Next.js + KeystoneJS Starter with AI & MCP Integration

A production-ready full-stack application template combining Next.js 15 with KeystoneJS 6, featuring an integrated AI assistant powered by Model Context Protocol (MCP) and a sophisticated admin dashboard.

Key Features

Modern Architecture

Next.js 15 with App Router and React 19
KeystoneJS 6 for GraphQL API and database operations
PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM
TypeScript throughout the entire stack

Built-in AI Integration

AI Chat Assistant with natural language to GraphQL conversion
Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for intelligent data operations
OpenRouter/OpenAI integration for multiple AI model support
Real-time streaming responses with tool calling capabilities

Advanced Admin Dashboard

Custom dual-sidebar interface with AI chat integration
Role-based access control with granular permissions
Rich content editing with document fields
Image management with S3-compatible storage
Advanced filtering and search across all data types
Inline editing capabilities for seamless workflow

Enterprise-Ready Features

Sophisticated permission system (canAccessDashboard, canManagePeople, etc.)
S3-compatible image storage with upload management
GraphQL API with full CRUD operations
Database migrations with Prisma
Responsive design with Tailwind CSS 4

Tech Stack

Frontend:

Next.js 15, React 19, TypeScript
Tailwind CSS 4 + Radix UI components
SWR for data fetching

Backend:

KeystoneJS 6 with GraphQL Yoga
Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL
Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration
AI SDK with OpenRouter support

AI & Tools:

Built-in MCP server for GraphQL operations
AI chat assistant with tool calling
MCP client support - connect Claude Desktop or other MCP-compatible clients directly to your data
Natural language to GraphQL conversion
Real-time streaming responses

Perfect For

SaaS applications requiring admin dashboards
Content management systems with AI assistance
E-commerce platforms with inventory management
Multi-tenant applications with role-based access
Data-driven applications needing intelligent querying

Powers These Applications

This starter template is the foundation for several production applications:

Openship - Multi-channel fulfillment platform
Openfront - Multi-region e-commerce platform
Opensource.builders - Open source software directory

Built on KeystoneJS

This template leverages the power of KeystoneJS, a powerful GraphQL-first CMS and application framework that provides:

Automatic GraphQL API generation
Built-in authentication and session management
Flexible field types and relationships
Extensible admin interface

Deploy and Host

Deploy your Next.js + KeystoneJS application with AI capabilities to Railway's infrastructure for reliable, scalable hosting.

About Hosting

Railway provides a complete hosting solution optimized for full-stack applications like this starter template. With automatic deployments, managed PostgreSQL databases, and built-in scaling, Railway handles the infrastructure complexity so you can focus on building features.

Key hosting benefits:

Automatic deployments from Git repositories
Managed PostgreSQL database with automated backups
Environment variable management for secure configuration
Custom domains and SSL certificates
Horizontal scaling based on traffic demands
Built-in monitoring and logging

Why Deploy

This starter template is designed for production deployment with several advantages:

Production-Ready Architecture:

Pre-configured environment variables and secrets management
Database migration scripts that run automatically on deployment
Optimized build process with Next.js 15 and Turbopack
Health checks and error monitoring built-in

AI Integration Benefits:

MCP server runs seamlessly in production
OpenRouter/OpenAI integrations work out-of-the-box
Real-time streaming responses scale with your traffic
Connect external AI clients to your deployed data

Enterprise Features:

Role-based authentication and permissions
S3-compatible image storage integration
GraphQL API ready for mobile apps and integrations
Admin dashboard accessible from anywhere

Common Use Cases

SaaS Platforms:

Customer management dashboards with AI-powered insights
Multi-tenant applications with role-based access control
Subscription management with automated billing integration

E-commerce Solutions:

Product catalog management with AI-assisted descriptions
Order management and fulfillment tracking
Multi-channel inventory synchronization

Content Management:

Blog platforms with AI writing assistance
Documentation sites with intelligent search
Media management with automated tagging

Business Applications:

CRM systems with natural language querying
Project management tools with AI task suggestions
Data analytics dashboards with conversational interfaces

Dependencies for

This template requires the following services for full functionality:

Required:

PostgreSQL Database (automatically provisioned on Railway)
Node.js 20+ runtime environment

Optional but Recommended:

S3-compatible storage (AWS S3, Railway Volumes, or Cloudflare R2) for image uploads
OpenRouter or OpenAI API key for AI chat functionality
Custom domain for production deployment

Deployment Dependencies

Automatic Setup:

PostgreSQL database with connection pooling
Environment variables for database URL and session secrets
Build and deployment pipeline with Next.js optimization

Manual Configuration:

AI_API_KEY: OpenRouter or OpenAI API key for AI features
S3_BUCKET_NAME: S3 bucket for image storage (optional)
S3_ACCESS_KEY and S3_SECRET_KEY: S3 credentials (optional)
SESSION_SECRET: Secure session key (auto-generated if not provided)

Post-Deployment:

Database migrations run automatically
Admin user creation through /dashboard/init endpoint
MCP server available at /api/mcp-transport/http
GraphQL API accessible at /api/graphql

What You Get

Complete admin dashboard with user management, roles, and permissions
AI-powered assistant for natural language database queries
Rich content editing with document fields and image management
Production-ready authentication with role-based access control
Extensible data models - easily add your own content types
Modern development experience with TypeScript, hot reload, and best practices

Perfect for developers who want to skip the boilerplate and start building features immediately, with the power of AI assistance built right in.