Start Dev Server

Grep the .env.server file for DATABASE_URL. If no line starts with DATABASE_URL, continue following this step. If the user does have their own DATABASE_URL env var set, move on to Step 2.

Check the schema.prisma file in the project root for the datasource block to see which database is being used.

SQLite

Skip to Step 2: SQLite stores data in a local file, no database server needed.

PostgreSQL

Start the managed database container as a background task:

wasp start db

Docker needs to be installed and running for the managed Postgres database container (wasp start db) to work.

Run this as a background task in the current claude code session. Wait 5-15 seconds for the database to be ready.

Step 2: Start Dev Server

Run as a background task:

wasp start

Listen to the output from wasp start and if it gives a prisma db migration warning, follow the running-db-migrations.md reference.

Step 3: Verify Server is Running

Confirm client (localhost:3000) and server (localhost:3001) are running by checking the background task output.

If started as background task in current session: Listen to the output for development and debugging information. If started externally: Instruct the user to check the output of the external terminal and share its output with you.

Step 4: Connect Browser Console Access (Important!)

This step is critical for effective development and debugging. Without browser console access, Claude cannot see client-side errors, warnings, or React issues that occur in the browser.

Ask the user (via the AskUserQuestion tool) which method they'd like to use for giving Claude visibility into the browser console: