every pattern includes rich metadata that AI tools can understand. This enables intelligent code generation, updates, and refactoring assistance.

🔐 Security-First

Critical infrastructure like authentication is provided as tested npm packages, while customizable features come as patterns you can modify.

Environment Setup

Configure your environment variables for database and third-party services:

Supabase Configuration

Required for authentication and database

# .env.local
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=your-project-url
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your-anon-key
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your-service-key

Tip: Use seanstack env:check to validate your environment configuration.

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've created your first SeanStack project. Here's what to explore next:

Browse Patterns

Explore available patterns and learn how to add them to your project

View Pattern Library

Learn Architecture

Understand SeanStack's innovative hybrid architecture approach

Architecture Guide

Need Help?

Join our community for support, updates, and to share what you're building:

Discord Community GitHub