create-next-app-existing-dir

name	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.