Quickstart
Build and publish your first app with Layout in under five minutes.
This guide walks you from a blank prompt to a live URL. You will describe an app, watch Layout generate it, make one change, and publish it.
Prerequisites
- A free Layout account
- A rough idea of what you want to build (one or two sentences is enough)
Steps
Open Layout and start a new project
Go to layout.dev and sign in. You land on the home screen with a single prompt box.
Describe your app
Type a short, concrete description. Be specific about what the app does and who uses it.
A to-do app with daily tasks, a calendar view, and a streak counter.
Users can add tasks, mark them complete, and see their longest streak.Press return. Layout creates the project and opens the workspace.
Keep the first prompt focused on one core outcome. You can add features later by chatting with the AI.
Watch Layout build
Layout generates the frontend, backend, and database, then shows a live preview on the right. The chat on the left streams each step as it runs.
A first build usually takes 30–90 seconds.
Make a change
In the chat, ask for a small change. For example:
Add a dark mode toggle to the top-right corner.Layout edits the files, rebuilds, and updates the preview. Use the Code and Preview tabs in the top bar to switch between the running app and its source.
Publish
Click Publish in the top-right. Pick a subdomain (for example my-todo) and confirm. Your app is live at my-todo.layout-app.com.
Verify
You should now have:
- A project visible on your Projects page
- A live URL at
<your-subdomain>.layout-app.com - A chat history you can return to at any time