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The Base44 CLI’s create command creates new projects with all necessary files and configuration. This article describes the Base44 backend project structure and explains what each file and directory does.

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Backend project structure

When you create a backend-only Base44 project, the CLI generates this minimal structure:
<your-project-name>
base44
.app.jsonc
config.jsonc
.gitignore
As you develop your project, you add files for your resources such as entities and functions:
<your-project-name>
base44
.app.jsonc
config.jsonc
.types
types.d.ts
entities
<entity-name>.jsonc
functions
<function-name>
entry.ts
function.jsonc
.gitignore
Functions only require an entry.ts or entry.js file. You can optionally add function.jsonc for advanced configurations like custom names or automations. See Backend Functions for details.

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base44/

Contains all Base44 backend configuration and resource definitions.

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config.jsonc

Defines your project configuration, including paths to entities, functions, agents, connectors, and site hosting settings for full-stack projects. The CLI creates this with just your project name, and you can add more configuration as needed. Your project requires a config.jsonc (or config.json) file in the base44/ directory: 
// Base44 Project Configuration
{
  "name": "my-project",
  "description": "My Base44 app",

  // Directory paths (relative to config file)
  "entitiesDir": "./entities",
  "functionsDir": "./functions",
  "agentsDir": "./agents",
  "connectorsDir": "./connectors",

  // Site/hosting configuration (for full-stack projects)
  "site": {
    "outputDirectory": "./dist", // Required - where your built files are located
  },
}
PropertyDescriptionDefault
nameProject name (required)—
descriptionProject description—
entitiesDirPath to entities directory./entities
functionsDirPath to functions directory./functions
agentsDirPath to agents directory./agents
connectorsDirPath to connectors directory./connectors
site.outputDirectoryWhere your built site files are located (required for site deployment)—
site.buildCommandUsed only during base44 create for automated deployment—
site.installCommandUsed only during base44 create for automated deployment—
site.serveCommandReference only. Not currently used by the CLI—
The buildCommand, installCommand, and serveCommand properties are included automatically when you create a project from the full-stack template. They’re used only during the initial base44 create flow for automated deployment. You don’t need to specify or modify these properties after project creation. When deploying your site later with site deploy, only outputDirectory is used.

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.app.jsonc

Links your local project to your Base44 app. This file is automatically created by the CLI when you create or link a project. 
// Base44 App Configuration
// This file links your local project to your Base44 app.
// Do not commit this file to version control.
{
  "id": "your-app-id",
}
The .app.jsonc file should not be committed to version control. The CLI automatically creates a .gitignore file that excludes this file.

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.types/types.d.ts

Generated TypeScript type definitions for your entities, functions, agents, and connectors. Created by running base44 types generate. This file provides autocomplete and type safety when using the SDK in TypeScript projects. See Dynamic Types for more details.

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entities/

Directory containing entity schema definitions. Each entity is defined in a separate .json or .jsonc file. Create this directory when you’re ready to define your first entity.

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functions/

Directory containing serverless backend functions. Each function requires its own subdirectory with an entry.ts or entry.js code file. The CLI uses the directory path relative to the functions root as the function name. For example, functions/sendEmail/entry.ts creates a function named sendEmail. You can optionally add a function.jsonc configuration file to customize the function name or add automations.
functions
<function-name>
entry.ts
function.jsonc

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agents/

Directory containing AI agent configurations. Each agent is defined in a separate .json or .jsonc file.

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connectors/

Directory containing OAuth connector configurations. Each connector is defined in a separate .json or .jsonc file named after the integration type such as slack.jsonc or googlecalendar.jsonc.

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.gitignore

Prevents files from being committed to version control. Your project starts with this file to prevent .app.jsonc from being committed.

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AI agent skills folders

When you create a project with base44 create, AI agent skills are automatically installed. These appear in agent-specific folders like .claude/skills/, .cursor/skills/, or similar, depending on which AI coding assistant you use. These folders help your coding agent understand how to work with Base44 and are safe to commit to version control.

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See also