Kickstart Your Node.js Backend with `npx create-node-dev` on npm

Looking to build a robust Node.js backend without spending hours on boilerplate setup? Meet create-node-dev, a CLI tool that scaffolds a professional Node.js backend with Express, complete with MongoDB or PostgreSQL support, authentication, security middleware, and optional logging. In this post, we'll explore what create-node-dev is, its benefits, and how to use it to jumpstart your next project.

What is create-node-dev?

create-node-dev is an open-source npm package that automates the creation of a production-ready Node.js backend. It generates a well-organised project structure with Express, pre-configured with essential features like:

• Database Support: Choose between MongoDB (with Mongoose) or PostgreSQL (with Sequelize).
• Authentication: JWT-based authentication for user registration, login, and profile management.
• Security: Middleware like Helmet for secure headers and express-rate-limit for rate limiting.
• Logging: Optional Winston logging for console and file output.
• Testing & Linting: Pre-configured with Jest, ESLint, and Prettier.
• Folder Structure: Clean separation of concerns with routes, controllers, models, middleware, and utilities.

Available on npm: create-node-dev

Why Use create-node-dev?

Benefits

1. Saves Time: Skip repetitive setup tasks and get a fully configured backend in minutes.
2. Production-Ready: Includes modern best practices for security, error handling, and code organisation.
3. Flexible: Supports MongoDB or PostgreSQL, with optional logging to suit your needs.
4. Beginner-Friendly: Interactive CLI with arrow key navigation for easy configuration.
5. Scalable: Structured for small APIs or large-scale applications, with testing and linting tools included.

Whether you're building a REST API, a microservice, or a full-stack app, create-node-dev provides a solid foundation to start coding features immediately.

How to Create and Use create-node-dev

Step 1: Installation

Install the package globally using npm to access the CLI:

npx create-node-dev

This command launches an interactive prompt to configure your project.

Step 2: Configure Your Project

The CLI will ask you for:

• Project name: Name your project folder (default: node-backend).
• Use src folder: Organise code in a src folder? (y/N).
• Main file name: Specify the main server file (default: index.js).
• Database: Select MongoDB or PostgreSQL using arrow keys (default: MongoDB).
• Include logging: Enable Winston logging? (y/N).

Example run:

npx create-node-dev

• Enter my-api for the project name.
• Type y for the src folder.
• Accept index.js as the main file.
• Use arrow keys to select mongodb.
• Type y for logging.

The CLI generates a project structure like this:

backend/
├── src/
│   ├── config/
│   │   └── database.js
│   ├── controllers/
│   │   ├── authController.js
│   │   └── userController.js
│   ├── middleware/
│   │   ├── auth.js
│   │   └── errorHandler.js
│   ├── models/
│   │   ├── User.js (MongoDB) or index.js + User.js (PostgreSQL)
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── auth.js
│   │   └── users.js
│   ├── services/
│   ├── utils/
│   │   └── logger.js (if logging is enabled)
│   └── index.js
├── logs/ (if logging enabled)
├── .env
├── .gitignore
├── .npmignore
├── package.json
└── README.md

Step 3: Set Up Environment Variables

The generated .env file includes default configurations. Update it with your database credentials and a secure JWT secret:

Server Configuration

NODE_ENV=development
PORT=3000

JWT Secret

JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-jwt-key-change-this-in-production

Logging (if enabled)

LOG_LEVEL=info

Database Configuration (example for MongoDB)

MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/myApp

OR (example for PostgreSQL)

DB_NAME=my-api
DB_USER=postgres
DB_PASSWORD=password
DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432

Replace your-super-secret-jwt-key-change-this-in-production with a secure key and update database credentials as needed.

Step 4: Run the Project

Navigate to your project folder and start the development server:

cd backend
npm run dev

This runs the server with nodemon, which auto-restarts on file changes. The server will be available at http://localhost:3000, with a health check endpoint at /health.

Step 5: Test the API

The backend includes pre-built routes for authentication and user management. Test them using Postman or cURL:

• Health Check:

  curl http://localhost:3000/health

Response:

  {
    "status": "OK",
    "message": "Server is running",
    "timestamp": "2025-08-01T23:55:00.000Z",
    "uptime": 123.456
  }

• Register a User:

  curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/auth/register \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"name":"Jane Doe","email":"[e-mail]","password":"securepassword"}'

• Login:

  curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/auth/login \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"email":"[e-mail]","password":"securepassword"}'

Use the returned JWT token to access protected routes like /api/users.

Step 6: Use Available Scripts

The package.json includes useful scripts:

• npm start: Run in production mode.
• npm run dev: Run with nodemon for development.
• npm test: Run tests with Jest.
• npm run lint: Lint code with ESLint.
• npm run format: Format code with Prettier.

Additional Features

• Authentication: Secure JWT-based auth for user management.
• Security: Helmet for HTTP headers and rate-limiting to prevent abuse.
• Logging: Winston (if enabled) logs to both console and files (logs/error.log, logs/combined.log).
• Testing: Jest and Supertest for unit and integration tests.
• Code Quality: ESLint and Prettier for consistent, clean code.

Contributing

create-node-dev is open-source under the MIT license. Want to contribute? Report issues, suggest features, or submit pull requests on the GitHub repository (replace with actual repo if available).

Conclusion

create-node-dev is a game-changer for Node.js developers, offering a quick, reliable way to set up a professional backend. Whether you're prototyping a startup idea or building a scalable API, this tool streamlines the process with modern best practices. Try it out and share your experience on npm or in the comments below!

Happy coding! 🚀

Published on August 1, 2025