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Getting Started

Quick Start

Get up and running with a new Motia project in just a few seconds.

1. Create Your Project

Use npx to create a new Motia project. This single command will scaffold a new application and install all necessary dependencies.

npx motia@latest create

The installer will guide you through a few questions to set up your project, including choosing a template. Once it's done, you will have a new project directory ready to go.

Quick Start with a Specific Template

If you already know which template you want, you can skip the interactive prompts:

# All languages (TypeScript/JavaScript + Python)
npx motia@latest create my-app --template starter-multilang
 
# TypeScript only
npx motia@latest create my-app --template starter-typescript
 
# JavaScript only
npx motia@latest create my-app --template starter-javascript
 
# Python only
npx motia@latest create my-app --template starter-python

See the CLI documentation for all available templates.

Using Your Own Redis?

If you already have Redis running or prefer to use an external Redis instance, use the --skip-redis flag:

npx motia@latest create my-app --skip-redis

See CLI documentation for more details.

2. Start the Development Server

Navigate into your new project directory and start the Motia development server.

cd <your-project-name> # If you've created a new folder for the project, navigate into it
 
npx motia dev

run dev command

The create command uses npm by default. If you chose a different package manager during setup, use pnpm dev, yarn dev, or bun dev.

This command starts the Motia runtime and the Workbench, a powerful UI for developing and debugging your workflows. By default, it's available at http://localhost:3000.

3. Run Your First Flow

The starter project comes with a pre-built basic-tutorial flow. Let's run it.

  1. Open the Workbench in your browser at http://localhost:3000.
  2. Click the Tutorial button on the top right of the workbench.
  3. Complete the Tutorial to get an understanding of the basics of Motia and using the Workbench.

run starter app

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've successfully ran, and observed your first Motia workflow.

Need help? See our Community Resources for questions, examples, and discussions.

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