# Interactive - choose from templates
encore app create my-app

# Or start with a blank app
encore app create my-app --example=ts/hello-world

Project Structure

A minimal Encore.ts app:

my-app/
├── encore.app           # App configuration
├── package.json         # Dependencies
├── tsconfig.json        # TypeScript config
├── encore.service.ts    # Service definition
└── api.ts               # API endpoints

The encore.app File

// encore.app
{
    "id": "my-app"
}

This file marks the root of your Encore app. The id is your app's unique identifier.

Define a Service

Create encore.service.ts to define a service:

// encore.service.ts
import { Service } from "encore.dev/service";

export default new Service("my-service");

Create Your First API

// api.ts
import { api } from "encore.dev/api";

interface HelloResponse {
  message: string;
}

export const hello = api(
  { method: "GET", path: "/hello", expose: true },
  async (): Promise<HelloResponse> => {
    return { message: "Hello, World!" };
  }
);

Run Your App

# Start the development server
encore run

# Your API is now available at http://localhost:4000

Open the Local Dashboard

# Opens the local development dashboard
encore run
# Then visit http://localhost:9400

The dashboard shows:

All your services and endpoints
Request/response logs
Database queries
Traces and spans

Common CLI Commands

Command	Description
`encore run`	Start the local development server
`encore test`	Run tests
`encore db shell <db>`	Open a psql shell to a database
`encore gen client`	Generate API client code
`encore app link`	Link to an existing Encore Cloud app

Add a Database

// db.ts
import { SQLDatabase } from "encore.dev/storage/sqldb";

const db = new SQLDatabase("mydb", {
  migrations: "./migrations",
});

Create a migration:

-- migrations/1_create_table.up.sql
CREATE TABLE items (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    name TEXT NOT NULL
);

Next Steps

Add more endpoints (see encore-api skill)
Add authentication (see encore-auth skill)
Add Pub/Sub topics (encore-pubsub), cron jobs (encore-cron), buckets (encore-bucket), secrets (encore-secret), or caching (encore-cache)
Deploy to Encore Cloud: encore app link then git push encore

encore-getting-started

Getting Started with Encore.ts

Instructions

Install Encore CLI

Create a New App