Quick start

Get a fully-working app — auth, seeded data, admin console — running locally in one command.

Prerequisites

Tool	Version	Notes
.NET SDK	10.0	dotnet --version should report 10.x
Node.js	20+ (LTS)	for the React (Vite) or Angular client
Dev HTTPS cert	—	dotnet dev-certs https --trust (first run only)

No database to install — development uses a self-creating SQLite file.

Create a project

The fastest way is the interactive CLI wizard — it asks for the edition, frontend (React or Angular), database, features, OAuth, and theme, resolves the dependencies between features, then runs dotnet new with the right flags:

dotnet tool install -g NetForge.Cli      # the wizard, once
dotnet new install NetForge.Templates    # the free template, once
netforge new                             # answer a few prompts

It's scriptable too — netforge new -n MyApp --frontend angular --tier basic --with dashboard,webhooks --yes (or --dry-run to just print the command). The frontend defaults to React; pass --frontend angular (or pick it in the wizard) for Angular 22 + Material. See React or Angular.

Prefer not to install anything? A few alternatives:

• Web configurator — pick features visually and download a ready ZIP at netforge.ebenmonney.com.
• Let AI build it — describe your app in plain language and NetForge's AI builds the whole thing for you, with a real senior developer backing every build. Configure it yourself or let AI build it — either way you download a standard app you fully own: netforge.ebenmonney.com/ai.
• Raw template — dotnet new install NetForge.Templates, then dotnet new netforge -n MyApp. (The full Pro template — NetForge.Pro.Templates, with --tier/feature/database flags — installs from the Pro feed; see Editions.)
• Community starter — clone the MIT emonney/NetForge repo and go.

Basic vs Pro

The free Basic edition (MIT) covers auth, RBAC, the platform layer, and theming. Pro adds everything else — get it with a Pro plan on the configurator; see Editions. The Pro template installs from a Pro-gated feed; the wizard points you there if a build needs it.

Run it

dotnet run --project NetForge.Server

That's it. The server is configured with SpaProxy, so dotnet run automatically launches the client dev server for you — Vite (React) on :3000 or the Angular CLI on :4200. On first run it also creates the SQLite database, applies all migrations, and seeds a ready-to-use admin account.

Surface	URL
App (use this)	https://localhost:3000 (React) / https://localhost:4200 (Angular)
API (backend)	https://localhost:7000
Interactive API docs (Scalar)	https://localhost:7000/scalar (dev only)
Background-jobs dashboard (Hangfire)	https://localhost:7000/hangfire (dev only)

First run

If the browser warns about the certificate, run dotnet dev-certs https --trust and restart.

Sign in

A pre-confirmed administrator is seeded in development:

Email	Password
admin@netforge.local	Admin123!$

The admin holds the built-in Admin role, which grants the * (all-permissions) wildcard — so you can immediately explore every screen, including Administration at /admin.

Dev-only defaults

These come from appsettings.Development.json (Seed:Admin). Production seeds an admin too, but only from an explicit Seed:Admin:Email / Seed:Admin:Password — the local defaults are never used on a non-Development deploy. See Configuration.

Next steps

• Project structure — find your way around the codebase.
• Configuration — appsettings, email, OAuth.
• Add a feature — build your first vertical slice.