Quick Start Guide

This guide takes you from sign-up to a running app in four steps — about five minutes, with no setup required. Follow it once and you'll understand the whole build loop: describe, generate, preview, refine.

Before you start

• You only need a browser and an email address — nothing to install.
• New accounts begin on the Free plan with monthly credits and access to the Gemini model, enough to build and preview a real app.
• Each generation spends a small number of credits; you can see your balance in the top bar at any time.

Step 1 — Sign in

• Create an account at codesky.ai and verify your email.
• You land on the dashboard, where the new-project box is the starting point for everything.

Step 2 — Describe your app

• Type a prompt in plain language, for example: "A shipping web app with a customer dashboard, label generation, and order tracking."
• Be concrete about the features and who they are for — detail up front means less back-and-forth later.
• Choose your stack: Web / React + Node is the default; switch the backend to .NET, Python/FastAPI, or Java/Spring if you prefer.
• Pick a model, or keep the default. See Choosing Your AI Model if you're unsure.

Step 3 — Watch it generate

• Your provider streams an explanation into the chat as it works.
• Files are written into GeneratedApps/{userId}/{projectGuid} — a frontend, a backend, and a database.
• npm install runs automatically; the first run takes about a minute.
• A version is saved when it finishes, so you can always roll back.

Step 4 — Preview and iterate

• Open the Preview tab to see the app served live from /api/PreviewProxy/port/{port}/.
• Refine with follow-up prompts in the same chat — "make the header sticky", "add a status filter to the orders table", "use a dark theme".
• Every message after the first is treated as an update to the same project, so it changes only what's needed.
• Don't like a change? Roll back to the previous version and try a different prompt.

Tips for a smooth first build

• Start with the core, then layer on. Get the main screens working first, then add auth, payments, and polish one message at a time.
• One change per message converges faster than a paragraph bundling five unrelated requests.
• Blank preview right after generating? That's usually npm install still finishing — wait a few seconds and it appears.

FAQ