SaaS bootstrap in Rails: the template I use

Every time I start a new SaaS in Rails, I end up spending 30 minutes remembering the same flags. This post is my cheat sheet.

The evolution of my rails new

# v1
rails new app --database=postgresql

# v2
rails new app --database=postgresql --webpack=react

# v3 (API only)
rails new api --database=postgresql --skip-javascript --skip-turbolinks --skip-sprockets --skip-action-text --skip-webpack-install

# v4 (current)
rails new app -d postgresql \
  --skip-action-mailbox \
  --skip-action-text \
  --skip-spring \
  --webpack=react \
  -T \
  --skip-turbolinks

v4 is my current default: PostgreSQL, React via Webpacker, without Action Text/Mailbox/Spring/Turbolinks, without a default test framework (-T) — I prefer setting up RSpec afterward.

Database setup

rails db:create does the job, but it’s worth checking config/database.yml to adjust host/user before anything else.

GraphQL with GraphiQL setup

rails generate graphql:install --relay --batch

For GraphiQL to work with the modern Rails stack (without Sprockets by default), there are two adjustments:

In config/application.rb, uncomment/add:

require "sprockets/railtie"

And in app/assets/config/manifest.js, add:

//= link graphiql/rails/application.css
//= link graphiql/rails/application.js

Without this, the GraphiQL interface has no CSS/JS and becomes just a bare form.

Next steps in the template

• Devise setup for authentication
• Docker setup (Dockerfile + docker-compose.yml for Rails + Postgres + Redis)
• Working login flow end to end

Those three I cover in separate posts — each one becomes a small tutorial.