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Guide · Open source

How to use coreui-free-bootstrap-admin-template: setup and tips

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The coreui-free-bootstrap-admin-template is a free, MIT-licensed starter for building admin panels and dashboards with Bootstrap 5. It gives you pre-built layouts, pages and components so you do not have to design an admin interface from scratch. This guide shows you how to clone it, run it locally, build it for production and find your way around its files.

CoreUI Free Bootstrap Admin Templatecoreui/coreui-free-bootstrap-admin-template · ★ 12.3k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Check prerequisites. Install Node.js and npm on your machine.
  2. 2Clone the repository. Run git clone with the repository URL and my-project as the folder name.
  3. 3Enter the project folder. Run cd my-project to move into the template directory.
  4. 4Install dependencies. Run npm install to download the packages the project needs.
  5. 5Start the dev server. Run npm start and open localhost:3000 in your browser.
  6. 6Build for production. Run npm run build to create a minified production build.

What you need before you start

The template is a developer starter, so you need a working local setup. The README lists Node.js and npm as the prerequisites.

It is written in HTML and built on Bootstrap 5. You do not need React, Vue or Angular for this version; the README points to separate projects for those frameworks.

  • Node.js
  • npm

Install the template by cloning the repository

Clone the repository into a folder of your choice, move into it, and install its dependencies. The README uses my-project as the folder name, but you can change it.

git clone https://github.com/coreui/coreui-free-bootstrap-admin-template.git my-project cd my-project npm install

Run the template locally and build it

To preview the template while you edit it, start the dev server. The README says it serves with hot reload at localhost:3000. When you are ready to ship, create a production build with minification.

  • Development server with hot reload: npm start, served at localhost:3000
  • Production build with minification: npm run build
npm start npm run build

Understand the project folder layout

The download groups common assets and provides both compiled and minified variations. The main source folders are src/assets, src/js, src/pug, src/scss and src/views, and the project includes a package.json file. The src/views folder holds HTML pages such as index.html, while src/pug holds the Pug templates with the same page groups.

Page groups include authentication, components, error-pages, forms and icons.

  • src/assets: brand, favicon and img folders
  • src/js: JavaScript modules
  • src/pug: Pug layouts, mixins, partials and views
  • src/scss: Sass styles
  • src/views: HTML pages, including index.html
  • build/: compiled output

Use the built-in AI-assistant files

The template includes documentation files meant to help AI coding assistants understand the project. The README names Cursor, Claude Code and GitHub Copilot as tools that can read this context. If you use an AI-powered IDE, open the project folder so the assistant can pick up these files.

The included files are .cursorrules, ARCHITECTURE.md and DEVELOPMENT.md. JavaScript modules also include JSDoc comments with @param and @returns annotations.

  • .cursorrules: project conventions, patterns and guidelines
  • ARCHITECTURE.md: project structure, build pipeline and component organization
  • DEVELOPMENT.md: developer guide with examples
  • JSDoc comments on JavaScript modules

Know what the template does not include

The free template covers the basic admin layout and components. The README describes the CoreUI Data Grid, the Scheduler and the CoreUI PRO templates as separate add-ons or products, not part of this free project. If you need those features, check their own pages before you plan around them.

For the full documentation, the README links to the CoreUI website.

What people use it for

  • An internal admin page for managing users or content with Bootstrap
  • A dashboard prototype built on a ready-made layout instead of a blank page
  • A plain Bootstrap project where you want to avoid React, Vue or Angular
  • A codebase edited with AI coding assistants such as Cursor or Claude Code

Frequently asked questions

Is coreui-free-bootstrap-admin-template free to use?

The repository is licensed under the MIT License, as shown in its README. The README also describes CoreUI PRO templates and add-ons like the Data Grid and Scheduler as separate paid products, which are not part of this free template.

What do I need to install coreui-free-bootstrap-admin-template?

The README lists Node.js and npm as prerequisites. You clone the repository with git, run cd into the folder, and run npm install.

How do I start the template on my computer?

Run npm start from the project folder. The README says it serves the project with hot reload at localhost:3000.

How do I build the template for production?

Run npm run build. The README says this creates a production build with minification, and the output goes into the build/ folder.

Does this template support React, Vue or Angular?

No, this repository is the Bootstrap version. The README says CoreUI also offers Angular, React.js and Vue.js versions in separate repositories.

How does it compare with AdminLTE, SB Admin 2, Tabler or Argon Dashboard?

All five are Bootstrap-based admin templates. This one stands out for its included AI-assistant context files such as .cursorrules and ARCHITECTURE.md, which the other projects are not described here as having. Compare layouts and components directly before choosing.

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Our verdict

Choose this template if you are a developer who wants a plain Bootstrap 5 admin starter and uses an AI coding assistant. Pick something else if you need a finished app with no coding, or if your team has settled on React, Vue or Angular.

Install options & downloads