StackBlitz · Setup guide
How to set up Bolt
Prompt, run, edit, and publish a small web app in the browser on StackBlitz WebContainers. Review the preview and generated files before connecting GitHub, adding secrets, or treating a publish URL as production.
The “Open Bolt” link goes to the vendor site. It is not an affiliate-tracked link on this page — no commission is claimed for that click. Affiliate disclosure.
Before you begin
- A modern browser and a Bolt.new account (Google, GitHub, or email).
- A small product brief with explicit boundaries for data, auth, and deployment.
- A GitHub account if you want an owned repository after the first preview works.
Authentication
Bolt.new account sign-in (Google, GitHub, or email) and optional GitHub OAuth for repo sync
Account: Bolt.new account; GitHub for repository export/sync
Review GitHub permission screens before connecting a repository. ACE has no publisher affiliate programme for Bolt.
Install or open it
1. Get the harness ready
These steps are written for beginners. On Mac, Terminal is the black/white text window where you type commands. On Windows, use PowerShell or Terminal. Use the OS tabs to hide steps that are not for your computer, then copy one command at a time.
- 01
Open Bolt in your browser
You do not install Bolt on your computer for the standard workflow. Open Chrome, Safari, or Edge, go to bolt.new, and sign in with Google, GitHub, or email. No credit card is required to start.
Bolt QuickStart - 02
Start from a constrained prompt
Describe one page or workflow, its acceptance criteria, and what should stay out of scope. Prefer a static or read-only first slice so Bolt does not spend tokens standing up auth and a database before the UI is right.
Bolt QuickStart - 03
Review the in-browser preview
Bolt runs the generated app in a StackBlitz WebContainer in the same tab. Exercise the preview yourself. Token use continues while you iterate — stop and edit files directly when the agent is looping on the same error.
Bolt.new README - 04
Publish only after the preview is correct
Use Bolt’s publish control for a shareable URL after the preview matches the brief. Treat auth, environment variables, and database rules as a first draft — verify them on the published URL, not only in the editor preview.
Bolt QuickStart
Repository or project
2. Start in the right place
Keep the first repository small, clean, and easy to roll back while you learn the harness’s permissions and context model.
- 01
Keep the first brief read-only
Ask for one page with an explicit acceptance checklist. Do not start with payments, secrets, or an existing production monorepo.
Bolt QuickStart - 02
Export or sync Git after the preview is right
Connect GitHub only after the in-browser preview matches the brief. Generated auth and env files are a starting point, not a production hand-off.
Bolt.new README
First run
Prototype a read-only page
Use this task to test the workflow before handing over a larger repository or production responsibility.
- 01Ask Bolt to build a static page with a small, explicit acceptance checklist.
- 02Review the generated files and test the in-tab preview at desktop and mobile widths.
- 03Publish a shareable URL only after the preview is correct, then connect Git if you need an owned repo.
Why this is safe: A read-only prototype exercises prompt-to-preview quality without introducing credentials, payments, or destructive data operations.
Stop and review if
- The generated app asks for secrets or payment credentials before the static slice works.
- The agent burns tokens retrying the same error instead of letting you edit the file.
- Git permissions are broader than the repository you intended to create.
The operating boundary
Privacy, data, and cost
The setup is incomplete until you know what the harness can see, what account pays for it, and who approves a risky action.
Privacy
Bolt processes prompts and generated apps in StackBlitz’s cloud and runs the project in a browser WebContainer. GitHub and backend connections expand the data boundary. Confirm current workspace, plan, and training terms before confidential work.
Training on code: not verified
Check current Bolt/StackBlitz workspace, enterprise, and connected-provider terms for your region and plan.
Sensitive repos: Start with non-sensitive briefs, review generated code before adding secrets, and restrict SCM access to the selected repository.
Pricing
Bolt.new is free to start with a daily token allowance. Paid plans in settings add tokens and private projects. Token burn on retries is the real cost.
Model: usage based
Watch out: Free daily token limits pause AI interactions until the next day or an upgrade. Hosting, databases, and connected services can be billed separately from build tokens.
When setup goes wrong
The generated page looks right but the app does not work after refresh.
Test the preview as a new visitor, inspect runtime errors in the Bolt terminal, and ask for a reproduction-specific fix rather than a rewrite.
AI interactions stop with a token or plan limit.
Wait for the daily free allowance to reset, or upgrade in Bolt settings. Do not keep retrying the same failing prompt — it spends tokens without progress.
Auth or data works in preview but fails after Publish.
Compare preview vs published env vars and backend rules; republish after fixing configuration rather than rewriting the UI.
The agent loops on the same compile or runtime error.
Stop the run, open the failing file, apply a minimal fix yourself, then ask Bolt to continue from the current tree.
Next steps
After the first successful run
Keep the pilot small, then compare surfaces and budget before a team rollout.
Setup details change quickly. The page was checked August 13, 2026; use the official source below before installing in a managed or production environment.