Enable Web application support

When you enable Web Application support in IntelliJ IDEA, it can do the following:

Create a web resource directory web with index.jsp intended as a starting page of your app and, optionally, a web app deployment descriptor WEB-INF/web.xml.
Create a Web facet that lets you manage your deployment descriptors, web resource directories, and your Java web source roots.
Create an Exploded WAR artifact configuration.
Provide access to the Web tool window.

If you enable Web Application support when creating a project or module and specify an application server, IntelliJ IDEA also creates a run/debug configuration for that server.

Create a new Jakarta EE project with Servlet

Open the New Project wizard:
- If you are on the Home screen, select New | Project….
- If you have another project open, go to File | New | Project.
From the Generators list on the left, select Jakarta EE.
Select the Web application template and set up the rest of the Jakarta EE project settings.
When you are ready, click Next.
From the Version drop-down list, select the Jakarta EE version you want to use.
(Optional) From the Dependencies list, select additional specifications or implementations you want to include in your project. Because of the web application template, the Servlet specification is already selected.
Click Create.

For more information about creating Jakarta EE projects, such as how to set up an application server, refer to Tutorial: Your first Jakarta EE application.

Add web application support to existing module

In the Project tool window (Alt+1) , select the necessary module.
Press Ctrl+Shift+A and type Add Framework Support.
Once the action is found, click it to open the Add Framework Support dialog.
In the dialog that opens, select Web Application and select a version of the Servlet specification.
If you want the deployment descriptor web.xml file to be created, select the Create web.xml checkbox.
Click OK.

Manage web application settings

You can manage your web app deployment descriptors, web resource directories, and Java web source roots in the Project Structure dialog.

In the main menu, go to File | Project Structure or press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S.
In the left pane, select Modules or Facets.
Select the Web facet.
Configure the following:
Deployment Descriptors
List of deployment descriptors for your app
Web Resource Directories
Directories that contain your web app resources, such as web pages and images
Source Roots
Source roots contain your web application Java classes, such as servlets, filters, and managed beans.
For more information, refer to Web facet page.

Manage application artifacts

To manage your artifact configurations, use the Project Structure dialog (File | Project Structure | Artifacts).

To deploy your application to a server, you need an application artifact. For Java web applications, IntelliJ IDEA provides the following artifact formats:

Web Application: Exploded. This is a decompressed Web application archive (WAR), a directory structure that is ready for deployment onto a web server.
Web Application: Archive. This is a WAR file.

For more information, refer to Artifacts.

27 October 2026