How to Install NextBlock: Every Setup Option Explained

NextBlock is an open-source, AI-native Next.js CMS built on Supabase — and installing it no longer involves config files, terminal wizards, or manual SQL. Below are five ways to get running. The first four are ordered from the simplest to the most hands-on: the first is a single click, the fourth is the full source for people who want to help build NextBlock. The fifth hands the whole job to the AI coding agent you already use. They all end in the same place — a browser setup wizard that connects your database, configures media storage, and creates your admin account for you.

Not sure where to start? Work down the list — pick the first option whose requirements you already have. Most people should start with Vercel. Already working with an AI coding agent? Jump to Option 5.

Option 1: One-Click Deploy on Vercel

Step 1 · EasiestBest for a live site with the least possible effort — no terminal, no accounts to wire up.

The fastest way to get a production NextBlock site. One button creates your own copy of NextBlock on GitHub, provisions a managed Supabase database, and deploys the site — you never open a terminal or copy a single key.

1. Click Deploy to Vercel and sign in — Vercel clones NextBlock into a new repository you own.
2. Name the repository — and make it Public. On Vercel’s first step you choose the repository name; set its visibility to Public rather than Private. A public repo is what unlocks one-click automatic updates later, so it’s the recommended choice.
3. Create the Supabase database when prompted: pick a name and a region. Vercel connects it to the project and injects the keys before the first build.
4. Open your new site once the build finishes. Every fresh instance takes you straight to the setup wizard.
5. Create your administrator account. It is confirmed instantly — no verification email — and you land on a welcome screen that offers the free 30-day Cortex AI trial. Choose Not now, take me to my CMS to go straight to the dashboard.

Option 2: npm create nextblock → Docker (100% Local)

Step 2 · EasyBest for trying everything on your own machine with zero cloud accounts. Needs Docker Desktop.

Run NextBlock entirely on your own machine with no cloud accounts at all. The CLI scaffolds a standalone Next.js app and then boots the full stack in Docker for you: Supabase’s Postgres and auth engines, a PostgREST API behind a Kong gateway, S3-compatible MinIO storage, and the CMS itself — ideal for evaluations, air-gapped environments, and anyone who wants complete data ownership.

Before you start, install Node.js 22.12 or newer (it includes npm) and Docker Desktop, and make sure Docker Desktop is running.

npm create nextblock@latest my-site

1. Choose the hosting profile. At the first prompt, pick Local Self-Hosted Docker Mode (One-Click Local Sandbox), then confirm that Docker Desktop is installed and running.
2. Let it run. The CLI copies the template, installs dependencies, generates secure keys, and boots the whole stack with a single Docker command — no questions asked. The first run pulls images and builds the app, so give it a few minutes; every database migration is applied automatically as the stack comes up.
3. Open http://localhost:3000 — it redirects to the setup wizard. Because the database and MinIO storage are already wired up, the connection and media-storage steps are skipped: the only thing left is creating your administrator (confirmed instantly, no email required). You then land on the same welcome screen and its Cortex AI trial offer.

# rebuild and restart the stack
npm run docker:up

# stop the stack (your data persists in Docker volumes)
npm run docker:down

# follow the application logs
npm run docker:logs

Option 3: npm create nextblock → Your Own Supabase Cloud

Step 3 · IntermediateBest for building your own site on managed cloud. Needs a Supabase project; a Cloudflare R2 bucket is optional.

The best starting point for building your own site on managed cloud. The CLI scaffolds a standalone Next.js application with NextBlock already wired in — no monorepo, no workspace tooling — pointed at a Supabase project you control (plus an optional Cloudflare R2 bucket for media), and it deploys anywhere Next.js runs.

Before you start, install Node.js 22.12 or newer and create a free project at supabase.com. A Cloudflare R2 bucket for images and files is optional but recommended, because its free tier is larger. Without one, media is stored in your project’s Supabase Storage.

npm create nextblock@latest my-site
cd my-site
npm run dev

At the first prompt, choose Managed Cloud Mode (Vercel + Supabase Cloud); the project takes the folder name you passed (my-site). Then open http://localhost:3000/setup and let the wizard take over:

1. Connect Supabase — paste your project URL, publishable (anon) key, secret (service role) key, and a personal access token so the wizard can apply the database schema for you.
2. Media storage (optional) — to use Cloudflare R2, enter your R2 account ID, bucket name, access key ID, secret access key, and the bucket’s public URL. Leave the fields blank to keep media in your project’s Supabase Storage.
3. Create your administrator — the wizard applies every migration, generates the app secrets, writes .env.local, creates your confirmed admin account, and signs you in. No restart is needed unless you serve media from a custom domain.

Option 4: Clone the Repository

Step 4 · AdvancedBest for contributors and teams who want to customize the platform itself. Needs Node.js and git.

Run the full Nx monorepo: the CMS application, every shared package, the CLI source, and the documentation. This is the path for people who want to take part in the project — contributors, plugin authors, and teams that customize the platform itself.

git clone https://github.com/nextblock-cms/nextblock.git
cd nextblock
npm install
npm run dev

npm run dev starts the CMS through Nx (it runs npx nx serve nextblock for you). Open http://localhost:4200 — a fresh install redirects every page to /setup, where the same three-step wizard connects Supabase, configures storage, and creates your admin. It validates your keys, writes .env.local with generated secrets, and applies all migrations over the Supabase Management API — no Supabase CLI required.

npm run docker:setup

Option 5: Let Your AI Coding Agent Install It

Step 5 · Hands-offBest if you already work with Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex. Needs Node.js and Docker Desktop.

You can skip every step above and simply ask. A coding agent that runs commands on your computer can install NextBlock, connect itself to the CMS, and build your pages from a plain-language brief. Try this: “Build me a landing page for my bakery with NextBlock.” Behind the scenes, the agent runs the installer’s hands-free mode:

npx create-nextblock@latest my-site --non-interactive

1. The agent installs the site. The installer scaffolds the project, boots the local Docker stack, and writes the MCP connection files the agent needs.
2. You do two things in the browser. Open the setup link the agent gives you (usually http://localhost:3000/setup) and create your administrator account. Then start the free 30-day Cortex AI trial on the welcome screen, with no credit card. Your name, email, and password never pass through the agent.
3. The agent builds your pages. Once the site reports ready, reopen the agent in the new project folder so it loads that connection. It then creates pages, menus, and images through the NextBlock MCP server, and you keep editing everything in the CMS.

You need Node.js 22.12+, a coding agent, and Docker Desktop running. No Docker? Ask for --mode cloud. The agent scaffolds the project and starts it with npm run dev, and you connect your own Supabase project in the setup wizard, as in Option 3. The MCP server is part of Cortex AI, which is why the trial comes first. The CMS itself stays free either way.

After You Install: Your First 10 Minutes

Every path signs you in as the first administrator and opens a welcome screen that offers the free 30-day Cortex AI trial (no credit card). Start it, or choose Not now, take me to my CMS to go to /cms/dashboard. A built-in onboarding checklist walks you through the rest:

• Build your site with Cortex AI — answer a few questions, and Cortex replaces the sample content with your own pages, menus, and branding (free 30-day trial, no credit card).
• Add your branding — upload your logo and set the site title.
• Set your footer — copyright line and footer navigation.
• Configure email (SMTP) — under Settings, so password resets and invitations can send.
• Optional extras — connect analytics, enable bot protection, and (on a Vercel one-click deploy or a GitHub fork) turn on automatic updates.

From there, see how the platform fits together in How NextBlock Works, add a storefront with the Commerce guide, or put Cortex AI to work with the Cortex AI guide and the MCP connection guide.

Installation FAQ

What do I need installed?

Nothing for the Vercel path — it runs entirely in the browser. For npm create nextblock in Docker mode: Node.js 22.12+ and Docker Desktop. For the managed-cloud path: Node.js 22.12+ plus a Supabase project (a Cloudflare R2 bucket is optional). For the cloned repository: Node.js 22.12+ and git (add Docker Desktop if you want to run the local stack). For your coding agent: Node.js 22.12+ and Docker Desktop, or a Supabase project with --mode cloud.

Is NextBlock free?

Yes — the core of NextBlock is a 100% free, open-source CMS (AGPL). The premium packages, Commerce Pro and Cortex AI, are optional: each starts with a free 30-day trial (no credit card) and then needs a license key. Both Vercel and Supabase offer free tiers, so a starter site can run at no cost.

Do I need a Supabase account?

On Vercel, the database is created for you during the deploy. For the managed-cloud npm create nextblock path and the cloned repository you bring a free Supabase project. With Docker — whether through the CLI’s Docker mode or npm run docker:setup in the clone — you need no cloud accounts at all.

Do I have to run migrations or SQL by hand?

No. The setup wizard, the Vercel build, and the Docker stack all apply the database schema automatically — and re-running is always safe.

Can I switch paths later?

Yes. Every path runs the same application and the same database schema, so you can prototype locally with Docker today and deploy to Vercel tomorrow. NextBlock deploys like any standard Next.js app.

Can an AI agent install and build my site?

Yes. Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and other coding agents can run the installer for you, then build every page over the MCP server. You only create your admin account and start the Cortex AI trial. See Option 5.

How do I update NextBlock?

On Vercel, the Connect GitHub onboarding step enables a daily automatic sync with upstream (this needs your repository to be public). Everywhere else, one command updates the code, the dependencies, and the database schema: npm run update. On Docker, follow it with npm run docker:up. How Updating NextBlock Works covers every path.