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Rishi Raj Jain
Rishi Raj Jain

Posted on • Originally published at launchfa.st

6 Essential Features Every Web Starter Kit Should Include

Need a web starter kit that has everything? Here's what you need to know in 30 seconds:

A useful web starter kit needs these 6 core features:

Feature What You Get Popular Tools
User Login and Account System User auth, sessions, access control Authjs.dev, Lucia, Clerk
Dev Tools Code editor, version control, linting VS Code, Prettier, ESLint
Data Management Tools Database setup, state management MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Firestore, Redis, SQLite
CSS and Design Setup Styling framework, design system Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap CSS
API Tools Endpoints, auth, security Authjs.dev, JWT (jsonwebtoken)
Security Setup SSL, headers, input validation HTTPS, CSP, Authorization

Why this matters: A good starter kit cuts development time by 40-60% and helps you avoid common setup mistakes.

Quick facts:

  • Setup time: 24-48 hours
  • Works with: Astro, SvelteKit, Next.js
  • Browser support: All modern browsers
  • Learning curve: 1 day for initial setup

The LaunchFast Astro, Next.js and SvelteKit starter kits includes all these features pre-configured. Purchase, clone and start launching!

Table Of Contents

1. User Login and Account System

Every web app needs a solid login system. Here's what your starter kit should include for managing users:

Component Purpose Common Implementation
Authentication Verify user identity Email/password, social logins
Session Management Track user state Cookies, database storage
Password Security Protect user data Password hashing

Your basic login system needs to handle:

  • Sign up with email checks
  • Password resets
  • Login/logout flow
  • Session timeouts

Want to skip the heavy lifting? Here are some popular pre-built options:

Auth Provider Features Best For
Lucia Encrypted cookies, stateless sessions Simple setups
Iron Session Encrypted cookies, stateless sessions Simple setups
Authjs.dev Built-in API routes, database sessions Next.js, SvelteKit projects
Clerk Social logins, customizable UI Large applications
Auth0 Social logins, customizable UI Large applications

Let's break this down with an online course platform:

A student logs in. The system checks if they've paid. If yes, they get access to their courses. The system tracks their progress and keeps them logged in.

To keep things secure:

  • Hash those passwords
  • Use HTTPS for auth
  • Lock down your cookies

The LaunchFast Astro, Next.js and SvelteKit starter kits come with all this built-in. You get a secure auth system without the setup headaches.

2. Basic Dev Tools Setup

Here's what you need to start coding right away:

Tool Category Tools Purpose
Code Editor VS Code Write and debug code
Version Control Node.js, npm/yarn Manage packages
Code Quality ESLint, Prettier Keep code clean
Type Safety TypeScript Catch errors early

1. VS Code: Your Code Home

VS Code is the go-to editor for 73% of developers. Here are the must-have extensions:

Extension Downloads What You Get
Live Server 46M+ See changes instantly
GitHub Copilot 14.6M+ Get AI code suggestions
GitLens 30M+ Track code changes
Prettier 42M+ Format code automatically

2. Node.js: Your Build Foundation

# Set up Node
echo "v20.10.0" > .nvmrc
nvm use

# Start your project
npm init -y
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3. TypeScript: Add Type Safety

# Get TypeScript ready
npm install --save-dev typescript @types/node @tsconfig/node20

# Add to package.json
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "dev": "tsc --watch"
  }
}
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4. Make Your Code Look Good

// .prettierrc
{
  "tabWidth": 2,
  "trailingComma": "es5",
  "semi": true,
  "singleQuote": true
}
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Pick your starter framework:

Framework Command
Astro npm create astro@latest
SvelteKit npx sv create my-app
Next.js npx create-next-app@latest

Add this for better debugging:

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Debug Server",
      "type": "node-terminal",
      "request": "launch",
      "command": "npm run dev"
    }
  ]
}
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3. Data Management Tools

Here's what you need to know about databases for your web starter kit:

Database Type Best For Used By Key Features
MySQL Structured data Facebook, Twitter SQL queries, ACID compliance
MongoDB Unstructured data Uber, eBay Document-based, high scalability
PostgreSQL Complex queries Financial apps Data integrity, JSON support
Redis Caching, sessions Instagram, GitHub In-memory, fast performance
Firestore NoSQL, real-time Google, Firebase Real-time data, offline support
SQLite Embedded database Mobile apps, IoT Lightweight, self-contained

State management boils down to your framework choice:

Framework Tool Setup Command
Astro Nanostores import { atom } from 'nanostores'
Svelte Built-in stores import { writable } from 'svelte/store'
Next.js Zustand npm i zustand

Here's how to set up a Svelte store:

// store.js
import { writable } from 'svelte/store';

export const userData = writable({
  name: '',
  email: '',
  preferences: {}
});
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SQL vs NoSQL: Quick Guide

Factor SQL Databases NoSQL Databases
Data Structure Fixed schema Flexible schema
Scaling Vertical Horizontal
Query Language SQL Various
Use Case Banking, CRM Real-time data, IoT

Here's a basic CRUD setup:

// api/users.js
export async function getUser(id) {
  return await db.query('SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?', [id])
}

export async function createUser(data) {
  return await db.query('INSERT INTO users SET ?', data)
}
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Keep your files organized:

Folder Contents Purpose
/db Database configs Connection setup
/api API routes Data endpoints
/stores State management Client-side data

4. CSS and Design Setup

Let's look at the top CSS frameworks you can pick from:

Framework Size (gzipped) Learning Time Best For Used By
Bootstrap 16KB 1-2 days Rapid prototyping Twitter, Spotify
Tailwind 508.7kB 3-4 days Custom designs Shopify, OpenAI
Foundation 34.7 KB 2-3 days Enterprise apps -

Want to get started? Here's the basic setup:

# Bootstrap
npm install bootstrap@5.3.3

# Tailwind
npm install -D tailwindcss
npx tailwindcss init
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For Tailwind, drop this into your CSS:

@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;
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Here are some tools that'll make your CSS work easier:

Tool Purpose Price
CSS Grid Generator Layout creation Free
PurifyCSS Remove unused CSS Free
CSS Scan Copy styles from sites $100 lifetime
Tailscan Tailwind inspector $59/year

Here's what a basic Tailwind component looks like:

const Nav = () => (
  <nav className="fixed w-full bg-white shadow-lg">
    <div className="max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4">
      <div className="flex justify-between h-16">
        <Logo />
        <MenuItems />
      </div>
    </div>
  </nav>
)
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Some numbers that might interest you:

Tailwind as a low-level CSS framework has become my preferred styling solution. It has solved most of the drawbacks I have encountered in my journey through different CSS solutions. - Rishi Raj Jain, LaunchFast

Here's how to organize your design files:

Folder Contents
/styles Global CSS
/components UI components

5. API Setup and Tools

Here's what you need to set up APIs in your next project:

Component Purpose Setup Command
TLS/SSL Message encryption openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -newkey rsa:2048
OAuth2 User authentication npm install oauth2-server
JWT Token handling npm install jsonwebtoken
NextAuth.js Social login npm install next-auth

Let's look at different auth methods:

Auth Method Setup Time Security Level Best For
API Keys 30 mins Basic Internal tools
OAuth 2.0 2-3 hours High Public apps
JWT 1 hour Medium Mobile apps
mTLS 4-5 hours Very High Enterprise

The numbers don't lie:

Here's the RIGHT way to handle API keys:

// BAD - Don't do this
const apiKey = "sk_test_123456789";

// GOOD - Do this instead
const apiKey = process.env.API_KEY;
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Want Google OAuth in your Next.js project? Here's how:

import NextAuth from 'next-auth'  
import GoogleProvider from 'next-auth/providers/google'

export default NextAuth({  
  providers: [  
    GoogleProvider({  
      clientId: process.env.GOOGLE_ID,  
      clientSecret: process.env.GOOGLE_SECRET,  
    }),  
  ],  
})
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Keep your files organized like this:

Folder Contents
/api API routes
/auth Auth config
/middleware API middleware
/lib/utils Helper functions

6. Basic Security Setup

Here's how to protect your web app from common threats:

Security Feature Purpose Implementation
SSL Certificate Encrypts data in transit Install from trusted CA, force HTTPS
Security Headers Browser protection rules Set CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options
Input Validation Prevents injection attacks Use zod/Valibot for schema checks
Secure Cookies Protects session data Set HttpOnly and Secure flags
Environment Variables Hides sensitive data Store API keys, credentials in .env

Add these headers to your Next.js app:

// next.config.js
const securityHeaders = [
  {
    key: 'Strict-Transport-Security',
    value: 'max-age=63072000'
  },
  {
    key: 'X-Frame-Options',
    value: 'DENY'
  },
  {
    key: 'Content-Security-Policy',
    value: "default-src 'self'"
  }
]
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Here's how to lock down your API routes:

export default function handler(req, res) {
  // Block non-POST requests
  if (req.method !== 'POST') {
    return res.status(405).end()
  }

  // Check auth token
  const token = req.headers.authorization
  if (!isValidToken(token)) {
    return res.status(401).json({
      error: 'Invalid token'
    })
  }
}
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Know these attacks and how to stop them:

Attack Type Risk Solution
XSS Script injection CSP headers, input sanitization
CSRF Fake requests CSRF tokens, SameSite cookies
SQL Injection DB compromise Parameterized queries
DoS Server overload Rate limiting, CDN protection

Here's what you MUST do first:

  1. Switch to HTTPS: Block all HTTP traffic
  2. Add Security Headers: Set up CSP and other browser rules
  3. Check All Input: Filter form data and API requests
  4. Lock Down Cookies: Enable HttpOnly and Secure flags
  5. Protect Your Secrets: Use environment variables

Test your setup with:

  • Mozilla Observatory
  • Security Headers
  • SSL Labs Server Test

Your security work isn't done after setup. Check for dependency updates every week and run security scans each month.

Website Launch Checklist

Here's what you need to get your website up and running:

Launch Phase Tools Purpose
Speed Google PageSpeed Insights, WebPageTest, GTMetrix Load time checks
Security SSL Certificate, HTTPS Data safety
SEO XML Sitemap, robots.txt Google indexing
Analytics Wide Angle Analytics, Google Analytics, Pirsch Analytics, etc. User tracking

Pick your hosting:

Hosting Provider Features Best For
Fly.io Global deployment, automatic scaling, Docker support Apps needing low latency worldwide
Vercel Serverless functions, easy integration with Next.js, automatic scaling Frontend frameworks and static sites
Netlify Continuous deployment, serverless functions, form handling JAMstack sites and static web apps
AWS Amplify Full-stack development, easy integration with AWS services, CI/CD Complex applications needing AWS infrastructure

Must-do checks:

  1. Test every form and payment flow
  2. Click all links
  3. Check SSL setup
  4. Send sitemap to Google
  5. Create a 404 page

Speed things up:

Task Tool Result
Compress images .webp format 25-35% smaller
Shrink code Terser 30-50% smaller
Use CDN Cloudflare/Vercel Faster loading
Set cache Browser cache Quick returns

Here's why speed matters: Over half your visitors will leave if your site takes more than 3 seconds to load.

Wrap-up

Your starter kit should make life easier. Pick tools that play nice together and fit what you're building.

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