bolt.diy/MAIN-FOLDER-README.md

# Bolt.new: AI-Powered Full-Stack Web Development in the Browser

Welcome to **Bolt.new**, where **AI meets instant web development environments**. Bolt.new is an AI-powered web development agent that allows you to prompt, run, edit, and deploy full-stack applications directly from your browser—no local setup required.

## What Makes Bolt.new Different

While tools like Claude and V0 offer AI-powered coding assistance, you can't install packages, run backends or edit code. That’s where Bolt.new stands out:

- **Full-Stack in the Browser**: Bolt.new integrates cutting-edge AI models with an in-browser development environment powered by **StackBlitz’s WebContainers**. This allows you to:
  - Install and run npm tools and libraries (like Vite, Next.js, and more)
  - Run Node.js servers
  - Interact with 3rd party APIs
  - Deploy to production from chat
  - Share your work via a URL

- **AI with Environment Control**: Unlike traditional dev environments where the AI can only assist in code generation, Bolt.new gives AI models **complete control** over the entire  environment including the filesystem, node server, package manager, terminal, and browser console. This empowers AI agents to handle the entire app lifecycle—from creation to deployment.

Whether you’re an experienced developer, a PM or designer, Bolt.new allows you to build production-grade full-stack applications with ease.

For developers interested in building their own AI-powered development tools with WebContainers, check out the open-source Bolt codebase in this repo!

## Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips to get the most out of Bolt.new:

- **Be specific with your technologies**: If you want to use specific frameworks or libraries (like Astro, Tailwind, ShadCN, or any other popular Javacsript framework), mention them in your initial prompt to ensure Bolt scaffolds the project accordingly.
  
- **Use the enhance prompt icon**: Before sending your prompt, try clicking the 'enhance' icon to have the AI model help you refine your prompt, then edit the results before submitting.

- **Scaffold first, then add features**: Make sure the basic structure of your application is in place before diving into more advanced functionality. This helps Bolt understand the foundation of your project and ensure everything is wired upu right before building out more advanced functionality.

- **Batch your simple instructions**: Save time by combining simple instructions into one message. For example, you can ask Bolt to change the color scheme, add mobile responsiveness, and restart the dev server, all in one go saving you time and reducing API credit consumption significantly.

## FAQs

**Where do sign up for a paid plan?**  
Bolt.new is free to get started. If you need more AI tokens or want private projects, you can purchase a paid subscription in your Bolt.new settings, in the lower left hand corner of the application. 

**What happens if I hit the free usage limit?**  
Once your free daily token limit is reached, AI interactions are paused until the next day or until you upgrade your plan.


**Is Bolt in beta?**  
Yes, Bolt.new is in beta, and we are actively improving it based on feedback.

**How can I report Bolt.new issues?**  
Check out the [Issues section](https://github.com/bolt.new/issues) to report an issue or request a new feature. Please use the search feature to check if someone else has already submitted the same issue/request.

**What frameworks/libraries currently work on Bolt?**  
Bolt.new supports most popular javascript frameworks and libraries. If it runs on StackBlitz, it will run on Bolt.new as well.

**How can I add make sure my framework/project works well in bolt?**  
We are excited to work with the javascript ecosystem to improve functionality in Bolt. Reach out to us via [hello@stackblitz.com](mailto:hello@stackblitz.com) to discuss how we can partner!