Build Your First App in 30 Minutes with Bolt.new V2

What if I told you that you could build a fully functional web application—complete with user authentication, a database, and deployment—without writing a single line of code?

That's exactly what Bolt.new V2 promises. And after building 5 apps with it over the past month, I can confirm: it actually delivers.

In this guide, I'll walk you through building your first app from scratch. We'll create a simple "Task Manager" app with user sign-up, task creation, and data persistence. Total time: about 30 minutes.

Let's go.

What is Bolt.new V2?

Bolt.new is an AI-native development platform that turns natural language descriptions into fully functional web applications. You describe what you want, and the AI builds it for you—frontend, backend, database, and all.

What's new in V2 (launched late 2025):

• Claude Agent Integration: The AI now uses Claude's advanced capabilities by default, resulting in 98% fewer error loops
• Bolt Cloud: Built-in backend infrastructure including databases, authentication, file storage, and hosting—no Supabase or external services required
• Plan Mode: Review the AI's plan before it starts building, saving tokens and improving results
• Visual Inspector: Edit components visually without touching code
• Multi-platform Support: Build for web, iOS, and Android using React Native and Expo

The biggest change? You no longer need to connect external services for basic functionality. Everything lives in Bolt.

Step 1: Create Your Bolt.new Account

1. Go to bolt.new
2. Click "Sign up" and use your Google, GitHub, or email
3. Choose a plan:
   • Free: Limited tokens, great for learning
   • Pro ($20/month): 10M tokens, Bolt Cloud, priority support
   • Team ($40/user/month): Collaboration features, advanced integrations

For this tutorial, the free tier works fine. You can upgrade later if you like the platform.

Step 2: Start Your First Project

Once logged in, you'll see the main interface:

• Chat area: Where you interact with the AI
• Preview panel: See your app in real-time
• Code panel: View the generated code
• Database panel: Manage your data

Click "New Project" and you're ready to start.

Step 3: Write Your First Prompt

Here's where the magic happens. In the chat box, describe what you want to build:

"Build a task manager app where users can sign up with email, create tasks with due dates, mark tasks as complete, and delete tasks. Use a clean, modern design with a dark theme."

Pro tip: Be specific about features you want. The more detail, the better the result.

Before the AI starts building, it will show you its Plan—a breakdown of what it's going to create. Review this to make sure it understands your requirements.

Click "Approve Plan" and watch your app come to life.

Step 4: Watch the AI Build

This is the fun part. Bolt will:

1. Set up the project structure
2. Create React components for your UI
3. Build the authentication system
4. Set up database tables for users and tasks
5. Connect everything together

The whole process takes 2-5 minutes depending on complexity. You'll see the code being written in real-time.

Step 5: Explore What Was Built

Once complete, explore the different panels:

Preview Tab

Click through your app. You should see:

• A login/signup page
• A dashboard for tasks
• Forms for adding new tasks
• Options to complete and delete tasks

Try signing up with a test email to see the full user flow.

Code Tab

Browse the generated code. Even if you don't code, it's interesting to see what the AI created:

• src/components/ - UI components like TaskCard, LoginForm
• src/pages/ - Page layouts
• src/lib/ - Utility functions and database connections

Database Tab

This is where Bolt V2 shines. Click on "Database" in the sidebar and you'll see:

• Your users table (created automatically)
• Your tasks table with columns for title, due_date, completed, user_id

You can view, edit, and export data directly from here.

Step 6: Customize Your App

The AI got you 80% of the way there. Now let's refine it.

Change Colors and Styling

"Change the primary color from blue to purple. Make the task cards have rounded corners and a subtle shadow."

Add New Features

"Add a priority field to tasks. Users should be able to set priority as Low, Medium, or High. Show high priority tasks in red."

Fix Issues

If something doesn't work:

"The complete button isn't working. When I click it, nothing happens. Please fix this."

Bolt will debug and fix the issue automatically.

Step 7: Set Up Authentication

With Bolt V2, authentication is built-in. But you might want to customize it:

1. Click Settings → Authentication
2. Enable/disable sign-in methods:
   • Email/password (default)
   • Email magic links
   • OAuth providers (coming soon)
3. Configure email verification:
   • Enable "Send confirmation email"
   • Customize email templates
4. Enable "Secure password change" for account recovery

Your users can now sign up and log in securely.

Step 8: Deploy Your App

Time to show the world!

1. Click the Deploy button in the top right
2. Choose "Bolt Cloud" (recommended) or Netlify
3. Your app will be live at: your-project.bolt.app

Custom domain setup:

1. Go to Settings → Hosting
2. Click "Add Custom Domain"
3. Add your domain (e.g., myapp.com)
4. Update your DNS records as instructed
5. SSL certificate is automatic

Your app is now live on the internet. Share the link!

Step 9: Monitor Your App

Bolt V2 includes built-in analytics:

• Daily active users
• Page views
• Top pages
• User growth trends

Access via Settings → Analytics. No Google Analytics required.

Real Example: What I Built

Last week, I built a "Recipe Saver" app using this exact process:

My prompt:

"Create a recipe saving app where users can save recipes with title, ingredients list, cooking steps, and an image URL. Include search functionality and the ability to categorize recipes (e.g., Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Desserts). Use a warm, food-inspired color palette with oranges and browns."

Time to build: 4 minutes
Time to refine: 20 minutes
Time to deploy: 2 minutes

Total: Under 30 minutes for a fully functional, deployed app.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Vague Prompts

❌ "Build a website" ✅ "Build a portfolio website for a photographer with a gallery, about page, and contact form"

2. Too Many Features at Once

Start simple. Add features one at a time. This makes debugging easier.

3. Ignoring the Plan

Always review the AI's plan before it starts. Catch misunderstandings early.

4. Not Testing User Flows

Actually sign up, create data, log out, log back in. Test the full user experience.

Bolt.new V2 vs. Alternatives

My take: Bolt.new V2 is best for full-stack web apps where you want everything in one place. v0.dev is better for UI prototyping. Lovable is a close competitor. Replit is better if you want to learn to code along the way.

What's Next?

You've just built your first app with AI. Here's how to level up:

1. Try a more complex app: E-commerce store, social network, booking system
2. Learn basic React: Understanding the code makes you better at prompting
3. Connect external APIs: Add weather data, payment processing, AI features
4. Join the community: Bolt has an active Discord for sharing projects and getting help

The Bottom Line

Bolt.new V2 represents a genuine shift in how software gets built. Is it perfect? No—complex business logic still benefits from traditional development. But for MVPs, internal tools, and side projects? It's remarkably capable.

The barrier to building software has never been lower. You have an idea? You can ship it today.

Go build something.

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• v0.dev vs Lovable vs Replit Agent: Which Should You Use?
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