kiro nextjs template

A Next.js template with interactive clone generator UI. Create repos instantly via GitHub CLI with custom names and visibility settings. Built with Kiro AI assistance.

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Inspiration

As developers, we constantly face the tedious task of setting up new projects from scratch. Every time we start a new Next.js project, we find ourselves repeating the same steps: configuring TypeScript, setting up Tailwind CSS, establishing folder structures, and configuring linting tools. This repetitive process wastes valuable development time and introduces inconsistencies across projects.

The inspiration for kiro nextjs template came from wanting to solve this problem elegantly. Instead of just creating another template repository, we built an interactive clone generator that makes the entire process seamless and user-friendly.

What it does

kiro nextjs template is a Next.js starter template with a unique twist: its landing page is an interactive tool that generates GitHub CLI commands for cloning the template.

Key Features:

  • Interactive Repository Name Input: Users can type their desired repository name with real-time validation (warns about spaces in names)
  • Visibility Toggle: Choose between public or private repository with a simple dropdown
  • One-Click Copy: Copy the generated gh repo create command to clipboard instantly
  • Visual Feedback: The UI provides immediate feedback with color-coded borders (emerald for valid, amber for warnings)
  • Dark Mode Support: Full dark mode support for comfortable viewing in any environment

The Generated Command:

gh repo create my-new-repo --template uratmangun/kiro-nextjs --public --clone

This single command creates a new repository from the template, sets visibility, and clones it locally—all in one step.

How we built it

Technology Stack:

  • Next.js 15 with App Router for the framework
  • TypeScript for type safety and better developer experience
  • Tailwind CSS for utility-first styling
  • React Hooks (useState) for state management
  • Clipboard API for copy functionality
  • Kiro AI for development assistance and automation

Development Process with Kiro:

The entire project was built with Kiro, an AI-powered development assistant. Kiro helped us:

  1. Generate the interactive UI component with proper React patterns
  2. Set up steering rules for consistent development practices
  3. Create agent hooks for automated git workflows
  4. Maintain code quality through intelligent suggestions

Kiro Configuration:

The template includes a .kiro directory with:

  • Steering Rules: Guidelines for package managers (pnpm preferred), UI colors (non-purple primary), shell preferences (fish shell), and development server policies
  • Agent Hooks: Auto-commit-push hook that generates conventional commit messages with emojis and handles the entire git workflow

Code Architecture:

"use client";

import { useState } from "react";

export default function Home() {
  const [repoName, setRepoName] = useState("my-new-repo");
  const [visibility, setVisibility] = useState<"public" | "private">("public");
  const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false);

  const hasSpaces = repoName.includes(" ");
  const command = `gh repo create ${repoName || "my-new-repo"} --template uratmangun/kiro-nextjs --${visibility} --clone`;

  const copyToClipboard = async () => {
    await navigator.clipboard.writeText(command);
    setCopied(true);
    setTimeout(() => setCopied(false), 2000);
  };
  // ... UI rendering
}

The component uses controlled inputs with real-time validation, providing immediate feedback to users.

Challenges we ran into

1. Input Validation UX

Deciding how to handle invalid repository names (like those with spaces) was challenging. We wanted to warn users without being intrusive. The solution was using color-coded borders—amber for warnings, emerald for valid states—combined with helpful error messages.

2. Clipboard API Feedback

The Clipboard API is asynchronous, and we needed to provide visual feedback that the copy action succeeded. We implemented a state-based icon swap (copy icon → checkmark) with a 2-second timeout to reset.

3. Dark Mode Consistency

Ensuring every UI element looked good in both light and dark modes required careful attention to Tailwind's dark mode variants. We used zinc color palette for neutrals and emerald for accents to maintain consistency.

4. Kiro Steering Rules

Configuring Kiro's steering rules to match our development preferences took some iteration. We established rules for:

  • Package manager preference (pnpm > yarn, never npm/bun)
  • UI color guidelines (non-purple primary colors)
  • Shell syntax (fish shell)
  • Development server policies (no auto-start)

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  1. Seamless Developer Experience: The template doesn't just provide boilerplate—it actively helps developers create new projects with an intuitive interface.

  2. Kiro Integration: Successfully integrating Kiro's steering rules and agent hooks demonstrates the power of AI-assisted development workflows.

  3. Clean, Accessible UI: The interface is responsive, accessible (with proper aria-labels), and supports dark mode out of the box.

  4. Zero-Friction Cloning: Using GitHub CLI means users don't need to navigate to GitHub, click buttons, or manually clone—one command does everything.

  5. Conventional Commits Automation: The auto-commit hook generates proper conventional commit messages with emojis, maintaining a clean git history.

What we learned

Technical Learnings:

  • React State Management: Effective use of useState for form handling and UI feedback
  • Tailwind CSS Dark Mode: Implementing comprehensive dark mode support with the dark: variant
  • Clipboard API: Modern async clipboard operations with proper user feedback
  • GitHub CLI: Leveraging gh repo create --template for streamlined repository creation

Kiro-Specific Learnings:

  • Steering Rules: How to configure AI behavior for consistent development practices
  • Agent Hooks: Automating repetitive tasks like git commits and pushes
  • AI-Assisted Development: Working collaboratively with AI to build features faster

Design Learnings:

  • Validation UX: Providing immediate, non-intrusive feedback improves user experience
  • Color Psychology: Using emerald for success and amber for warnings creates intuitive visual cues
  • Accessibility: Small details like aria-labels make a big difference for screen reader users

What's next for kiro nextjs template

Planned Features:

  1. Multiple Template Support: Add a dropdown to choose from different templates (React, Node.js API, etc.)
  2. Additional Options: Support for repository description, homepage URL, and other GitHub CLI flags
  3. Template Customization: Allow users to select which features to include (testing framework, CI/CD, etc.)
  4. Analytics Dashboard: Track which options are most popular to improve the template
  5. Organization Support: Enable creating repositories under GitHub organizations

Kiro Enhancements:

  1. More Agent Hooks: Add hooks for running tests before commits, updating dependencies, etc.
  2. Custom Steering Rules: Allow users to easily customize steering rules for their preferences
  3. Template Variants: Create specialized templates for different use cases (e-commerce, blog, dashboard)

Community Goals:

  1. Documentation: Comprehensive guides for using and customizing the template
  2. Contributing Guidelines: Enable community contributions to improve the template
  3. Showcase: Feature projects built using this template

This project demonstrates how AI-assisted development with Kiro can streamline not just coding, but the entire development workflow—from project creation to git management. We're excited to continue improving it and helping developers start their Next.js projects faster than ever.

Built With

  • kiro
  • nextjs
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