Step 1 - Setup a Basic Gateway
In this tutorial we'll set up a simple gateway using Zuplo's local development, powered by the Zuplo CLI. We'll use the default project template, which ships with a working todo API.
Requirements
- Node.js 20.0.0 or higher
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Create your project
Create a new project with create-zuplo-api:
CodeThe CLI walks you through a few prompts. First, name your project:
CodeNext, the CLI offers to create a matching project on the Zuplo Portal. Answer Yes — this opens your browser to sign in (or create a free account) and creates a Zuplo project to pair with your local one. If you already have an account, you'll be asked which one to use.
CodeCreating the matching project automatically links your local project to Zuplo, so features like API keys work in later steps without any extra setup.
Finally, select any AI coding agents you'd like to configure, or choose None:
Code -
Start your local gateway
Change into your new project directory and start the development server:
CodeThe terminal prints links to your local gateway, Route Designer, and a local Docs Server:
Code -
Explore your API
The default template ships with a working todo API — four routes (
GET /todos,POST /todos,PUT /todos/{id},DELETE /todos/{id}) defined inconfig/routes.oas.json.Open the local Route Designer at http://localhost:9100 — you can also click the link printed in the terminal — to see the routes. Select Get all todos to inspect how it's configured; you can change the path, method, request handler, and add policies from here.
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Test the API
Test the Get all todos route by clicking the Test button next to the Path field in the Route Designer.
You can also call it directly with your favorite HTTP client (for example Postman, HTTPie, or curl):
CodeYou should receive a
200 OKresponse with a JSON list of todos. Your gateway is now serving traffic locally.
NEXT Try Step 2 - Add Rate Limiting to your API.