Tessera

Appearance

After Building Your Project ​

Your project is ready. Here's what to do next.

Step 1: Read SETUP.md ​

Every generated project includes a SETUP.md file written specifically for your project. It contains:

  • Environment variables — what to set, where to get the values
  • Payment setup — step-by-step if your project has e-commerce
  • Production checklist — security, database, email, caching
  • Common tasks — how to add pages, blocks, or features
bash
cd my-project
cat SETUP.md

TIP

SETUP.md is written for junior developers. It explains technical concepts when needed and includes links to where you can get API keys.

Step 2: Configure Environment ​

Your project has a .env file with configuration values. Most are set automatically, but you may need to update:

Database credentials ​

If you used MySQL or PostgreSQL during the build, these are already set. If you need to change them:

ini
DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=my_project
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=

What is .env?

The .env file stores configuration that changes between environments (your laptop vs production server). Things like database passwords, API keys, and app URLs. Never commit this file to git — it's already in .gitignore.

API keys (if applicable) ​

If your project has payments or third-party integrations, SETUP.md lists exactly which keys you need and where to get them.

Step 3: Set Up the Database ​

Laravel projects ​

bash
# Run migrations — this creates the database tables
php artisan migrate

# Seed the database — this fills tables with sample content
php artisan db:seed

What are migrations?

Migrations are PHP files that define your database structure (tables, columns, relationships). Running php artisan migrate creates all the tables your project needs. This was already done during the build, but you may need to re-run it if you changed your database.

Node.js projects ​

bash
# Generate Prisma client and run migrations
npx prisma migrate dev
npx prisma db seed

Go projects ​

bash
make migrate

Step 4: Start the Server ​

Laravel ​

bash
php artisan serve
  • Site: http://localhost:8000
  • Admin panel: http://localhost:8000/admin
  • Default login: admin@tessera.test / password

Node.js ​

bash
npm run dev

Go ​

bash
make run

Flutter ​

bash
flutter run

Static ​

bash
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173 (or whatever port Vite shows).

Making Changes ​

How you make changes depends on the stack AI chose for your project.

Laravel Projects ​

Laravel projects have a built-in AI Engine that knows your entire project — models, blocks, theme, admin, everything.

For content changes (text, images, pages) — use the admin panel at /admin. There's an AI chat widget in the bottom-right corner that tracks what you're doing and offers help.

For structural changes (new features, modules, integrations) — use the tessera command:

bash
# AI chat — describe what you need
php artisan tessera

# Direct request
php artisan tessera "add a gallery to the homepage"

# Fix an error automatically
php artisan tessera --fix

# AI reviews your project for issues
php artisan tessera --audit

Node.js / Go / Flutter / Static Projects ​

These stacks don't have a built-in AI Engine. Use your AI CLI tool directly — it reads the project structure automatically:

bash
# Use whichever AI tool you have
claude "add user authentication with JWT"
codex "create REST API for products"
gemini "add dark mode toggle"

No need to explain the architecture — the AI reads the codebase and understands it.

Deploying to Production ​

SETUP.md includes a production checklist specific to your project. General steps:

  1. Set APP_ENV=production and APP_DEBUG=false in .env
  2. Set a real APP_KEY — run php artisan key:generate
  3. Configure your real database credentials
  4. Set up a web server — Nginx or Apache (SETUP.md has example configs)
  5. Run migrations on the production database

WARNING

Change the default admin password before deploying! The generated admin@tessera.test / password is for local development only.

Common Questions ​

Can I rename the project? ​

Yes. The project name is just a folder name. Rename the folder and update APP_NAME and APP_URL in .env.

Can I change the database after building? ​

Yes. Update the DB_* values in .env, then run php artisan migrate again.

Where are the generated files? ​

The project structure depends on your stack. See the stack-specific documentation for file locations: