The easiest way to create a JavaScript application is by using kenji
. This CLI tool enables you to quickly start building a new Next.js application, with everything set up for you. You can create a new app using the default Next.js template, or by using one of the official Next.js examples. To get started, use the following command:
You can create a new project interactively by running:
npx kenji@latest
# or
yarn dlx next-app
# or
pnpx kenji
# or
bunx kenji
You will be asked for the name of your project, and then whether you want to create a TypeScript project:
✔ Would you like to use TypeScript? … No / Yes
Select Yes to install the necessary types/dependencies and create a new TS project.
You can also pass command line arguments to set up a new project
non-interactively. See kenji --help
:
Usage: kenji <project-directory> [options]
Options:
-V, --version output the version number
--ts, --typescript
Initialize as a TypeScript project. (default)
--js, --javascript
Initialize as a JavaScript project.
--tailwind
Initialize with Tailwind CSS config. (default)
--eslint
Initialize with ESLint config.
--app
Initialize as an App Router project.
--src-dir
Initialize inside a `src/` directory.
--import-alias <alias-to-configure>
Specify import alias to use (default "@/*").
--use-npm
Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the app using npm
--use-pnpm
Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the app using pnpm
--use-yarn
Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the app using Yarn
--use-bun
Explicitly tell the CLI to bootstrap the app using Bun
-e, --example [name]|[github-url]
An example to bootstrap the app with. You can use an example name
from the official Next.js repo or a public GitHub URL. The URL can use
any branch and/or subdirectory
--example-path <path-to-example>
In a rare case, your GitHub URL might contain a branch name with
a slash (e.g. bug/fix-1) and the path to the example (e.g. foo/bar).
In this case, you must specify the path to the example separately:
--example-path foo/bar
--reset-preferences
Explicitly tell the CLI to reset any stored preferences
-h, --help output usage information
kenji
allows you to create a new Next.js app within seconds. It is officially maintained by the creators of Next.js, and includes a number of benefits:
- Interactive Experience: Running
npx kenji@latest
(with no arguments) launches an interactive experience that guides you through setting up a project. - Zero Dependencies: Initializing a project is as quick as one second. Create Next App has zero dependencies.
- Offline Support: Create Next App will automatically detect if you're offline and bootstrap your project using your local package cache.
- Support for Examples: Create Next App can bootstrap your application using an example from the Next.js examples collection (e.g.
npx kenji --example api-routes
). - Tested: The package is part of the Next.js monorepo and tested using the same integration test suite as Next.js itself, ensuring it works as expected with every release.