Underpeaks Core

Build your backend once. Generate the rest.

Underpeaks is a self-hosted, developer-first headless CMS that generates production-ready Flutter and Next.js applications from a single content model. Define your data once, and get a real backend, a content editor, a REST API, and — if you want it — a working mobile and web app, generated straight from it.

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Why Underpeaks

If you've ever built the same app for web and mobile, you know the tax: two codebases, two sets of backend glue code, one data model you're keeping in sync by hand. Change a field, update it in both places, miss one, ship a bug.

Underpeaks makes that one action — change the model, regenerate both. It also handles the backend work that quietly eats your week: auth that holds across devices, file storage without leaked keys, rate limits, consistent data.

No website builder, no drag-and-drop page editor. You already know how to build a frontend — Underpeaks builds the backend.

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Underpeaks Core vs Underpeaks Studio

Not sure which one you need? Start with Core — you can always move to Studio later once you know your usage.

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1. Register an Account

Underpeaks Core needs a license key issued from Underpeaks Studio, even when you're running everything yourself.

1. Go to https://underpeaks.com
2. Sign up for a free account
3. Once logged in, generate a license key from your dashboard — you'll paste this into Core during setup

Keep this tab open; you'll need the key again shortly.

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2. Get the Code

git clone https://github.com/underpeaks/underpeaks-core.git
cd underpeaks-core
npm install

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3. Choose Your Database

Core supports five database backends — pick whichever you're most comfortable with:

• Supabase
• PostgreSQL
• MySQL
• MongoDB
• Firebase

You don't need to set up any environment variables by hand. The installer (next step) handles all of that for you — you'll just need your chosen database's connection details ready (host, credentials, project URL/keys, etc., depending on which one you pick).

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4. Run the App

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser. Since this is a fresh install, you'll be automatically directed to the installer.

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5. Run the Installer

The installer walks you through everything:

1. Choose your database type — pick from the 5 options above
2. Enter your connection details — the installer writes your .env configuration for you
3. Database connection test — confirms Core can reach your database
4. Table creation — creates all required system tables
5. Demo content (optional) — seeds a working example project so you have something to explore right away
6. Admin account creation — set the email and password for your first Core user
7. License key — paste the license key you generated in step 1

Once the installer finishes, you'll be redirected to sign in.

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6. First Login

Sign in with the admin credentials you just created. You'll land in the Console — Core's admin dashboard.

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7. Quick Tour

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Generate a Flutter or Next.js App

Once you've defined a model and attached it to a page, install the CLI and generate:

npm install -g underpeaks-nxf
nxf login
nxf generate flutter   # or nextjs

See the docs for the full code generation guide.

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Links

• 📖 Documentation
• 💬 Discord
• 🏠 Underpeaks Studio
• 🌐 underpeaks.com

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Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. If you're planning a larger change, please open an issue first to discuss it — this project is actively maintained by a single developer, so a heads-up saves everyone time.

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Next Steps

• Create your first model under Shared Models
• Build a page for it under Pages
• Explore the generated admin views instantly — no extra config required

If you run into issues, check that your .env.local values match your database exactly, and that the database itself is reachable from wherever you're running Core.

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Questions or feedback? Join the Discord or open an issue on GitHub. Underpeaks is built and maintained by one person, so please be patient with response times.

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License

Underpeaks Core is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.