If you've decided to build a custom app or modify one of our open source apps, you need a few essential tools:
- The New Relic One command line interface (CLI)
- An API key, which you get when you download the CLI
Depending on what you want to do with your app, you might have some additional setup and configuration. This guide covers:
- Downloading the New Relic One CLI to build or modify apps
- Contribute content to this website
Before you begin
Before you begin, we recommend first reading about permissions.
To start building, you must have:
- A github account account - While not strictly necessary for building apps, a GitHub account enables you to download and customize our open source apps, and contribute an open source project.
- A New Relic developer account - if you don't already have one, you can get a free trial account for developing New Relic applications.
- npm - If you've installed Node.js, then you already have
npm, which is used to share, reuse, and update JavaScript code, and is necessary for working with React components that are the framework for New Relic apps and this website.
A note on support
Building a New Relic application is the same as building any JavaScript/React application. We offer support to help with our building tools (our CLI and SDK library). However, we don't offer support for basic JavaScript or React coding questions or issues.
For common questions and answers about building, see the Explorers Hub page on building on New Relic.
Tip
Use the New Relic One VSCode extension or the New Relic VSCode extension pack to build your apps.
Prepare to build or modify apps
Download the CLI and API key.
On the Build New Relic applications page, complete the Quick start steps.
These six Quick start steps get you an API key for use with developing apps, and the New Relic One CLI, for building and deploying apps. At the end of the Quick start, you have a project consisting of the following:
- A Nerdpack - The package containing all the files required by your application. It contains two types of files that you customize to build your app: Nerdlets, and the launcher.
- One or more Nerdlet files - A specific UI view or window. A Nerdlet is a React JavaScript package that includes an
index.jsfile, astylesheet, and a JSON-formatconfigfile. It can contain any JS functionality (charts, interactive fields, tooltips, etc.). - A
launcherfile: This is the basis for the launcher, which is used to open your application from New Relic after you publish your app.
Start building
If you're ready to code, cd to your Nerdpack and get started.
If you want to learn more about building applications, try these step-by-step guides:
- Build a "Hello, World!" application shows how to create a little application, publish it to New Relic, and share it with others by subscribing accounts to it.
- Map pageviews by region takes you through the steps to create one of our popular open source apps. You learn to add a custom query to an app and view it in a table, then add that data to a map.
Contribute to developer.newrelic.com
This site is open source, and we want your input. Create a pull request if you see a mistake you know how to fix. Drop us a GitHub issue if you see some content gaps you want us to work on. Or write up a whole new guide if you have one you'd like to share. Read on to learn how.
Fork the developer-website GitHub repo.
Forking the repo enables you to work on your own copy of the developer.newrelic.com files, and build the site locally. It also enables us to more easily manage incomimg pull requests.
- On the developer-website page in GitHub, select the Fork button on the top right of the page, choose the account you want to fork to, and wait a few seconds while the fork is created.
Sync regularly to keep your fork up to date with changes and additions to the main branch upstream.
Make a feature or documentation request.
- On any page, select the GitHub button at the top of the page, and then select the kind of change you want, and fill out the GitHub form.
Contribute a new guide.
- Check out our contributors guidelines, which will walk you through the process.