Build a Web App from Scratch Using Lovable: No Coding Required

As a startup founder, speed is your biggest advantage. You’re up against competitors with more funding, more market share, and more experience—but they don’t have your agility. Thanks to AI, you can now build and launch faster than ever.

Enter Lovable, an AI-powered platform that lets you build web applications using plain text prompts. No coding, no headaches—just describe what you want, and Lovable takes care of the rest. In this guide, Daniyal Ashraf from the Founder Institute will walk you through building a prototype for a hotel check-in and reservation app without any technical knowledge. By the end, you’ll have a fully functional web app that you can use to validate your idea and attract early adopters.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Lovable Account

Before we start building, let’s get familiar with Lovable. It’s an AI-powered tool similar to platforms like Bolt and Replit, but with its own unique advantages.

How to Sign Up:

1. Visit Lovable and sign up.
2. You can register using email, Google, or GitHub.
3. Once logged in, you’ll see a main text box—this is where you’ll enter your prompts.
4. You’ll also see two extra options:
   • Attach: Upload images or diagrams to help Lovable understand your app’s design.
   • Import from Figma: If you’ve already designed your app in Figma, you can import it directly and turn it into a web app.

Best Choice:

If you're just experimenting, Lovable offers a free plan with 5 credits per day (30 per month). However, for serious development, the $20/month plan with 100 credits is a better fit.

Step 2: Writing the Perfect Prompt for Your Web App

Your prompt is the blueprint for your web app. The clearer and more detailed it is, the better your results.

Example Prompt:

''Create a web app for small hotel owners to manage check-ins and reservations. The UI should be simple, intuitive, and easy to use. Features should include:

• User login and logout functionality

• Ability to add guest information, including name, check-in/check-out dates, and room number

• A list of upcoming check-ins

• Integration with a backend database (Supabase) to store guest data''

Best Practice:

Struggling to craft the perfect prompt? Try using ChatGPT to refine it! Just ask, “Can you improve this prompt for an AI web app builder?” and you’ll get a polished version.

Step 3: Watching Lovable Build Your App in Real-Time

Once you enter your prompt, Lovable’s AI engineer begins building instantly. On the left panel, you’ll see a chat log detailing the progress, while on the right, you’ll watch your app being created in real time.

Connecting to a Backend

Since we need a database for hotel reservations, we’ll integrate Supabase, a powerful backend-as-a-service platform:

1. Click Supabase at the top.
2. Select your organization and project.
3. Click Connect, and Lovable will handle the rest!

Best Practice:

Your app will only be as good as your prompt. If something isn’t working, tweak your instructions and ask Lovable to refine or fix issues in the chat.

Step 4: Debugging and Refining Your App

Even AI-powered apps need a little fine-tuning. Lovable makes debugging easy by identifying errors and suggesting fixes in real time.

Example Fix:

We noticed our reservation list wasn’t displaying properly. Lovable flagged the issue as a login error—we weren’t signed in. After logging in, the feature worked perfectly.

Best Practice:

If something looks off, take a screenshot and send it to Lovable in the chat. AI doesn’t always get everything right, but with clear feedback, it improves quickly.

Step 5: Improving the User Experience

After basic functionality is in place, let’s optimize the app for usability:

• We changed “Today's Check-ins” to “Upcoming Check-ins” for better clarity.
• We added a “Guest Add” button, making guest management easier.
• We improved the calendar layout, which was initially buggy.

Best Practice:

Think about real-world usability. Would an actual hotel owner find your app intuitive? If not, tweak it!

Step 6: Deploying and Publishing Your Web App

Now that the app works, it’s time to go live!

Deployment Options:

• Public: Your app will be added to Lovable’s gallery, where others can view and remix it.
• Private: Only you can access it, perfect for internal testing.

How to Deploy:

1. Click Publish.
2. Choose Public or Private.
3. Hit Deploy, and within minutes, your app is live!

Best Practice:

If you’re planning to pitch your app to investors, deploy it privately first to refine it before sharing the public link.

Harnessing AI for Faster Development

Building an app no longer requires months of coding or a development team. With AI-powered tools like Lovable, you can create functional prototypes in hours, not weeks.

Key Takeaways:

• Clarity in prompts = better results
• Use AI assistance (ChatGPT) for refining prompts
• Debugging is fast with Lovable’s real-time fixes
• Small UI improvements make a big difference
• Deploy privately before going public

Your Next Steps:

1. Sign up for Lovable and start experimenting.
2. Come up with a startup idea and craft a simple prompt.
3. Build, refine, and iterate until you have a working MVP.

Right now is the best time in history to be a startup founder. With AI and expert guidance at your fingertips, there’s no excuse not to start.

 If you want more guides like this, let us know what tool you’d like us to explore next.

The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our highly-structured accelerator programs have helped entrepreneurs raised over $1.85BN in funding across over 200 cities worldwide.

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