Convex Quickstart

Convex Quickstart

Set up a working Convex project as fast as possible.

When to Use

• Starting a brand new project with Convex
• Adding Convex to an existing React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, or other app
• Scaffolding a Convex app for prototyping

When Not to Use

• The project already has Convex installed and convex/ exists - just start building
• You only need to add auth to an existing Convex app - use the convex-setup-auth skill

Workflow

1. Determine the starting point: new project or existing app
2. If new project, pick a template and scaffold with npm create convex@latest
3. If existing app, install convex and wire up the provider
4. Run npx convex dev to connect a deployment and start the dev loop
5. Verify the setup works

Path 1: New Project (Recommended)

Use the official scaffolding tool. It creates a complete project with the frontend framework, Convex backend, and all config wired together.

Pick a template

If the user has not specified a preference, default to react-vite-shadcn for simple apps or nextjs-shadcn for apps that need SSR or API routes.

You can also use any GitHub repo as a template:

npm create convex@latest my-app -- -t owner/repo
npm create convex@latest my-app -- -t owner/repo#branch

Scaffold the project

Always pass the project name and template flag to avoid interactive prompts:

npm create convex@latest my-app -- -t react-vite-shadcn
cd my-app
npm install

The scaffolding tool creates files but does not run npm install, so you must run it yourself.

To scaffold in the current directory (if it is empty):

npm create convex@latest . -- -t react-vite-shadcn
npm install

Start the dev loop

npx convex dev is a long-running watcher process that syncs backend code to a Convex deployment on every save. It also requires authentication on first run (browser-based OAuth). Both of these make it unsuitable for an agent to run directly.

Ask the user to run this themselves:

Tell the user to run npx convex dev in their terminal. On first run it will prompt them to log in or develop anonymously. Once running, it will:

• Create a Convex project and dev deployment
• Write the deployment URL to .env.local
• Create the convex/ directory with generated types
• Watch for changes and sync continuously

The user should keep npx convex dev running in the background while you work on code. The watcher will automatically pick up any files you create or edit in convex/.

Exception - cloud or headless agents: Environments that cannot open a browser for interactive login should use Agent Mode (see below) to run anonymously without user interaction.

Start the frontend

The user should also run the frontend dev server in a separate terminal:

npm run dev

Vite apps serve on http://localhost:5173, Next.js on http://localhost:3000.

What you get

After scaffolding, the project structure looks like:

my-app/
  convex/           # Backend functions and schema
    _generated/     # Auto-generated types (check this into git)
    schema.ts       # Database schema (if template includes one)
  src/              # Frontend code (or app/ for Next.js)
  package.json
  .env.local        # CONVEX_URL / VITE_CONVEX_URL / NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_URL

The template already has:

• ConvexProvider wired into the app root
• Correct env var names for the framework
• Tailwind and shadcn/ui ready (for shadcn templates)
• Auth provider configured (for auth templates)

Proceed to adding schema, functions, and UI.

Path 2: Add Convex to an Existing App

Use this when the user already has a frontend project and wants to add Convex as the backend.

Install

npm install convex

Initialize and start dev loop

Ask the user to run npx convex dev in their terminal. This handles login, creates the convex/ directory, writes the deployment URL to .env.local, and starts the file watcher. See the notes in Path 1 about why the agent should not run this directly.

Wire up the provider

The Convex client must wrap the app at the root. The setup varies by framework.

Create the ConvexReactClient at module scope, not inside a component:

// Bad: re-creates the client on every render
function App() {
  const convex = new ConvexReactClient(import.meta.env.VITE_CONVEX_URL as string);
  return <ConvexProvider client={convex}>...</ConvexProvider>;
}

// Good: created once at module scope
const convex = new ConvexReactClient(import.meta.env.VITE_CONVEX_URL as string);
function App() {
  return <ConvexProvider client={convex}>...</ConvexProvider>;
}

React (Vite)

// src/main.tsx
import { StrictMode } from "react";
import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
import { ConvexProvider, ConvexReactClient } from "convex/react";
import App from "./App";

const convex = new ConvexReactClient(import.meta.env.VITE_CONVEX_URL as string);

createRoot(document.getElementById("root")!).render(
  <StrictMode>
    <ConvexProvider client={convex}>
      <App />
    </ConvexProvider>
  </StrictMode>,
);

Next.js (App Router)

// app/ConvexClientProvider.tsx
"use client";

import { ConvexProvider, ConvexReactClient } from "convex/react";
import { ReactNode } from "react";

const convex = new ConvexReactClient(process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_URL!);

export function ConvexClientProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
  return <ConvexProvider client={convex}>{children}</ConvexProvider>;
}

// app/layout.tsx
import { ConvexClientProvider } from "./ConvexClientProvider";

export default function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body>
        <ConvexClientProvider>{children}</ConvexClientProvider>
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}

Other frameworks

For Vue, Svelte, React Native, TanStack Start, Remix, and others, follow the matching quickstart guide:

• Vue
• Svelte
• React Native
• TanStack Start
• Remix
• Node.js (no frontend)

Environment variables

The env var name depends on the framework:

npx convex dev writes the correct variable to .env.local automatically.

Agent Mode (Cloud and Headless Agents)

When running in a cloud or headless agent environment where interactive browser login is not possible, set CONVEX_AGENT_MODE=anonymous to use a local anonymous deployment.

Add CONVEX_AGENT_MODE=anonymous to .env.local, or set it inline:

CONVEX_AGENT_MODE=anonymous npx convex dev

This runs a local Convex backend on the VM without requiring authentication, and avoids conflicting with the user's personal dev deployment.

Verify the Setup

After setup, confirm everything is working:

1. The user confirms npx convex dev is running without errors
2. The convex/_generated/ directory exists and has api.ts and server.ts
3. .env.local contains the deployment URL

Writing Your First Function

Once the project is set up, create a schema and a query to verify the full loop works.

convex/schema.ts:

import { defineSchema, defineTable } from "convex/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";

export default defineSchema({
  tasks: defineTable({
    text: v.string(),
    completed: v.boolean(),
  }),
});

convex/tasks.ts:

import { query, mutation } from "./_generated/server";
import { v } from "convex/values";

export const list = query({
  args: {},
  handler: async (ctx) => {
    return await ctx.db.query("tasks").collect();
  },
});

export const create = mutation({
  args: { text: v.string() },
  handler: async (ctx, args) => {
    await ctx.db.insert("tasks", { text: args.text, completed: false });
  },
});

Use in a React component (adjust the import path based on your file location relative to convex/):

import { useQuery, useMutation } from "convex/react";
import { api } from "../convex/_generated/api";

function Tasks() {
  const tasks = useQuery(api.tasks.list);
  const create = useMutation(api.tasks.create);

  return (
    <div>
      <button => create({ text: "New task" })}>Add</button>
      {tasks?.map((t) => <div key={t._id}>{t.text}</div>)}
    </div>
  );
}

Development vs Production

Always use npx convex dev during development. It runs against your personal dev deployment and syncs code on save.

When ready to ship, deploy to production:

npx convex deploy

This pushes to the production deployment, which is separate from dev. Do not use deploy during development.

Next Steps

• Add authentication: use the convex-setup-auth skill
• Design your schema: see Schema docs
• Build components: use the convex-create-component skill
• Plan a migration: use the convex-migration-helper skill
• Add file storage: see File Storage docs
• Set up cron jobs: see Scheduling docs

Checklist

• Determined starting point: new project or existing app
• If new project: scaffolded with npm create convex@latest using appropriate template
• If existing app: installed convex and wired up the provider
• User has npx convex dev running and connected to a deployment
• convex/_generated/ directory exists with types
• .env.local has the deployment URL
• Verified a basic query/mutation round-trip works