---
title: "Deploy NestJs Generic Template"
description: "A fast, scalable, easy to use, extensible monolith backend using NestJs+TS"
category: "Starters"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/5eHaqw
---

# Deploy NestJs Generic Template

A fast, scalable, easy to use, extensible monolith backend using NestJs+TS

**[Deploy NestJs Generic Template on Railway](https://railway.com/template/5eHaqw)**

Machine-readable deploy manifest (JSON, validated by TemplateCI): https://railway.com/deploy/5eHaqw/manifest.json

- **Creator:** Cenva Labs
- **Category:** Starters
- **Total deploys:** 243

## Template content

### Postgres https://devicons.railway.app/i/postgresql.svg

- **Image:** ghcr.io/railwayapp-templates/postgres-ssl:latest

### nestjs-generic

- **Source:** https://github.com/allen-n/nestjs-generic

## Documentation

# Generic NestJs Backend

This is a generic nestjs backend that can be used to create a backend for any project - from high performance, multi-tenant APIs to basic B2C apps and any CRUD application in between. 

It can be deployed anywhere that you can deploy a docker container, and hooked up to any postgres database provider. It also includes instructions and configuration for easy local debugging. 

## Features

* PassportJs User authentication (using JWTs, refresh tokens, etc.)
* Creating users and organizations (i.e. multi tenant support)
* Creating and issuing API keys with attached scopes
* Transactional email using resend

## Tools used

* Nest.js as the server framework (using fastify under the hood)
* prisma + postgres as the database
* docker for local development
* passport.js for authentication
* jest for testing
* eslint for linting
* prettier for formatting

## How to work on the API locally

If you're using vscode, you can use the `Start Debug Server` config, which will:

1. spin up the database and adminer containers
2. Start the API in dev mode (i.e. hot reload)
3. Spin down the containers when you kill the debugger

Otherwise, just run `docker compose up db adminer` to spin up the database and adminer containers, and then run `npm run start:dev` to start the API in dev mode (and `docker compose down` to spin down the containers when you're done).

## Running the local postgres docker container

These instructions are [cribbed from here](https://www.docker.com/blog/how-to-use-the-postgres-docker-official-image).

1. Download the latest [docker desktop release](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/).
2. Run the following command to pull the latest images and then start the container:

```bash
docker compose up db
```

To build everything, omit `db`, which will spin up the server and adminer db UI, all in the docker container. To include adminer but not turn on the server in the container, add `adminer` (i.e. `docker compose up db adminer`).

If you need to rebuild a container, run the following command:

```bash
docker compose up --build # omit container name to rebuild all
```

To remove old containers:

```bash
docker compose down # removes all containers
docker compose down --volumes # Remove containers and volumes
```

## Updating the prisma database schema

See [best practices from prisma here](https://www.prisma.io/docs/guides/migrate/prototyping-schema-db-push).

Overview:

1. Make changes to the schema in `prisma/schema.prisma`.
2. Start the local database container (see above).
3. run `npm run prisma:debug` to test the change on the local database (or run `npx prisma db push`).
4. Keep making changes until you're happy with them, using the `prisma:debug` command to test them.
5. Once you're happy with them, you can `git stash` to stash the changes you made to the schema and run `prisma:debug` once more go go back to what you had. Then `git stash pop` to get the changes back (which you know work, due to your prototyping in steps 1-4).
6. Finally, run `npm run prisma:dev ` (or `npx prisma migrate --name `) create a migration that creates the changes. You can skip step 5, but that will create drift in the database that will force you to reset it completely.

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