Bolt.new builds web apps from a chat message, right in your browser. You describe the app, watch it appear in a live preview, ask for changes and publish it when you're happy. Nothing to install.
Before you start
- A Google, GitHub or email account. Bolt's quickstart says no credit card is required to begin.
- A small idea. A pet-name picker, a habit tracker or a simple booking page is perfect.
Bolt's free plan has limits. According to Bolt's help centre, free plans get 1 million tokens a month with a 300K daily limit, and published free-plan sites are public. Tokens are the units Bolt spends when it reads, thinks and builds. Check bolt.new for current plans.
Step 1: Write a first prompt
Go to bolt.new, type your idea in the chatbox and click Build now. A good prompt covers what the app is, who it's for and the main things it does:
Build a simple app that helps me choose a name for my new puppy. Show a list of name ideas, let me mark favourites with a heart, and show my favourites on a separate page. Keep the design clean and friendly.
If your app needs sign-up or a database, Bolt takes a little longer, since it sets up the database for you.
Want to think it through first? Click Plan before submitting. Plan mode lets you discuss the idea without any code being written. When you're ready, use the "Implement this plan" style button to switch to Build mode.
Step 2: Test in Preview
When Bolt finishes, try the app in the Preview window. Click everything. Try an empty form. Note anything that looks wrong.
Step 3: Ask for changes
Describe the change in the chatbox. Bolt's own example is "Change the title of the app to PetPick." Good habits:
- One change per message. It's easier to check.
- Be specific. "Make the heart red when selected" beats "improve the design".
- Use the Select tool to click an element in the preview, then describe what you want changed about it.
Each message uses tokens, and larger projects use more per message. You can turn on Display token usage in chat under Settings, General to watch your balance.
Step 4: Go back if something breaks
Click the project title in the top left, then Version history. Open the version you want, click Restore this version, then Restore version to confirm. Bolt's help says restoring doesn't use tokens.
Two warnings from the docs:
- Edits you make directly in Code view don't use tokens, but version history doesn't cover them.
- Restoring an earlier version does not change your Supabase databases, if you use one. Your data stays as it is.
Step 5: Publish
- Click Publish at the top right.
- Click Publish again in the "Publish your project" menu.
- Wait about a minute, then click the link in the chat to open your live site.
Free hosting is at a bolt.host address. The first publish gets a random name, which you can change with the pencil icon in the Publish menu. Custom domains aren't on the free plan, and the free plan adds a "Made in Bolt" badge to published sites.
Two things to know:
- Public means public. On the free plan, anyone with the link can see your site. Don't put private information in it.
- Edits aren't live until you update. After you change the app, click Update in the Publish menu. Use the button rather than asking Bolt to publish in chat, since prompting it to publish uses tokens.
To take a site down, use the Publish menu and choose Unpublish. If you've connected a custom domain, disconnect it first.
Step 6: Keep a copy
Two ways to keep your work safe:
- GitHub. Click the GitHub icon at the top right of a project and log in. Bolt's docs say it then creates a commit each time you make a change that doesn't break the project.
- Download. Click the project title, then Download to get a zip of your project.
Be careful with real data
A Bolt app that collects names, emails or payments needs more than a good prompt. AI-written code can have security gaps. Before real users give you real data, have a developer review how it's stored and protected. See our vibe coding guide for the wider safety picture.
Troubleshooting
It's taking a long time. Bolt's quickstart says apps with sign-up or database features usually take longer.
I'm running out of tokens. Make shorter, more specific requests, and plan before building. Free monthly tokens reset on the 1st of each month.
My site went offline. Bolt's billing page says free-plan hosting has monthly bandwidth and request limits, and that a site goes offline for the rest of the month if they are exceeded.
Where to go next
- Compare approaches in Bolt vs Claude Code or Bolt vs Devin Desktop.
- Try another builder with Lovable or Replit Agent.
- Read the Bolt tool page.