# How to Clone the OpenSEO Repository: Complete Setup Guide

> Clone the every-app/open-seo repository easily. Follow this guide to install dependencies, configure your API key, and launch the dev server. Get started with OpenSEO today.

- Repository: [Every App/open-seo](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo)
- Tags: getting-started
- Published: 2026-09-11

---

**Yes, you can clone the open-seo repository using standard Git commands, then install dependencies with pnpm, configure your DataForSEO API key, and run the development server on localhost:5173.**

OpenSEO is an open-source, full-stack SEO platform built with **TypeScript**, **React**, **TanStack Router**, and **Cloudflare Workers**. When you clone the open-seo repository, you access a monorepo architecture that separates the React frontend, typed server functions, and database layer. This guide walks you through the exact steps to clone, configure, and run the codebase locally.

## Prerequisites Before You Clone

Before cloning, ensure your environment supports the required toolchain. The repository uses **pnpm** as its package manager and requires Node.js for the build process.

- Git (any recent version)
- Node.js 18+ 
- pnpm (install via `npm install -g pnpm`)

## Step-by-Step: Clone the OpenSEO Repository

To clone the open-seo repository from GitHub, run the standard Git clone command. This downloads the full monorepo including the core application code, documentation, and deployment configurations.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/every-app/open-seo.git
cd open-seo

```

After cloning, you will see the monorepo structure with four primary directories:

- **`src/`** – Core application code including the router, server functions, and database schemas
- **`web/`** – Client-side build configuration and SEO utilities
- **`docs/`** – Self-hosting guides and API setup instructions
- **`scripts/`** – CLI utilities for database migrations and data seeding

## Install Dependencies and Configure Environment

Once cloned, install dependencies using pnpm. The project uses **TanStack React-Start** for server-function handling and **Drizzle ORM** for database operations, which are managed through the workspace configuration.

```bash
pnpm install

```

Create a `.env` file in the root directory with your DataForSEO API credentials. This key is required for the rank tracking and keyword analysis features:

```text
DATAFORSEO_API_KEY=base64_encoded_login:password

```

For detailed instructions on obtaining and formatting this key, reference [`docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/docs/DATAFORSEO_API_KEY.md) in the cloned repository.

## Run the Development Server

Start the local development server with hot-module reloading. The application initializes through [`src/start.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/start.ts), which sets up CSRF middleware and registers the global server-function middleware stack.

```bash
pnpm dev

```

The development server runs on `http://localhost:5173` by default. You can now access the React frontend powered by the TanStack Router defined in [`src/router.tsx`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/router.tsx), which uses a generated route tree from [`src/routeTree.gen.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/routeTree.gen.ts) for client-side navigation.

## Build and Deployment Options

When ready to deploy, build the production assets using the configured scripts. The build process compiles TypeScript and bundles the React application into the `dist/` directory.

```bash
pnpm build

```

According to the open-seo repository source code, you have two primary deployment paths:

1. **Cloudflare Workers** – Run `pnpm deploy` to push to the edge network using the configuration in `wrangler.jsonc`
2. **Docker Self-Hosting** – Follow [`docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md) to containerize the application using the provided Docker configuration files

## Key Architecture Files in the Repository

Understanding the file structure helps you navigate the codebase after you clone the open-seo repository. These critical files implement the platform's core functionality:

| Path | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| [`src/start.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/start.ts) | Entry point that configures CSRF middleware and server-function registration |
| [`src/router.tsx`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/router.tsx) | TanStack Router configuration with preload and error handling |
| `src/serverFunctions/**` | Typed server-side endpoints (e.g., [`rank-tracking.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/rank-tracking.ts), [`keywords.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/keywords.ts)) |
| [`web/src/lib/seo.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/web/src/lib/seo.ts) | SEO meta tag generation, canonical URLs, and breadcrumb JSON-LD |
| [`src/db/schema.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/db/schema.ts) & [`src/db/pg/schema.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/db/pg/schema.ts) | Database schemas for SQLite (Cloudflare D1) and PostgreSQL |
| [`src/middleware/ensureUser.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/middleware/ensureUser.ts) | Authentication middleware supporting Better-Auth and Cloudflare Access |
| [`docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md) | Detailed local setup instructions beyond this guide |

The server functions in `src/serverFunctions/**` implement typed endpoints that run on Cloudflare Workers, while the database layer uses **Drizzle ORM** schemas that work with both SQLite (D1) and PostgreSQL backends.

## Summary

- The open-seo repository is publicly available on GitHub and clones with standard Git commands
- The monorepo uses pnpm for dependency management and TanStack React-Start for server functions
- You must configure a `DATAFORSEO_API_KEY` environment variable for full functionality
- Development runs on localhost:5173 with hot reloading via `pnpm dev`
- Production builds output to `dist/` and support both Cloudflare Workers and Docker deployment
- Key source files include [`src/router.tsx`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/router.tsx) for routing, [`src/db/schema.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/db/schema.ts) for database structures, and [`web/src/lib/seo.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/web/src/lib/seo.ts) for SEO utilities

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the open-seo repository free to use for commercial projects?

Yes, the open-seo repository is open-source, allowing commercial use according to its license. You can clone it, modify the source code, and deploy it for client projects or internal SEO tools. Note that some features require third-party API keys (like DataForSEO) that may involve separate costs.

### Can I run the open-seo repository without DataForSEO?

No, the current implementation requires a DataForSEO API key for core functionality including rank tracking and keyword research. The server functions in [`src/serverFunctions/rank-tracking.ts`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/src/serverFunctions/rank-tracking.ts) and related files depend on this integration. You would need to refactor these endpoints to use alternative SEO data providers if you wish to avoid DataForSEO.

### How do I deploy the cloned repository to my own infrastructure?

After cloning and building with `pnpm build`, you can deploy using the Docker configuration documented in [`docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/docs/SELF_HOSTING_DOCKER.md). The repository includes Dockerfiles and compose configurations for self-hosting, or you can deploy directly to Cloudflare Workers using `wrangler deploy` if you prefer serverless edge deployment.

### Does the repository support Windows development environments?

Yes, you can clone the open-seo repository on Windows and run it using standard Node.js tooling. However, the documentation in [`docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/docs/LOCAL_DEVELOPMENT.md) assumes Unix-like shell commands. Windows users should use Git Bash, WSL2, or adjust the npm script commands in [`package.json`](https://github.com/every-app/open-seo/blob/main/package.json) for PowerShell compatibility.