Build Your First NX Workspace

Welcome to Part 2 of our NX Monorepo series! In Part 1, we covered the architecture concepts and patterns. Now it's time to put that knowledge into practice by building your own NX workspace from scratch.

What We'll Build

By the end of this guide, you'll have created a fully configured NX workspace with:

• Multiple applications
• Shared libraries with proper boundaries
• Optimized caching and task pipelines
• A foundation ready for any tech stack

Creating Your First Workspace

Open your terminal and run:

This interactive command will guide you through:

1. Workspace name - This becomes your root directory (e.g., my-org)
2. Package manager - npm, yarn, or pnpm
3. Preset - Choose based on your needs (see below)
4. CI provider - Optional GitHub Actions, CircleCI, etc.
5. Remote caching - NX Cloud for team collaboration

Understanding Presets

For this tutorial, we recommend starting with the apps preset for maximum flexibility:

Initial Workspace Structure

After creation, your workspace looks like this:

Setting Up Essential Tooling

Before we start building, let's set up the tools that will make you productive.

1. NX Console (VSCode Extension)

NX Console provides a visual interface for all NX operations:

1. Open VSCode Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
2. Search for "Nx Console"
3. Install the official extension from Nrwl

Key features:

• Visual project tree with quick actions
• Form-based generator UI with all options visible
• Integrated task runner
• Project graph visualization

2. NX MCP Server (AI Assistant Integration)

If you use AI assistants like Claude or Cursor, the NX MCP Server enables them to understand your workspace:

Nx in the Age of AI

Source: NX

Recent advancements in AI (like Cursor, Windsurf, and MCP servers) have transformed how we work with monorepos. Nx is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this because:

1. Context & Metadata: Nx provides a deep understanding of your project graph, which AI can use to navigate and understand relationships better than in polyrepos.
2. Consistency: Generators and strict boundaries help AI produce code that adheres to your organization's patterns.
3. Reliability: The ability to dry-run generators allows AI to "think before it acts," reducing errors.

However, AI is an accelerator, not a pilot.

To get the most out of these tools, you, the developer, must understand the core of Nx. You need to know:

• How to read the Project Graph to verify AI's understanding.
• How to configure task pipelines so AI doesn't break your build chain.
• The syntax of generators to correct AI when it drifts.

This tutorial is designed to give you that deep knowledge. We aren't just giving you copy-paste commands; we are building your mental model of Nx so you can confidently direct your AI agents to build complex, scalable architectures.

Configure for Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):