Spring Initializr is a web-based tool provided by the Spring team that lets you quickly generate a basic Spring Boot project structure.
You don’t need to write boilerplate code or manually set up dependencies—Initializr does it all for you in just a few clicks.
Think of it as a project generator that helps you get started without worrying about setup.
👉 Website: https://start.spring.io
🧱 Why Use Spring Initializr?
- ✅ Automatically sets up your
pom.xmlorbuild.gradle - ✅ Creates a clean folder structure
- ✅ Includes your selected Spring Boot dependencies
- ✅ Saves time and reduces errors
- ✅ Compatible with all major IDEs (IntelliJ, Eclipse, VS Code)
🧭 Key Sections in Spring Initializr
Let’s break down the fields you’ll see on start.spring.io:
🔧 Project
Choose between:
- Maven: Commonly used for Java projects
- Gradle: Modern, lightweight alternative
💬 Language
- Java (default)
- Kotlin
- Groovy
⚙️ Spring Boot Version
- Always choose the latest stable version (e.g., 3.2.x)
📛 Project Metadata
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Group | Like a namespace (e.g., com.kscodes) |
| Artifact | Name of your app/project (e.g., demo) |
| Name | Your project’s name |
| Description | Short note about your project |
| Package Name | Auto-generated based on group + artifact |
| Packaging | jar (for most apps), or war (for deployable archives) |
| Java Version | Choose Java 17 or 21 for Spring Boot 3 |
📦 Dependencies
Search and add dependencies like:
- Spring Web – for REST APIs
- Spring Data JPA – for database access
- Spring Security – for auth
- H2 Database, MySQL, Actuator, etc.
You can add as many as you like.
▶️ How to Generate a Project
- Fill in all fields (as shown above)
- Click “Generate”
- A
.zipfile will be downloaded - Extract it and open in your favorite IDE
Done! You now have a ready-to-run Spring Boot app.
🔍 Example Configuration
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Group | com.kscodes.springboot |
| Artifact | hellospring |
| Dependencies | Spring Web, Spring Boot DevTools |
| Java Version | 21 |
| Packaging | jar |
Once downloaded, you can run the app using:
mvnw spring-boot:run
Or just run DemoApplication.java from your IDE.
📁 Output Project Structure
|
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
hellospring/ ├── pom.xml ├── src/ │ ├── main/java/com/kscodes/springboot/HelloSpringApplication.java │ └── main/resources/application.properties └── test/ |
This is a clean and minimal project structure ready to be customized.
🧠 Tips for Using Spring Initializr Efficiently
- Use Spring Boot 3.2+ for latest features and support
- Start with only the essential dependencies
- Use the “Explore” button to preview the generated project
- Bookmark your custom configuration for future reuse
🎯 Summary
Spring Initializr helps you skip the boring setup and dive straight into coding.
Whether you’re:
- Just starting with Spring Boot
- Creating a quick prototype
- Building enterprise-level apps
Spring Initializr makes your life easier.