Learn how to set up SimplyStack and make your first API call. Get up and running in less than 5 minutes.

Getting Started with SimplyStack

Welcome to SimplyStack! This guide will walk you through setting up your first project, installing the SDK, and making your first API call. SimplyStack is a powerful backend-as-a-service platform that provides content management, file storage, and data APIs out of the box.

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ installed on your machine
A SimplyStack account (sign up at https://simplystack.dev)
Basic knowledge of JavaScript/TypeScript

Step 1: Create Your Project

First, create a new project in your SimplyStack dashboard. This will generate your API credentials and set up your backend services.

Log in to your SimplyStack dashboard
Click "New Project" in the top right
Enter your project name and description
Select your preferred region
Click "Create Project"

Step 2: Install the SDK

Install the SimplyStack TypeScript SDK in your project:

Plain Text

npm install @simplystack-org/sdk
# or
yarn add @simplystack-org/sdk
# or
pnpm add @simplystack-org/sdk

Step 3: Initialize the Client

Create a new file called `simplystack.js` (or `simplystack.ts` for TypeScript) and initialize your client:

Plain Text

import { SimplyStack } from '@simplystack-org/sdk';

// Initialize the client with your project credentials
const client = new SimplyStack({
  projectId: 'your-project-id',
  apiKey: 'your-api-key',
  // Optional: specify environment
  environment: 'production' // or 'staging', 'development'
});

export default client;

You can find your Project ID and API Key in your project settings in the SimplyStack dashboard. Keep these credentials secure and never expose them in client-side code.

Step 4: Your First API Call

Let's create your first content item using the Content API:

Plain Text

import client from './simplystack.js';

async function createFirstPost() {
  try {
    // Create a new content item
    const post = await client.content.create({
      title: 'My First Post',
      slug: 'my-first-post',
      type: 'blog',
      status: 'published',
      content: {
        blocks: [
          {
            type: 'header',
            data: {
              text: 'Hello, SimplyStack!',
              level: 1
            }
          },
          {
            type: 'paragraph',
            data: {
              text: 'This is my first post created with SimplyStack.'
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    });

    console.log('Post created:', post);
    return post;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error creating post:', error);
  }
}

// Call the function
createFirstPost();

Step 5: Fetch Your Content

Now let's retrieve the content we just created:

Plain Text

async function fetchPosts() {
  try {
    // Get all published posts
    const posts = await client.content.list({
      type: 'blog',
      status: 'published',
      limit: 10
    });

    console.log('Posts:', posts.data);
    
    // Get a specific post by slug
    const specificPost = await client.content.getBySlug('my-first-post');
    console.log('Specific post:', specificPost);
    
    return posts;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching posts:', error);
  }
}

fetchPosts();

Working with Files

SimplyStack also provides a powerful file storage API. Here's how to upload and manage files:

Plain Text

async function uploadFile() {
  try {
    // Upload a file (works with File objects in browser or Buffer in Node.js)
    const file = new File(['Hello, world!'], 'hello.txt', { type: 'text/plain' });
    
    const uploadedFile = await client.storage.upload({
      file: file,
      path: 'documents/hello.txt',
      metadata: {
        description: 'My first uploaded file',
        tags: ['example', 'text']
      }
    });

    console.log('File uploaded:', uploadedFile);
    
    // Get file URL for public access
    const fileUrl = client.storage.getPublicUrl(uploadedFile.path);
    console.log('Public URL:', fileUrl);
    
    return uploadedFile;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error uploading file:', error);
  }
}

uploadFile();

Advanced Features

SimplyStack offers many advanced features to help you build scalable applications:

Real-time subscriptions with WebSocket support
Advanced querying with filters, sorting, and pagination
Content relationships and references
File transformations and image optimization
Webhook integrations for external services
Role-based access control and authentication
Analytics and usage tracking

TypeScript Example

The SimplyStack SDK is built with TypeScript and provides full type safety. Here's a complete TypeScript example:

Plain Text

import { SimplyStack, ContentItem, CreateContentRequest } from '@simplystack-org/sdk';

// Define your content types
interface BlogPost extends ContentItem {
  title: string;
  slug: string;
  excerpt?: string;
  author: string;
  publishedAt: Date;
}

class BlogManager {
  private client: SimplyStack;

  constructor(projectId: string, apiKey: string) {
    this.client = new SimplyStack({ projectId, apiKey });
  }

  async createPost(data: CreateContentRequest): Promise<BlogPost> {
    const post = await this.client.content.create<BlogPost>({
      ...data,
      type: 'blog',
      status: 'published'
    });
    
    return post;
  }

  async getAllPosts(): Promise<BlogPost[]> {
    const response = await this.client.content.list<BlogPost>({
      type: 'blog',
      status: 'published',
      sortBy: 'publishedAt',
      sortOrder: 'desc'
    });
    
    return response.data;
  }

  async getPostBySlug(slug: string): Promise<BlogPost | null> {
    try {
      const post = await this.client.content.getBySlug<BlogPost>(slug);
      return post;
    } catch (error) {
      return null;
    }
  }
}

// Usage
const blogManager = new BlogManager(
  process.env.SIMPLYSTACK_PROJECT_ID!,
  process.env.SIMPLYSTACK_API_KEY!
);

export default blogManager;

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've successfully set up SimplyStack and made your first API calls. Here are some recommended next steps:

Explore the API Reference to learn about all available endpoints
Check out the Examples section for common use cases
Set up webhooks to integrate with external services
Configure your content types and validation rules
Set up authentication for user-generated content
Deploy your application to production

Need Help?

If you run into any issues or have questions, we're here to help:

Check our comprehensive API documentation
Browse examples and tutorials in our Examples section
Join our community Discord server
Contact our support team at support@simplystack.dev
Report bugs or request features on GitHub