How to Structure a Scalable Angular Project Using Nx Workspace

π Introduction
As frontend applications grow in size and complexity, maintaining a clean, scalable, and testable structure becomes crucial β especially in enterprise environments.
Over the past few years, Iβve worked on large-scale Angular projects, including a finance platform where performance and maintainability were top priorities. We adopted the Nx Workspace for its modular monorepo approach, and it completely changed the way we structured and managed our Angular codebase.
In this post, Iβll share:
Why Nx is ideal for large Angular apps,
How to structure your projects using
apps
andlibs
,Real examples and folder structure,
Tips and pitfalls based on real-world experience.
π Why Nx for Angular?
Nx is a powerful build system and monorepo tool by the folks at Nrwl. It extends the Angular CLI and enables:
Modular architecture using shared libraries
Scoped builds (faster CI)
Code sharing between multiple Angular apps
Enforceable boundaries and linting between modules
Plugin ecosystem (React, NestJS, Storybook, Cypress, etc.)
In enterprise projects, Nx helps teams enforce discipline in folder structure, reuse components wisely, and improve onboarding speed.
π§± Suggested Architecture Pattern (Feature-Based)
Hereβs a folder structure we use in one of my recent Nx Angular projects:
my-workspace/
β
βββ apps/
β βββ admin-app/
β βββ customer-portal/
β
βββ libs/
β βββ core/
β β βββ interceptors/
β β βββ guards/
β β βββ services/
β β
β βββ ui/
β β βββ components/
β β βββ button/
β β βββ table/
β β βββ modal/
β β
β βββ features/
β β βββ orders/
β β βββ payments/
β β βββ profile/
β β
β βββ utils/
β βββ pipes/
β βββ validators/
Key Ideas:
Apps are shells β minimal logic, mostly routing.
Libs are categorized as:
core
: singleton services, auth, http interceptorsui
: shared reusable componentsfeatures
: self-contained, domain-specific modulesutils
: helper functions, pipes, validators
βοΈ How to Set Up Nx for Angular
- Install Nx and Create a Workspace
npx create-nx-workspace@latest my-workspace --preset=angular
- Generate Libraries
nx g @nrwl/angular:library core
nx g @nrwl/angular:library ui-components
nx g @nrwl/angular:library features-orders
- Create Components/Modules Inside Libraries
nx g c ui/button --project=ui-components
nx g m features/orders --project=features-orders
- Use in Your App
// In admin-app.module.ts
import { OrdersModule } from '@my-workspace/features/orders';
import { ButtonComponent } from '@my-workspace/ui-components';
π§ͺ Real-World Learnings and Tips
β
Keep core
small β avoid bloating it with business logic.
β
Use tags
in project.json
to enforce boundaries.
β
Run nx affected
in CI for faster builds.
β
Document each lib with README.md for new team members.
β
Avoid tight coupling across features.
β οΈ Common Pitfalls
β Using shared services between unrelated features
β Skipping boundaries (Nx can help with enforce-module-boundaries
)
β Bloated app
modules doing too much
β Conclusion
Nx is not just a build tool β itβs an architecture enabler.
With clearly separated libraries, predictable folder structures, and better CI integration, youβll save time and reduce technical debt in the long term. It has helped me lead frontend teams more effectively and made our codebase a lot more manageable.
π¬ Have you tried Nx with Angular? Drop your structure tips or challenges in the comments!
π Whatβs Next?
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