Get Started

1. Install the Installer

Nex comes with a convenient installer to bootstrap new projects quickly.

mix archive.install hex nex_new

2. Create a New Project

Run the nex.new Mix task to create a new project directory.

mix nex.new my_app
cd my_app

3. Understand the Project Structure

Every Nex project follows a simple, convention-based structure.

my_app/
├── src/
│   ├── pages/           # Page modules (auto-routed)
│   │   ├── index.ex     # GET /
│   │   └── [id].ex      # GET /id (dynamic route)
│   ├── api/             # JSON API endpoints (Next.js style)
│   │   └── todos/
│   │       └── index.ex # GET/POST /api/todos
│   ├── components/      # Reusable UI components
│   └── layouts.ex       # Global HTML layout
├── mix.exs
└── .env                 # Environment variables

Key concept - Nex is AI-Native. Just drop a file in src/pages/ and it automatically becomes a route. No router configuration needed!

4. Run in Development Mode

Nex includes a built-in development server with hot reloading enabled by default. Changes to your code are reflected instantly.

mix nex.dev

Open http://localhost:4000 in your browser. You should see your new Nex app running!

5. Build Your First Page

Create a new page with HTMX handlers. Pages are just Elixir modules that render HTML.

6. Deploy with Docker

Every Nex project includes a Dockerfile. Deploy to any platform that supports containers.

docker build -t my_app .
docker run -p 4000 my_app

Popular deployment platforms

• Railway - Connect your GitHub repo and deploy automatically
• Fly.io - Use fly launch (Dockerfile detected automatically)
• Render - Create a new Web Service from your repository

Next Steps