6 Essential Features Every Web Starter Kit Should Include

Need a web starter kit that has everything? Here's what you need to know in 30 seconds:

A useful web starter kit needs these 6 core features:

Feature	What You Get	Popular Tools
User Login and Account System	User auth, sessions, access control	Authjs.dev, Lucia, Clerk
Dev Tools	Code editor, version control, linting	VS Code, Prettier, ESLint
Data Management Tools	Database setup, state management	MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Firestore, Redis, SQLite
CSS and Design Setup	Styling framework, design system	Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap CSS
API Tools	Endpoints, auth, security	Authjs.dev, JWT (jsonwebtoken)
Security Setup	SSL, headers, input validation	HTTPS, CSP, Authorization

Why this matters: A good starter kit cuts development time by 40-60% and helps you avoid common setup mistakes.

Quick facts:

• Setup time: 24-48 hours
• Works with: Astro, SvelteKit, Next.js
• Browser support: All modern browsers
• Learning curve: 1 day for initial setup

The LaunchFast Astro, Next.js and SvelteKit starter kits includes all these features pre-configured. Purchase, clone and start launching!

Table Of Contents

• 1. User Login and Account System
• 2. Basic Dev Tools Setup
• 3. Data Management Tools
• 4. CSS and Design Setup
• 5. API Setup and Tools
• 6. Basic Security Setup
• Website Launch Checklist
• Wrap-up

1. User Login and Account System

Every web app needs a solid login system. Here's what your starter kit should include for managing users:

Component	Purpose	Common Implementation
Authentication	Verify user identity	Email/password, social logins
Session Management	Track user state	Cookies, database storage
Password Security	Protect user data	Password hashing

Your basic login system needs to handle:

• Sign up with email checks
• Password resets
• Login/logout flow
• Session timeouts

Want to skip the heavy lifting? Here are some popular pre-built options:

Auth Provider	Features	Best For
Lucia	Encrypted cookies, stateless sessions	Simple setups
Iron Session	Encrypted cookies, stateless sessions	Simple setups
Authjs.dev	Built-in API routes, database sessions	Next.js, SvelteKit projects
Clerk	Social logins, customizable UI	Large applications
Auth0	Social logins, customizable UI	Large applications

Let's break this down with an online course platform:

A student logs in. The system checks if they've paid. If yes, they get access to their courses. The system tracks their progress and keeps them logged in.

To keep things secure:

• Hash those passwords
• Use HTTPS for auth
• Lock down your cookies

The LaunchFast Astro, Next.js and SvelteKit starter kits come with all this built-in. You get a secure auth system without the setup headaches.

2. Basic Dev Tools Setup

Here's what you need to start coding right away:

Tool Category	Tools	Purpose
Code Editor	VS Code	Write and debug code
Version Control	Node.js, npm/yarn	Manage packages
Code Quality	ESLint, Prettier	Keep code clean
Type Safety	TypeScript	Catch errors early

1. VS Code: Your Code Home

VS Code is the go-to editor for 73% of developers. Here are the must-have extensions:

Extension	Downloads	What You Get
Live Server	46M+	See changes instantly
GitHub Copilot	14.6M+	Get AI code suggestions
GitLens	30M+	Track code changes
Prettier	42M+	Format code automatically

2. Node.js: Your Build Foundation

# Set up Node
echo "v20.10.0" > .nvmrc
nvm use

# Start your project
npm init -y

3. TypeScript: Add Type Safety

# Get TypeScript ready
npm install --save-dev typescript @types/node @tsconfig/node20

# Add to package.json
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "dev": "tsc --watch"
  }
}

4. Make Your Code Look Good

// .prettierrc
{
  "tabWidth": 2,
  "trailingComma": "es5",
  "semi": true,
  "singleQuote": true
}

Pick your starter framework:

Framework	Command
Astro	npm create astro@latest
SvelteKit	npx sv create my-app
Next.js	npx create-next-app@latest

Add this for better debugging:

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Debug Server",
      "type": "node-terminal",
      "request": "launch",
      "command": "npm run dev"
    }
  ]
}

3. Data Management Tools

Here's what you need to know about databases for your web starter kit:

Database Type	Best For	Used By	Key Features
MySQL	Structured data	Facebook, Twitter	SQL queries, ACID compliance
MongoDB	Unstructured data	Uber, eBay	Document-based, high scalability
PostgreSQL	Complex queries	Financial apps	Data integrity, JSON support
Redis	Caching, sessions	Instagram, GitHub	In-memory, fast performance
Firestore	NoSQL, real-time	Google, Firebase	Real-time data, offline support
SQLite	Embedded database	Mobile apps, IoT	Lightweight, self-contained

State management boils down to your framework choice:

Framework	Tool	Setup Command
Astro	Nanostores	import { atom } from 'nanostores'
Svelte	Built-in stores	import { writable } from 'svelte/store'
Next.js	Zustand	npm i zustand

Here's how to set up a Svelte store:

// store.js
import { writable } from 'svelte/store';

export const userData = writable({
  name: '',
  email: '',
  preferences: {}
});

SQL vs NoSQL: Quick Guide

Factor	SQL Databases	NoSQL Databases
Data Structure	Fixed schema	Flexible schema
Scaling	Vertical	Horizontal
Query Language	SQL	Various
Use Case	Banking, CRM	Real-time data, IoT

Here's a basic CRUD setup:

// api/users.js
export async function getUser(id) {
  return await db.query('SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?', [id])
}

export async function createUser(data) {
  return await db.query('INSERT INTO users SET ?', data)
}

Keep your files organized:

Folder	Contents	Purpose
/db	Database configs	Connection setup
/api	API routes	Data endpoints
/stores	State management	Client-side data

4. CSS and Design Setup

Let's look at the top CSS frameworks you can pick from:

Framework	Size (gzipped)	Learning Time	Best For	Used By
Bootstrap	16KB	1-2 days	Rapid prototyping	Twitter, Spotify
Tailwind	508.7kB	3-4 days	Custom designs	Shopify, OpenAI
Foundation	34.7 KB	2-3 days	Enterprise apps	-

Want to get started? Here's the basic setup:

# Bootstrap
npm install bootstrap@5.3.3

# Tailwind
npm install -D tailwindcss
npx tailwindcss init

For Tailwind, drop this into your CSS:

@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

Here are some tools that'll make your CSS work easier:

Tool	Purpose	Price
CSS Grid Generator	Layout creation	Free
PurifyCSS	Remove unused CSS	Free
CSS Scan	Copy styles from sites	$100 lifetime
Tailscan	Tailwind inspector	$59/year

Here's what a basic Tailwind component looks like:

const Nav = () => (
  <nav className="fixed w-full bg-white shadow-lg">
    <div className="max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4">
      <div className="flex justify-between h-16">
        <Logo />
        <MenuItems />
      </div>
    </div>
  </nav>
)

Some numbers that might interest you:

• Bootstrap runs on 18.6% of all websites
• 75.5% of developers stick with Tailwind after trying it

Tailwind as a low-level CSS framework has become my preferred styling solution. It has solved most of the drawbacks I have encountered in my journey through different CSS solutions. - Rishi Raj Jain, LaunchFast

Here's how to organize your design files:

Folder	Contents
/styles	Global CSS
/components	UI components

5. API Setup and Tools

Here's what you need to set up APIs in your next project:

Component	Purpose	Setup Command
TLS/SSL	Message encryption	openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -newkey rsa:2048
OAuth2	User authentication	npm install oauth2-server
JWT	Token handling	npm install jsonwebtoken
NextAuth.js	Social login	npm install next-auth

Let's look at different auth methods:

Auth Method	Setup Time	Security Level	Best For
API Keys	30 mins	Basic	Internal tools
OAuth 2.0	2-3 hours	High	Public apps
JWT	1 hour	Medium	Mobile apps
mTLS	4-5 hours	Very High	Enterprise

The numbers don't lie:

• 41% of organizations faced API security problems in 2022
• Skype protects ALL business servers with mTLS

Here's the RIGHT way to handle API keys:

// BAD - Don't do this
const apiKey = "sk_test_123456789";

// GOOD - Do this instead
const apiKey = process.env.API_KEY;

Want Google OAuth in your Next.js project? Here's how:

import NextAuth from 'next-auth'  
import GoogleProvider from 'next-auth/providers/google'

export default NextAuth({  
  providers: [  
    GoogleProvider({  
      clientId: process.env.GOOGLE_ID,  
      clientSecret: process.env.GOOGLE_SECRET,  
    }),  
  ],  
})

Keep your files organized like this:

Folder	Contents
/api	API routes
/auth	Auth config
/middleware	API middleware
/lib/utils	Helper functions

6. Basic Security Setup

Here's how to protect your web app from common threats:

Security Feature	Purpose	Implementation
SSL Certificate	Encrypts data in transit	Install from trusted CA, force HTTPS
Security Headers	Browser protection rules	Set CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options
Input Validation	Prevents injection attacks	Use zod/Valibot for schema checks
Secure Cookies	Protects session data	Set HttpOnly and Secure flags
Environment Variables	Hides sensitive data	Store API keys, credentials in .env

Add these headers to your Next.js app:

// next.config.js
const securityHeaders = [
  {
    key: 'Strict-Transport-Security',
    value: 'max-age=63072000'
  },
  {
    key: 'X-Frame-Options',
    value: 'DENY'
  },
  {
    key: 'Content-Security-Policy',
    value: "default-src 'self'"
  }
]

Here's how to lock down your API routes:

export default function handler(req, res) {
  // Block non-POST requests
  if (req.method !== 'POST') {
    return res.status(405).end()
  }

  // Check auth token
  const token = req.headers.authorization
  if (!isValidToken(token)) {
    return res.status(401).json({
      error: 'Invalid token'
    })
  }
}

Know these attacks and how to stop them:

Attack Type	Risk	Solution
XSS	Script injection	CSP headers, input sanitization
CSRF	Fake requests	CSRF tokens, SameSite cookies
SQL Injection	DB compromise	Parameterized queries
DoS	Server overload	Rate limiting, CDN protection

Here's what you MUST do first:

1. Switch to HTTPS: Block all HTTP traffic
2. Add Security Headers: Set up CSP and other browser rules
3. Check All Input: Filter form data and API requests
4. Lock Down Cookies: Enable HttpOnly and Secure flags
5. Protect Your Secrets: Use environment variables

Test your setup with:

• Mozilla Observatory
• Security Headers
• SSL Labs Server Test

Your security work isn't done after setup. Check for dependency updates every week and run security scans each month.

Website Launch Checklist

Here's what you need to get your website up and running:

Launch Phase	Tools	Purpose
Speed	Google PageSpeed Insights, WebPageTest, GTMetrix	Load time checks
Security	SSL Certificate, HTTPS	Data safety
SEO	XML Sitemap, robots.txt	Google indexing
Analytics	Wide Angle Analytics, Google Analytics, Pirsch Analytics, etc.	User tracking

Pick your hosting:

Hosting Provider	Features	Best For
Fly.io	Global deployment, automatic scaling, Docker support	Apps needing low latency worldwide
Vercel	Serverless functions, easy integration with Next.js, automatic scaling	Frontend frameworks and static sites
Netlify	Continuous deployment, serverless functions, form handling	JAMstack sites and static web apps
AWS Amplify	Full-stack development, easy integration with AWS services, CI/CD	Complex applications needing AWS infrastructure

Must-do checks:

1. Test every form and payment flow
2. Click all links
3. Check SSL setup
4. Send sitemap to Google
5. Create a 404 page

Speed things up:

Task	Tool	Result
Compress images	.webp format	25-35% smaller
Shrink code	Terser	30-50% smaller
Use CDN	Cloudflare/Vercel	Faster loading
Set cache	Browser cache	Quick returns

Here's why speed matters: Over half your visitors will leave if your site takes more than 3 seconds to load.

Wrap-up

Your starter kit should make life easier. Pick tools that play nice together and fit what you're building.