go-service-starter

A minimal but production-minded Go HTTP service starter for backend engineers who want a clean service baseline without adopting a heavyweight framework.

This repo is intentionally small enough to understand in one sitting, but structured enough to feel like the beginning of a real internal service.

• Project page: happysnaker.github.io/go-service-starter
• Proof before payment: support/#proof-before-payment
• 10-second support router: support/#sponsor-router
• Sponsor prospect pipeline: docs/sponsor-prospect-pipeline.md — route Go service starter / backend template customers to the right proof, CTA, support note, and guardrail before paying or asking for review
• Reuse: click Use this template on GitHub to generate your own service baseline faster

Why this starter exists

Many Go starter repos fall into one of two buckets:

• they are too tiny to reuse outside a tutorial
• they ship so much scaffolding that you are effectively adopting a framework

go-service-starter aims for a middle ground:

• standard-library first
• clear service boundaries
• sane operational defaults
• easy to extend for real backend work

What you get

• HTTP server based on net/http
• environment-based configuration loading
• structured JSON logging with log/slog
• healthz, readyz, and version endpoints
• graceful shutdown on SIGINT / SIGTERM
• build metadata placeholders for versioned delivery
• lightweight layout for internal APIs and small services

Architecture at a glance

flowchart LR
    Env["Environment variables"] --> Config["internal/config"]
    Config --> Main["cmd/api/main.go"]
    Main --> Server["internal/httpserver"]
    Build["internal/buildinfo"] --> Server
    Server --> Routes["/, /healthz, /readyz, /version"]
    Server --> Logs["structured request logs"]

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See also: docs/architecture.md

Project layout

cmd/api/                    service entrypoint
internal/config/            env config loading and defaults
internal/httpserver/        routes, server wiring, request logging
internal/buildinfo/         version / commit / builtAt placeholders
configs/service.env.example example local env file
docs/                       architecture and hardening notes
Dockerfile                  minimal container build
Makefile                    common local commands

Endpoints

Endpoint	Purpose
GET /	basic service response
GET /healthz	liveness signal
GET /readyz	readiness signal
GET /version	build metadata placeholder

Quick start

cp configs/service.env.example .env
set -a && source .env && set +a
go run ./cmd/api

Then hit the service:

curl http://localhost:8080/
curl http://localhost:8080/healthz
curl http://localhost:8080/readyz
curl http://localhost:8080/version

Docker

docker build -t go-service-starter:dev .
docker run --rm -p 8080:8080 --env-file configs/service.env.example go-service-starter:dev

When to use this

This starter is a good fit when you want:

• a clean baseline for a small backend service
• a teaching repo for Go service structure
• a lightweight internal API template
• a foundation you can grow into metrics, tracing, auth, and persistence

It is not trying to be:

• a batteries-included platform framework
• a complete microservice platform
• an opinionated replacement for your whole internal stack

Production hardening roadmap

Good next additions for a serious service:

• request IDs and panic recovery middleware
• metrics / tracing / pprof endpoints
• configuration validation and startup checks
• authn / authz middleware
• persistence wiring and dependency boundaries
• background workers and drain handling
• CI, releases, and deployment manifests

See docs/production-hardening.md for a more complete checklist.

Related repos

If you like this repo, you may also want:

• go-http-middleware-kit — reusable net/http middleware for request IDs, structured logs, panic recovery, and timeouts
• backend-engineer-checklist — a practical roadmap for backend, systems, and distributed-systems fundamentals
• system-design-checklist — a practical framework for interviews, design reviews, and distributed-systems tradeoffs

Support

If this starter saves you time, consider:

• starring the repo
• sharing it with other backend engineers
• supporting ongoing maintenance via the support page: happysnaker.github.io/support
• current cross-project sponsor brief: Sponsor one-pager
• sponsor / paid-support intake replies: share-kit intake replies
• deploy-read sample before paying: happysnaker.github.io/review/deploy-read-sample
• shortest support thread: If go-service-starter helped, here is the shortest support path
• if you want lightweight async feedback on a public GitHub profile, repo README, or portfolio page, details are also available on the support page

If this starter saved you setup time for a new service, small direct support is especially helpful.

Typical thank-you support amounts that fit this repo:

• ¥9.9 — if the README / layout saved you a detour
• ¥19.9 — if it helped you bootstrap a real internal service faster
• best payment note — go-service-starter
• fastest path — tip directly if this starter saved you setup time; use ¥29.9 / ¥99 only if you want feedback back
• ¥99 — if you want compact async feedback on your own public service repo / README
• sponsor prospect pipeline: route Go service starter / backend template customers through the prospect pipeline first so the ask maps to proof, CTA, support note, and guardrail before payment: https://github.com/happysnaker/happysnaker/blob/master/docs/sponsor-prospect-pipeline.md
• sponsor conversion scorecard: classify Hot / Warm / Nurture / No-send before asking for support or paid review: https://github.com/happysnaker/happysnaker/blob/master/docs/sponsor-conversion-scorecard.md
• public issue privacy guardrail: do not paste private logs, credentials, QR codes, payment screenshots, internal URLs, or raw live integration output in public issues; use the intake replies first.

License

MIT