Publishing your app

An app that only works in the preview is like a letter you never send. In this lesson, you'll back up your app on GitHub, publish it to a live web address, and share it.

What does publishing mean?

Publishing is like moving a painting from your studio to a gallery. In the studio, only you can see it. In the gallery, anyone with the address can walk in.

• Save: your code goes to GitHub, so you own it and it's backed up
• Publish: your app gets a live URL, a web address anyone can open
• Share: you send that link to people
• Update: you make changes and publish again

Connect your builder to GitHub

Most AI app builders, including Lovable, Bolt, and v0, can connect to GitHub. The steps look roughly like this:

1. In your project, look for a GitHub button or option (often near the top, or in project settings)
2. Click Connect to GitHub and sign in
3. Approve the access the builder asks for
4. Choose your account and let the builder create a new repository

Many builders then sync both ways. Every change you make in the builder is pushed to GitHub as a commit.

See your commits

Open your new repository on github.com. You'll see the app's files and a commit count. Click the commits link to see the history.

Each prompt you sent became a save point. This is the same Git history you learned about in History and undo, just made for you.

Want a copy on your computer too? Use the green Code button to copy the link, then:

git clone https://github.com/your-name/your-app.git
cd your-app
git log --oneline

Let's break this down:

• git clone downloads a full copy of a GitHub repo, with all its history
• cd moves into the new folder
• git log --oneline shows the commits the builder made

Publish to a live URL

1. Click the Publish (or Deploy) button in your builder
2. Check the address it gives you, then confirm
3. Wait a few seconds and open the link in a new tab
4. Test it on your phone too

Your app is now on the internet. Many builders also let you connect your own domain name later, like myhabits.com.

Share it

Send the link to a few people and ask for honest feedback. Let AI help you write a short note:

I built a web app: [one-line description]. Link: [your URL]
Write a short, friendly message (3 sentences) asking friends
to try it and tell me one thing they like and one thing to improve.

Update your app

Feedback will give you ideas. Updating is the same loop you already know:

1. Ask for one change in the builder's chat
2. Test it in the preview
3. Check that a new commit appears on GitHub
4. Publish again so the live version gets the change

In some builders the live site updates on its own. In others you must click Publish again. If your friends don't see a change, that's the first thing to check.

Common mistakes

• Wrong: publishing without testing the live link. Right: open it in a new tab and on your phone.
• Wrong: editing on your computer without pulling first. Right: run git pull before you start.
• Wrong: deleting the GitHub repo to "start fresh". Right: keep it. The history is your safety net.
• Wrong: changing the app and forgetting to publish. Right: publish again after each set of changes.

What's next?

App builders are great for small apps. For bigger apps with databases, logins, and payments, you'll want an AI coding agent that works inside your project folder. Meet it in Claude Code.