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This guide focuses on getting the API and database running locally. You do not need to configure integrations to boot the backend.

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Prerequisites

If you are new to the codebase, complete the Prerequisites first, then follow Project Setup.

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Steps

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1. Set Up Database

First, replace YOUR_DB_NAME (the value of POSTGRES_DB) in apps/api/docker-compose.yml with a real database name (required). You can optionally change the default user or password. Make sure the name matches the DATABASE_URL you set in .env.
Use the API shortcuts if you need them:

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2. Configure Environment

For quickstart, only DATABASE_URL is required to boot the API. Most integrations (auth, payments, SMS, AI, uploads) can stay unset until you enable them in their respective guides. When you do enable auth, set BETTER_AUTH_SECRET to a secure value (32+ chars). You can generate one with:
If you changed the database name in Docker, update DATABASE_URL in .env to match.

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3. Run Migrations

If you see a “Cannot find module ’../generated/client’” error, run pnpm db:generate to create the Prisma client.

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4. Start the Backend

You should see:
The mobile app needs the API and database running to work end-to-end. If the backend is not running, sign-in and data fetches will fail.

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Next Steps

Start the Mobile App

Install dependencies and run the app

Project Structure

Understand how the codebase is organized