Next.js Version: 15.2.4 (at time of writing)

Introduction

This guide will walk you through the absolute basics: setting up a brand new Next.js 15 project. We'll use the official tool and explain every step and choice along the way. No prior Next.js knowledge needed!

Next.js is a powerful framework built on top of React that makes building fast, user-friendly, and production-ready websites easier.

What you’ll need

• Node.js: Next.js runs on Node.js. Make sure you have a recent version (LTS recommended) installed. You can check by opening your terminal and typing node -v. Installing Node.js also gives you npm and npx.
  • npm (Node Package Manager): Used to manage the libraries (packages) your project needs.
  • npx (Node Package Execute): Used to run packages without having to install them globally on your system – perfect for setup tools like the one we're about to use!

Instructions

Step 1: The Setup Command

Open your terminal or command prompt, navigate to the directory where you want to create your project (like your Desktop or a dedicated Code folder), and run this command:

npx create-next-app@latest

Let's break this down:

• npx: Tells Node.js to execute the following package.
• create-next-app: This is the official command-line tool specifically designed to create new Next.js projects. It sets up everything you need – folder structure, configuration files, and basic dependencies.
• @latest: This ensures you're using the most recent version of the create-next-app tool, which will typically install the latest stable version of Next.js itself.

Step 2: Answering the Setup Questions (Using Defaults)

After running the command, create-next-app will ask you a series of questions to configure your project. To proceed with the defaults, just press Enter for each option. Let's look at what those likely were and what they mean:

~/Desktop/Code/next-js-setup » npx create-next-app@latest
✔ **What is your project named?** … my-app
✔ **Would you like to use TypeScript?** … No / Yes
✔ **Would you like to use ESLint?** … No / Yes
✔ **Would you like to use Tailwind CSS?** … No / Yes
✔ **Would you like your code inside a `src/` directory?** … No / Yes
✔ **Would you like to use App Router? (recommended)** … No / Yes
✔ **Would you like to use Turbopack for `next dev`?** … No / Yes
✔ **Would you like to customize the import alias (`@/*` by default)?** … No / Yes
Creating a new Next.js app in /Users/am/Desktop/Code/next-js-setup/my-app.