Feature Request: First-class Express.js Backend Monorepo Example for Turborepo

[jsdev-robin]

Goals

1. Provide a clear and maintainable monorepo structure using Express.js with TypeScript and Turborepo.
2. Enable backend-only teams to adopt Turborepo for organizing multiple Express apps and shared libraries.
3. Simplify local development and production builds using tools like tsup, nodemon, and turbo run.

Non-goals

1. No frontend (React, Next.js, etc.)—backend-only structure.
2. No SSR, frontend rendering, or full-stack examples.
3. No deployment-specific configurations (e.g., Docker, Railway)—though those can be discussed separately.

Background

Turborepo is an excellent tool for monorepos but is heavily geared toward frontend use cases. There’s a growing need for backend-only monorepos, especially for teams building microservices, REST APIs, or internal tools using Express.js and TypeScript.

Currently, developers must manually configure:
TypeScript + shared tsconfig.base.json
Turbo pipelines (build, dev, etc.)
Dev server setup with nodemon or ts-node-dev
Build scripts using tsup or esbuild
Code sharing via packages/

There’s no official Express.js example that fits this backend-only monorepo use case.

Proposal

Create an official or community-backed example for Express.js monorepos using Turborepo.

[SametDulger]

Hi jsdev-robin,

This is a great idea. While Turborepo shines in frontend and full-stack setups, having a clear, opinionated Express.js backend-only monorepo example would fill an important gap.

Your goals to include TypeScript support, shared configurations, efficient build and dev pipelines with tools like tsup and nodemon, and clear code sharing strategies make perfect sense for backend teams.

An official or well-maintained community example would help backend developers adopt Turborepo more easily and avoid reinventing the wheel.

I encourage you (or the community) to start a repo with a minimal but complete Express + TypeScript + Turborepo setup. This could then become a reference example linked from the Turborepo docs or community resources.

Thanks for suggesting this valuable addition!