FAQ

Does Tempora work offline?

No. The tempora init command uses git sparse checkout to download the template folder from GitHub. You need an internet connection and git installed.

Once scaffolded, your project is fully local and works offline.

What’s the difference between direct and guided mode?

Direct mode — you know the template ID already:

tempora init next-tailwind my-app

Guided mode — Tempora walks you through picking a template step by step:

tempora init my-app

It prompts for language → category → library → template. A maximum of 4 options are shown at each step. If more exist, a link to the docs site is shown.

Does it clone the entire repo?

No. Tempora uses git sparse checkout to download only the specific template folder you pick — nothing else from the repository is downloaded.

What does the . argument do?

It scaffolds into the current directory instead of creating a new folder:

tempora init next-tailwind .

Tempora will warn and ask for confirmation if the directory is not empty.

How do I see what templates are available?

Browse the Templates page, or use guided mode which lists options at each step.

You can also run:

tempora info <template-id>

to see details about a specific template.

How do I add my own template?

See the Add a Template page for the full walkthrough.

What version of Node.js do I need?

Node.js 18 or higher is required. You also need git installed and available on your PATH.

How does the docs site stay in sync with templates?

syncDocs.mjs runs before every docs build. It walks the templates/ folder, reads each README.md, and writes it as an MDX page under pages/templates/. It also generates _meta.ts files at every level to keep the sidebar accurate. No manual updates needed when adding a template.