Application Templates

The best way to get started with ColdBox

The best way to get started with ColdBox is with our application templates at coldbox-templates — a curated collection of starter applications you scaffold with the coldbox create app command in the CLI:

ColdBox Starter TemplatesGitHub

github.com/coldbox-templates

CbGenesis — The Flagship Starter

CbGenesis is our production-ready reference application and the star starting point for any serious ColdBox project. It's a fully working app — not an empty skeleton — built on the Modern template layout with BoxLang:

• Authentication & security — session + JWT auth, role-based permissions, API tokens (cbsecurity + cbauth)

• Database stack — ORM (cborm), qb query builder, cfmigrations migrations, cbvalidation

• Admin panel — dark mode, Alpine.js, Bootstrap 5, Vite asset pipeline

• Testing & CI — TestBox suites and GitHub Actions ready to go

coldbox create app myApp skeleton=https://github.com/coldbox-templates/cbGenesis

Use CbGenesis to see how the Ecosystem modules fit together in a real application.

Starter Templates

Template	Description
cbgenesis	Production-ready reference application with modern layout and BoxLang
boxlang	Recommended. Native BoxLang app: secure non-root layout, Vite, Build.bx, Docker-ready
boxlang-desktop	Cross-platform desktop app via the BoxLang Desktop runtime
flat	Traditional ColdBox layout — everything in the webroot
rest	A base REST API using ColdBox
rest-hmvc	An HMVC REST API using modules
supersimple	Barebones conventions baby!
tiered	Tiered layout with separate webroot and app directories

coldbox create app myApp                  # Default template
coldbox create app myApp skeleton=boxlang # Native BoxLang
coldbox create app myApp --ai             # Any template + AI integration

CommandBox Integration

The skeleton argument accepts more than built-in names:

• A ForgeBox entry: skeleton=cbtemplate-simple

• A GitHub shortcut: skeleton=github-username/repo

• An HTTP/S URL to a zip: skeleton=http://myapptemplates.com/template.zip

• A local folder: skeleton=/opt/shared/templates/my-template

• A local zip: skeleton=/opt/shared/templates/my-template.zip

See Also

• ColdBox CLI — full create app reference

• Agentic Development — the --ai flag

• Desktop Applications