Using Cli

The SaaS Forge CLI tool provides the fastest way to create a new SaaS project.

Basic Usage

Create a new project

npx saas-forge my-saas-app

This will:

1. Clone the SaaS Forge repository
2. Create a new directory called my-saas-app
3. Copy .env.example to .env

Specify project name

# Create project in current directory
npx saas-forge .

# Create with custom name
npx saas-forge awesome-saas

# Create in subdirectory
npx saas-forge clients/acme-corp

CLI Options

-theme

Set the default theme for your application:

# Colour theme
npx saas-forge my-app --theme=blue|green|neutral|orange|red|rose|violet|yellow

This sets the NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME environment variable in your .env file.

What the CLI Does

1. Repository Cloning

The CLI clones the latest version from GitHub:

git clone --depth=1 <https://github.com/anoopkarnik/saas-forge.git> my-app

Using --depth=1 performs a shallow clone, downloading only the latest commit to save time and bandwidth.

2. Environment Setup

Copies the example environment file:

cp apps/web/.env.example apps/web/.env

If you provided a --theme option, it updates the theme variable:

NEXT_PUBLIC_THEME=blue

3. Dependency Installation

Installs all workspace dependencies:

pnpm install

This installs dependencies for:

• Root workspace
• apps/web (Next.js app)
• All packages (@workspace/*)

After Installation

Once the CLI finishes, you'll need to:

1. Configure Environment Variables

Edit apps/web/.env and fill in required values:

# Database
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...

# Authentication
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-secret-here
AUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=...
AUTH_GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=...

# CMS (Notion)
NOTION_API_TOKEN=...
LANDING_DATABASE_ID=...

# See full list in Environment Variables guide

2. Setup Database

Run migrations to create database tables:

cd my-saas-app
pnpm migrate

3. Start Development Server

pnpm dev

Your app will be available at http://localhost:3000

Manual Installation Alternative

If you prefer manual setup or the CLI doesn't work:

# Clone repository
git clone <https://github.com/anoopkarnik/saas-forge.git> my-app
cd my-app

# Setup environment
cd apps/web
cp .env.example .env
cd ../..

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Generate Prisma client
pnpm generate

# Run migrations
pnpm migrate

# Start dev server
pnpm dev

See the Installation Guide for more details.

Troubleshooting

"Command not found: npx"

Install Node.js 20+ which includes npx:

• Download from nodejs.org
• Or use nvm: nvm install 20

"pnpm: command not found"

Install pnpm globally:

npm install -g pnpm

Or use corepack (recommended):

corepack enable
corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate

"Permission denied"

On Unix systems, you might need to make the script executable:

chmod +x scripts/cli.js

Clone fails with authentication error

Ensure you have internet connection and can access GitHub:

# Test GitHub connectivity
ping github.com

# Try cloning manually
git clone <https://github.com/anoopkarnik/saas-forge.git>

Installation is slow

The CLI clones the entire repository. For faster installation:

• Use a stable internet connection
• The -depth=1 flag already minimizes data transfer
• Consider manual installation if you already have the repo

Customizing the CLI

You can fork the repository and modify scripts/cli.js to:

• Add more command-line options
• Pre-configure additional environment variables
• Run custom setup scripts
• Add project-specific initialization

Example custom option:

// Add --name option to set NEXT_PUBLIC_SAAS_NAME
const nameArg = args.find(arg => arg.startsWith('--name='));
const saasName = nameArg ? nameArg.split('=')[1] : null;

if (saasName) {
  envContent = envContent.replace(
    /NEXT_PUBLIC_SAAS_NAME=.*/,
    `NEXT_PUBLIC_SAAS_NAME=${saasName}`
  );
}