Project Setup

Intro

Start with a solid foundation. In this lesson, you’ll set up your local development environment and create your first Cortado.js project from scratch. This is ideal if you’re coming from Express, Fastify, or are new to backend frameworks altogether.

You’ll learn

• Installing Cortado CLI and required dependencies

• Setting up a clean and scalable folder structure

• Running your first route and checking server output

• Basic project configuration and environment management

Why it matters

Having a well-organized starting point helps avoid tech debt later. By the end, you'll have a working backend ready for expansion — with routing, logic, and config set up the right way.