1
Auth that covers the real world
JWT login/register/refresh, on-prem Active Directory (LDAP/LDAPS), and a long list of social providers — Google through Apple, Steam, MetaMask, and more.
NestJS 11REST + GraphQLDocker ComposeOpen Source TemplateNestJS Backend
A reference NestJS template you can clone and ship on: dual APIs, serious auth surface, Docker Compose infra, and docs that live next to the API.
Six months of hardening later — health checks, Graylog, CQRS-ready repos, and a wiki that ships with the same container as Swagger.
Live stack
nest.lacorte.dev
docs
nest.lacorte.dev
↓
api
Swagger UI
GET /health → ok
compose
docker compose up -d --build
APIs
REST + GraphQL
Infra
Compose one-liner
Coverage gate
≥80% Jest
Capabilities
What you get
2
REST and GraphQL together
Versioned REST under `/api/v1` plus Apollo GraphQL on the same Fastify app, with Swagger for the HTTP surface.
3
CQRS-ready persistence
Repository pattern with PostgreSQL (TypeORM) as the default users store and a MongoDB repository kept ready if you split commands and queries later.
4
Messaging and object storage
Redis cache, Apache Kafka, and MinIO ship in Compose so queues and files are not weekend projects.
5
Observability baked in
Terminus health at `/health`, structured GELF logs into Graylog/OpenSearch, MailHog for local email, and a built-in wiki next to the API.
6
Tests that gate commits
Jest unit suite with a global ≥80% coverage threshold and a Husky pre-commit hook that refuses soft passes.
How it works
From clone to healthy API in three moves
1
Compose the kitchen sink
One `docker compose --env-file .env.docker up -d --build` brings up Postgres, Mongo, Redis, Kafka, MinIO, Graylog, and the API.
2
Probe the live surface
Hit Swagger, GraphQL, and the wiki on the same origin — no “docs over here, API somewhere else.”
3
Trust the health gate
`GET /health` checks Postgres, Mongo, Redis, Kafka, and heap. Compose uses it as the container HEALTHCHECK.
Try it
Tour the demo or clone the template
- 1Open the live docs at nest.lacorte.dev and skim the install walkthrough.
- 2Explore the interactive API at /swagger — same origin as the wiki.
- 3Clone the GitHub repo and bring the full stack up with Compose.
- 4Confirm `/health` is green before you start deleting modules you do not need.
Implementation
Stack at a glance
Runtime
NestJS 11, TypeScript, Fastify
APIs
REST, GraphQL (Apollo), Swagger
Data
PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
Platform
Kafka, MinIO, Graylog, Docker Compose
From the blog
Related posts
NestJS Reference Backend: Auth Built for Real Products
Social login, AD group→role mapping, Argon2id, and mobile-friendly OAuth — for teams cloning a Nest boilerplate.
Read postNestJS Reference Backend
The kitchen-sink template introduction — what ships and why.
Read postNestJS Backend, Six Months Later
Docker hardening, Graylog, health checks, and docs that actually ship.
Read postFAQ
Common questions
Is this production-ready or a demo?+
It is a clone-ready reference template with a live demo. Expect to delete modules you do not need, then ship the rest with Compose or your own orchestration.
Do I need every service in Compose?+
No. Compose brings the full kitchen sink for local realism. Trim Kafka, MinIO, or Graylog when your use case is thinner — health checks adapt to what you keep.
REST or GraphQL — which is primary?+
Both ship. Most people start at Swagger for the HTTP surface; GraphQL stays at `/graphql` if that is your religion.
Where do the docs live?+
On the same origin as the API: nest.lacorte.dev for the wiki, /swagger for the interactive contract.
Clone it. Compose it. Cut what you do not need.
The plumbing drains. Start from the live demo or the GitHub template.