Setting Up Bloomineasy, Part One: Install the Vanilla Starter
Use the first setup prompt to clone Bloomineasy, create the local app, and prove the starter works before changing its design.
Start with the verified Bloomineasy setup prompt, keep the first install vanilla, and confirm the CMS works before moving into design and creative customization.
Use the first setup prompt to clone Bloomineasy, create the local app, and prove the starter works before changing its design.
Start with the verified Bloomineasy setup prompt, keep the first install vanilla, and confirm the CMS works before moving into design and creative customization.
Start with the first setup prompt
The simplest way to install Bloomineasy is still to give an LLM coding agent one precise setup prompt. The prompt below keeps the first pass focused on cloning the repository, installing dependencies, connecting a fresh Convex deployment, creating the first admin, and running the app on port `5992`.
That vanilla checkpoint matters. Bloomineasy is meant to be reshaped, but customization is easier when the team first proves that auth, Convex, the admin, starter content, and public routing are working.
Side note if you use Codex: install the Vercel and Convex plugins before you paste the setup prompt, then explicitly mention that Codex should use those plugins where useful. That gives the agent better access to deployment and backend context, which can make the whole setup faster, smoother, and better. Other LLMs are available ;)
Bloomineasy setup prompt for an LLM coding agent
Set up a fresh vanilla Bloomineasy CMS from GitHub on this machine.
Repository:
https://github.com/simonbloom/bloomineasyblog.git
Goal:
Clone and run the unmodified Bloomineasy starter locally. Do not rebrand, refactor, or customize it unless I ask later.
Auth model:
Bloomineasy uses Better Auth + Convex with email/password sign-in only. Public sign-up is disabled. The first admin is created with the bootstrap script.
Constraints:
- Use Bun.
- Run Next.js on port 5992.
- Create a new Convex deployment for this clone.
- Do not reuse the template author's Convex URLs.
- Leave Clerk out of the setup; there are no Clerk keys, providers, webhooks, or dashboard steps.
- Optional OpenAI and Vercel Blob keys can stay unset.
Steps:
1. Confirm Node.js 24.x and Bun are installed.
2. Clone the repo:
git clone https://github.com/simonbloom/bloomineasyblog.git bloomineasy
cd bloomineasy
3. Install dependencies:
bun install
4. Create local env:
cp .env.example .env.local
5. Start Convex once to create/link a new project:
bunx convex dev
Let it create the project and write CONVEX_DEPLOYMENT plus NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_URL to .env.local, then stop it with Ctrl+C.
6. Set Convex env vars:
bunx convex env set BETTER_AUTH_SECRET "$(openssl rand -base64 33)"
bunx convex env set SITE_URL http://localhost:5992
7. Set CONVEX_SITE_URL in .env.local to the matching .convex.site URL for the same deployment as NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_URL.
Example:
NEXT_PUBLIC_CONVEX_URL=https://your-deployment.region.convex.cloud
CONVEX_SITE_URL=https://your-deployment.region.convex.site
Never copy the template author's Convex URL into this value.
8. Optional: enable AI features on the Convex deployment:
bunx convex env set OPENAI_API_KEY sk-your-key-here
9. Start dev servers:
Terminal 1: bunx convex dev
Terminal 2: bun run dev
10. Create the first admin:
bun scripts/bootstrap-admin.mts --email YOUR_EMAIL@example.com
11. Sign in at http://localhost:5992/sign-in and open http://localhost:5992/admin/settings.
12. Optional: seed starter widgets:
bunx convex run starterWidgets:seedStarterExampleWidgets
13. Optional: seed two replaceable starter articles:
bunx convex run seedArticles:seedStarterExampleArticles
Verify:
- http://localhost:5992 loads.
- Admin sign-in works.
- /admin opens for the bootstrapped admin.
- .env.local uses this clone's own Convex deployment.Why the prompt stays narrow
The first prompt names the repository, local port, package manager, auth model, and clone-safety rules. That detail matters because Bloomineasy uses Convex and Better Auth together, and each clone should use its own Convex deployment rather than inheriting the template author's backend URLs.
It also tells the agent not to rebrand, refactor, add Clerk, reopen public sign-up, or make unrelated design changes during installation. That keeps the first run intentionally boring in the best way: prove the starter works, then customize it from a known-good base.
Review the result before moving on
Once the agent finishes, the human checkpoint is simple: `http://localhost:5992` should load, the first admin should be able to sign in, `/admin` should open for that admin, starter widgets and starter articles can be seeded, and `.env.local` should point at this clone's own Convex deployment.
Only move to the design pass after those checks are true. If the site is not stable yet, a design prompt will mix visual decisions with setup debugging, which makes the work harder to review.
Read Part Two next
Part Two is where the project stops being a vanilla Bloomineasy clone and starts becoming a specific site. It uses `DESIGN.md`, reference URLs, screenshots, and brand assets to guide a controlled public-site design pass.
