Build failures
What to do when a Layout build fails — read the error, fix it with one click, or guide the AI yourself.
Builds fail. It happens on every AI builder, and Layout is no exception. This guide shows you how to read the error, how to use the Fix Build button, and how to unblock yourself when the one-click fix is not enough.
What a failed build looks like
When a build fails, the preview pane is replaced with a red Build Failed header. You see:
- A short status badge:
FAILED - An Error Details card with the raw error output
- Two buttons in the header: Copy and Fix Build
The chat on the left keeps the full log of what Layout tried to do.
Fix it with one click
The fastest path is the Fix Build button. It sends the error back to the AI with instructions to fix it — no typing required.
Click Fix Build
Layout checks that you have enough credits, then sends a new message to the chat that includes the full error inside a <error> tag.
Watch the chat
The AI reads the error, proposes a fix, and edits the affected files. Most build errors resolve in one pass.
Verify the preview comes back
Once the build succeeds, the red header disappears and your app reloads in the preview pane.
Fix Build costs one credit, the same as any other chat message. If you are out of credits, the button opens the top-up dialog instead of sending.
When the one-click fix is not enough
If Fix Build runs twice without resolving the error, stop and switch to a manual approach. Repeating the same fix rarely works and burns credits.
Read the error yourself
Click Copy to grab the full error text. Look for:
- The first error line — later errors are often cascades from the first
- A file path — tells you which file the AI needs to look at
- A missing import, undefined variable, or type mismatch — these are the most common build-breakers
Describe the problem in your own words
Paste the relevant part of the error into chat and add context the AI might be missing.
The build fails because `useAuth` is imported from `@/lib/auth` but that
file does not exist. Create the file or use Clerk's `useUser` hook instead.Roll back instead of pushing forward
If the last build was working and this one is not, rollback is usually faster than fixing. Open version history, pick the last green version, and click Revert. See Recovering from a bad change.
Common failure patterns
Prevention
- Keep changes small. A prompt that touches three files fails less than one that touches twelve.
- Watch the build log in chat. If you see a migration or a risky refactor mid-stream, you can catch a mistake before the final build runs.
- Roll back early. The longer you stack broken builds, the harder recovery gets.