Quick Start

The fastest way to run OpenCLM is with Docker Compose. The entire stack — frontend, backend API, Postgres database, and Keycloak identity provider — starts with a single command.

Prerequisites

Requirement	Version
Docker	24 +
Docker Compose	v2.20 +
RAM	4 GB minimum
Disk	10 GB free

Step 1 — Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/nxglabs/openclm.git
cd openclm

Step 2 — Configure environment variables

Copy the example environment file and edit it:

cp .env.example .env

Open .env and at a minimum set:

# A strong secret used to sign JWTs
JWT_SECRET=change-me-to-something-long-and-random

# Postgres credentials
POSTGRES_USER=openclm
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=change-me
POSTGRES_DB=openclm

# The public URL users will navigate to
APP_URL=http://localhost:3000

tip

See the full list of environment variables in Environment Variables.

Step 3 — Start the stack

docker compose up -d

Docker will pull all images (≈ 800 MB on first run) and start:

• openclm-app — React frontend (port 3000)
• openclm-api — Node.js backend (port 4000)
• openclm-db — PostgreSQL 15
• openclm-keycloak — Keycloak 22 (port 8080)

Step 4 — Run database migrations

docker compose exec api npx prisma migrate deploy
docker compose exec api npx prisma db seed

The seed command creates the default roles and a Super Admin user:

Field	Default value
Email	[email protected]
Password	Admin@1234

:::warning Change the default password Log in and immediately change the Super Admin password under Settings → Account. :::

Step 5 — Open OpenCLM

Navigate to http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Log in with the default Super Admin credentials from Step 4.

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Next Steps

• Understand core concepts — roles, contracts, workflows, and more.
• Create your first contract — step-by-step guide.
• Invite your team — add users and assign roles.
• Configure SSO — connect your identity provider.