A Starter Boilerplate for Building MODX Evolution Modules

One of the recurring problems in older Evolution CMS projects was that custom modules often started as one growing procedural file. This article shared a better starting point: a module boilerplate with a cleaner internal structure.

What the boilerplate included

• use of the MODX API inside the module
• access to $modx through a module model class
• separation between model, controller, and view
• message and error output handling
• module configuration stored in a dedicated config file

That may sound ordinary today, but for Evolution CMS projects this was an important habit shift. It encouraged developers to treat custom modules as maintainable tools instead of one-off scripts glued directly into manager output.

Why it still matters

Even if your current stack uses packages and service providers, the underlying lesson is the same: start custom backend tools from a repeatable structure. Boilerplates reduce hesitation, reduce copy-paste mistakes, and make it easier for another developer to understand where logic belongs.