Project structure

Understand authored files, generated output, and how to create another client project.

Your Brandtree project is the directory containing brandtree.config.ts, content/, and package.json. Run site commands from that directory. Init can create a new project in any destination you choose.

Files you own

A new brandtree init project starts with these files:

Add components/ and assets/ when you need custom components or imported media; init does not create them. These names are organizational conventions. You import custom components and media explicitly; Brandtree does not discover exhibits by scanning those directories. The content/ root is fixed.

Generated files

The CLI creates a disposable .brandtree/ Astro application. A production build writes the static website into dist/; isolated checking uses .brandtree-verify/. Keep all three out of version control.

The site root is a generated brand cover. Use a named page for introductory prose; a root content/index.mdx does not replace that cover. Nested index pages work as folder overviews. See Navigation.

Start another client site

Run the package directly to create another project:

pnpm dlx brandtree init another-brand --title "Another Brand" --package-manager pnpm
cd another-brand
pnpm install
pnpm dev

Use npx brandtree init or bunx brandtree init if you prefer npm or Bun. Quickstart explains the complete new-project workflow.

Add starter files to an existing project

If Brandtree is already a dependency, target the current directory:

pnpm brandtree init . --title Acme --package-manager pnpm

If it is not installed yet, run pnpm dlx brandtree init . instead, then pnpm add brandtree to add the project dependency.

Init preserves existing files, including package.json and any supported Brandtree config. It creates missing starter files and appends missing node_modules/, .brandtree/, and dist/ entries to .gitignore. It does not merge package scripts, dependencies, or configuration fields into existing files.

If your manifest already exists, add your own dev, check, build, and preview scripts for the corresponding Brandtree commands, or run pnpm brandtree dev directly. Add .brandtree-verify/ to .gitignore if you use isolated checking. Declare libraries imported by your own code as direct dependencies; see Custom components.

You can still copy authored inputs from an existing client when deliberately reusing that identity and content. Leave node_modules/, .brandtree/, and dist/ behind. Init does not migrate copied content or replace existing brand data.