Master building multitenant apps with Vercel

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Overview of the Platform Starter Kit V2
3. What is a Multi-Tenant App?
   • Definition of a Multi-Tenant App
   • Benefits of Multi-Tenancy
4. Custom Domains and Subdomains
   • How the Platform Starter Kit V2 Allows Custom Domains
   • Benefits of Custom Domains
5. How to Create a Multi-Tenant App with the Platform Starter Kit V2
   • Step 1: Installation and Setup
   • Step 2: Creating a New Website
   • Step 3: Customizing the Domain
   • Step 4: Creating and Publishing Blog Posts
6. Exploring the Tech Stack
   • Next.js and Tailwind CSS
   • Using Novel as a WYSIWYG Editor
   • NextAuth.js for Authentication
7. Analytics and Site Settings
   • Adding Analytics to Your Website
   • Customizing Fonts and Styles
8. Diving into the Code
   • Understanding the App Router
   • Handling Multi-Tenancy
   • Updating Domains and Settings
   • Integrating with Prisma
9. Using the Novel Editor
   • Overview of the Novel Editor
   • Collaborative Editing with Versal AI
   • AI-Generated Text with Complete API
10. Conclusion

Platform Starter Kit V2: Creating Multi-Tenant Apps with Custom Domains

The Platform Starter Kit V2 is an open-source tool that allows developers to create multi-tenant apps with custom domains in a matter of days, rather than months. This powerful starter kit utilizes Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and a range of other technologies to streamline the process of building and deploying multi-tenant applications.

1. Introduction

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, the demand for customizable and scalable applications is on the rise. Multi-tenant apps, which allow multiple users or organizations to share a single application while maintaining separate data and functionality, have become increasingly popular. The Platform Starter Kit V2 provides developers with a comprehensive solution for building these types of apps quickly and efficiently.

2. Overview of the Platform Starter Kit V2

The Platform Starter Kit V2 is a complete Package that includes all the necessary tools and components to create a multi-tenant app with custom domains. It leverages the power of Next.js, a popular React framework, to provide a solid foundation for building fast and scalable web applications. Additionally, the kit utilizes Tailwind CSS, an innovative utility-first CSS framework, to simplify the styling process and ensure consistent design across all pages.

3. What is a Multi-Tenant App?

Definition of a Multi-Tenant App

A multi-tenant app, also known as a multi-instance app, is a software application that serves multiple tenants, or users, while keeping their data and functionality isolated from one another. Each tenant operates within its own dedicated instance of the application, allowing for personalized branding, custom configurations, and segregated data storage.

Benefits of Multi-Tenancy

The key benefit of a multi-tenant app is the ability to serve multiple customers or organizations from a single codebase. This not only reduces development and maintenance costs but also enables rapid scalability and efficient resource utilization. With the Platform Starter Kit V2, developers can create multi-tenant apps that provide a seamless user experience while ensuring data privacy and security for each tenant.

4. Custom Domains and Subdomains

How the Platform Starter Kit V2 Allows Custom Domains

One of the standout features of the Platform Starter Kit V2 is its ability to support custom domains for each tenant. Instead of relying on generic subdomains, such as tenantname.platformstarterkit.com, the kit enables users to map their own custom domains to their respective instances of the app. This allows tenants to have a more professional and branded online presence.

Benefits of Custom Domains

Custom domains offer several advantages for multi-tenant apps. Firstly, they enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of the tenants' websites by providing a familiar and recognizable domain name. Secondly, custom domains offer greater flexibility and personalization, allowing tenants to Align their web presence with their brand identity. Finally, custom domains make it easier for users to discover and access tenant-specific content, improving the overall user experience.

5. How to Create a Multi-Tenant App with the Platform Starter Kit V2

Creating a multi-tenant app using the Platform Starter Kit V2 is a straightforward process that can be broken down into several steps. By following these steps, developers can quickly set up a fully functional multi-tenant app with custom domains and start serving their users.

Step 1: Installation and Setup

To get started with the Platform Starter Kit V2, developers need to install the required dependencies and configure their development environment. This includes setting up Next.js, creating a new project, and installing the necessary packages.

Step 2: Creating a New Website

Once the initial setup is complete, developers can start creating new websites within the multi-tenant app. The Platform Starter Kit V2 provides a user-friendly interface for creating and managing websites, allowing users to customize the website's name, branding, and other settings.

Step 3: Customizing the Domain

After setting up a new website, tenants can customize their domain to reflect their brand or personal preferences. The Platform Starter Kit V2 supports both subdomains and custom domains, giving users the flexibility to choose the option that best suits their needs.

Step 4: Creating and Publishing Blog Posts

As part of the multi-tenant app, the Platform Starter Kit V2 includes a powerful text editor called Novel. Developers can leverage Novel to create and publish blog posts, providing tenants with a platform to share their thoughts and engage with their audience. The editor supports rich text editing, collaborative features, and even AI-generated text completion.

6. Exploring the Tech Stack

The Platform Starter Kit V2 relies on a range of technologies to deliver its robust functionality. Understanding these technologies is essential for developers looking to extend or customize the kit to meet specific requirements.

Next.js and Tailwind CSS

Next.js forms the Core of the Platform Starter Kit V2, providing a solid foundation for building server-rendered React applications. It offers features like server-side rendering, automatic code splitting, and efficient routing, resulting in faster and more performant web pages. Tailwind CSS, on the other HAND, is used for styling the app, offering a utility-first approach that helps developers streamline their CSS workflow.

Using Novel as a WYSIWYG Editor

The Platform Starter Kit V2 integrates with Novel, a powerful WYSIWYG editor that allows tenants to create and publish blog posts with ease. Novel combines user-friendly editing capabilities with AI-assisted text completion, providing a seamless content creation experience. By leveraging Novel, developers can empower tenants to produce engaging and high-quality blog content.

NextAuth.js for Authentication

Authentication is a critical component of any web application, and the Platform Starter Kit V2 relies on NextAuth.js to handle user authentication for multi-tenant apps. NextAuth.js supports various authentication providers, including social logins like GitHub, making it easy for tenants to sign in and manage their accounts securely.

7. Analytics and Site Settings

To provide tenants with greater insights and control over their websites, the Platform Starter Kit V2 includes built-in analytics and site settings features.

Adding Analytics to Your Website

The kit offers a straightforward way to integrate analytics into each tenant's website, allowing them to track visitor activity, monitor performance, and gain valuable insights. By incorporating analytics, tenants can make data-driven decisions to optimize their websites and improve the user experience.

Customizing Fonts and Styles

The Platform Starter Kit V2 embraces customization by allowing tenants to choose their preferred fonts and styles for their websites. Whether it's selecting a font from the available options or uploading custom assets, tenants have the freedom to create visually appealing and Cohesive designs that align with their brand identity.

8. Diving into the Code

To fully understand the inner workings of the Platform Starter Kit V2, it is crucial to examine the codebase and explore the key components and functionalities.

Understanding the App Router

The app router is a crucial component of the kit that handles routing and navigation within the multi-tenant app. By examining the app router, developers can gain insights into how the kit manages different pages, authenticates users, and handles multi-tenancy.

Handling Multi-Tenancy

Multi-tenancy is a fundamental aspect of the Platform Starter Kit V2, and the code responsible for implementing this functionality can be found in the Middleware.ts file. This code ensures that incoming requests are properly routed to the correct tenant and maintains data separation between tenants.

Updating Domains and Settings

Allowing tenants to update their custom domains and manage site settings is an important feature of the Platform Starter Kit V2. By exploring the code related to domains and settings, developers can understand how these actions are handled and persisted in the database.

Integrating with Prisma

Prisma is used as the database toolkit in the Platform Starter Kit V2, enabling seamless integration between the app and the database. By examining the code that interacts with Prisma, developers can gain insights into how data is stored, retrieved, and manipulated throughout the application.

9. Using the Novel Editor

The Novel editor is a significant component of the Platform Starter Kit V2, providing tenants with a powerful tool for creating and publishing blog posts. Understanding how to use the Novel editor and its associated functionalities is essential for developers working with the kit.

Overview of the Novel Editor

The Novel editor offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface for tenants to Compose and format their blog posts. By leveraging the editor's features, such as formatting options, media embedding, and interactive elements, tenants can create engaging and visually appealing content.

Collaborative Editing with Versal AI

The Platform Starter Kit V2 includes collaborative editing capabilities powered by Versal AI. This allows multiple users to simultaneously work on the same blog post, making it ideal for teams or content Creators who require real-time collaboration.

AI-Generated Text with Complete API

The Novel editor incorporates OpenAI's Complete API to provide AI-generated text suggestions as users Type. This feature assists tenants in writing compelling content by offering AI-powered text completion suggestions Based on Context and previous inputs.

10. Conclusion

The Platform Starter Kit V2 offers developers a comprehensive solution for creating multi-tenant apps with custom domains. By leveraging the power of Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and other innovative technologies, developers can quickly build scalable and customizable apps that cater to the unique needs of each tenant. With features like the Novel editor, collaborative editing, and AI-generated text completion, the kit provides tenants with a seamless and user-friendly experience. Whether You're a seasoned developer or just starting your Journey, the Platform Starter Kit V2 is a powerful tool that simplifies the development process and empowers you to create impressive multi-tenant apps.