create-next-app-existing-dir
When running create-next-app in an existing directory (e.g. backend/): remove or rename existing package.json if the tool refuses to overwrite; prefer absolute path for target; for API-only setups, strip UI (layout, page, globals, public) and clear .next before re-running type-check. Use when scaffolding Next.js in an existing folder.
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- pmarashian/cursor-agent-skills
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- February 13, 2026 at 19:51
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- create-next-app-existing-dir
- description
- When running create-next-app in an existing directory (e.g. backend/): remove or rename existing package.json if the tool refuses to overwrite; prefer absolute path for target; for API-only setups, strip UI (layout, page, globals, public) and clear .next before re-running type-check. Use when scaffolding Next.js in an existing folder.
# Create-Next-App in Existing Directory
When running create-next-app **inside an existing directory** (e.g. `backend/`):
## Checklist
1. **Existing package.json**: If the tool refuses to overwrite, remove or rename the existing `package.json` in that directory before re-running.
2. **Target path**: Prefer an **absolute path** for the target directory to avoid `cd`/sandbox issues.
3. **API-only setup**: For API-only backends, after scaffolding: strip UI (layout, page, globals, public) as needed and clear `.next` before re-running type-check.
## Optional
- Link to **monorepo-backend-layout** so the agent treats the backend directory as the app root.
## Why This Matters
Tasks have lost ~20–25 seconds to create-next-app retries (existing package.json, then path issues). A short checklist prevents repeated failures.
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