Step-by-Step Guide: Build Your First App with Lovable
Turn your idea into a functional application without writing a line of code. This detailed tutorial takes you from start to finish, with examples and pro tips for getting it right the first time.
📋 Before you start: What you need
1️⃣ Account Creation and Getting Started with the Interface
🎯 Registration and first contact
- Access lovable.dev
- Click on “
Start Building
“or”Sign Up
“ - Choose your enrollment method:
- Google (recommended for speed)
- GitHub (if you are a developer)
- Classic email

🖥️ Discover your workspace
Once connected, this is what you see:
💡 Beginner tip: Explore the interface for 2 minutes before creating. Click everywhere, you won't break anything!
🔧 Optional configuration for the most techy
If you want to view/edit the generated code:
Profile → Settings → Integrations → Connect GitHub
This allows you to:
- Save your code
- Collaborate with developers
- Personalize beyond AI
2️⃣ Mastering the Art of Prompting: The Key to Success
📝 Anatomy of an effective prompt
A good prompt follows this structure:
[WHAT] + [FOR WHOM] + [FEATURES] + [FEATURES] + [STYLE]
❌ Prompt wave:
“Make me a todo app”
✅ Precise prompt:
“Create an application of
task management
minimalistic for
students with:
- To-do list by subject
- Due dates with alerts
- Percentage of progress
- Dark/light mode
- Modern “Notion” style design
🎯 Examples of prompts by application type
🚀 Advanced technique: The quick iterative
Step 1 - General structure: “Create a recipe sharing app with homepage showing recent recipes”
Step 2 - Adding Features: “Add a search bar to filter recipes by ingredients and cooking time”
Step 3 - UX improvement: “Make recipe cards show prep time, difficulty level, and rating stars”
Lovable understands context. No need to repeat everything at every prompt!
3️⃣ Connecting Supabase for a Powerful Backend

🔌 Why Supabase?
📋 Step-by-Step Connection Guide
- In Lovable, click on the button
Supabase
(top right corner)!
[Lovable logo] -------------------- [🔌 Supabase] [👤]
- First time connecting? A window opens:
- Click”
Create Supabase Account
“(if new) - Or”
Connect Existing Account
“(if already registered)
- Click”
- Permission required:
- Supabase asks: “Allow Lovable to access?”
- Click”
Authorize
“(secure)
- Creation of the Supabase project:
Organization name: [Your name/business]
Project name: [Your app name]
Region: Europe (Paris)//Closer = faster
- Back in Lovable:
- The project appears in the dropdown menu
- Select it
- Green badge = Connected! ✅
⚠️ Important: Connect Supabase BEFORE requesting:
- Login/signup system
- Data backup
- User profiles
- File upload
💡 Example of use
4️⃣ Testing and Deploying Your Creation
🔍 Advanced preview tool:
- Click on”
Preview
“(eye in the upper right corner) - Choose the device (mobile/tablet/desktop)
- Share the temporary link for feedback
- Valid for 24 hours (perfect for user tests)
🚀 Deployment in production
Option 1 : Lovable instant deployment
“Ship” button → Choose URL → Confirm → Live in 30 sec!
- URL type:
yourapp.lovable.app
- SSL included (https://)
- Automatic global CDN
Option 2 : Custom domain
📋 Netlify process (recommended):
- Export from Lovable (
Download code
) - Create a Netlify account
- Drag & drop the folder
- Custom domain in 2 clicks
5️⃣ Expert Tips for Rapid Progress
Beginner mistakes to avoid
Professional workflow
Day 1: Prototype
- Define clear objective
- Create basic structure
- Test core features
Day 2-3: Improvement
- Refine the design
- Add interactions
- Optimizing UX
Day 4-5: Production
- User tests
- Final corrections
- Deployment
🎓 Resources for Going Further
You now have all the keys to create your first application. Lovable eliminates technical barriers - your creativity is the only limit.
Challenge:Create a simple app (calculator, timer, todo list) by following this guide. Estimated time: 20 minutes. Share your creation with #MyFirstLovableApp!
Types of Projects Achievable with Lovable
Lovable goes far beyond simple landing pages: it is a no-code AI platform that allows you to create professional web applications from end to end, from a fast MVP to the finished product.
With a conversational interface, you describe your project in natural language and the AI is responsible for generating the architecture, interface, and functionalities, including database, authentication, and payment integration.
📊 Overview of the possibilities
🎨 Starter Projects (Great for getting started)
Lovable is ideal for quickly launching simple and beautiful projects, perfect for creatives, freelancers or entrepreneurs.
🛒 Turnkey e-commerce and business solutions
Lovable makes it possible to create robust business solutions, connected to Supabase for data management and to Stripe for payments.
🔥 Advanced applications: the power of Lovable
Lovable also excels on complex projects, thanks to its native management of databases, authentication and personalized workflows.
example : Subscription platform
- Step 1: “Create a subscription-based learning platform with course catalog”
- Step 2: “Add user authentication with third party subscription (free, pro, premium)”
- Step 3: “Include video player, progress tracking, and completion certificates”
- Step 4: “Add instructor dashboard with earnings and student analytics”
Result : a complete platform like Udemy in 1 day ready to receive your first subscribers even for non-programmers
📈 Decision matrix by sector
🚀 From idea to launch: Examples
- FitTracker Pro (startup): Fitness tracking app created in 2 days on Lovable: 10k users in 3 months, raised €200k
- MenuQR (profitable side-project): Interactive digital menu for restaurants, integrated ordering and payment: +30% average basket
- DonateEasy (association): Recurring donations platform, impact monitoring, automatic tax receipts: +200% monthly donations
How to choose your project with Lovable
Key questions to ask yourself:
- 🎯 Main objective: sell, inform, connect, automate?
- 👥 Target audience : B2C (mobile-first), B2B (dashboard/analytics), both?
- 💰 Business model: direct payment, subscriptions, commission, free?
- ⏰ Emergency: fast MVP, finished product, market test?
Remember that there are many options available to customize your project according to your needs, whether in terms of hosting, integration with services like Vercel or GitHub, or advanced features.
🛠️ Available resources by type of project
🎯 Get started!
- Choose a type of project that inspires you
- Write a 2-3 line prompt
- Create your MVP in 1 hour
- Share to get feedback
“Lovable allows you to test 10 ideas in the time it took to code one. That's the real no-code revolution!” — Marc, serial entrepreneur
Whatever your idea, Lovable can bring it to life. The question is no longer “Is it possible?” but “Where do I start?”
Lovable Highlights ✅
- Generation of web and SaaS applications in natural language (conversational AI)
- Supabase native integration (backend, database, authentication)
- Stripe payments, one-click deployment, installable PWAs
- GitHub sync for advanced customization
- Ultra-fast and iterative prototyping, even for non-techies
- Perfect for MVPs, side-projects, internal tools, marketplaces, and complex platforms

Final Review of Lovable
Lovable is an innovative software that represents a major advance in the field of no-code tools boosted by AI, by allowing anyone — entrepreneurs, start-ups or citizen developers — to transform ideas into functional applications without technical skills.
With its intuitive conversational interface, features like voice cloning or lip sync, and simple visual customization, Lovable democratizes app creation by dramatically reducing development time.
Lovable's promise is clear: to make creating applications accessible to everyone, by simplifying every step of the process. The revenue generated by Lovable is a testament to its growing success and rapid adoption by a large user community.
FAQ
Is Lovable better than competitors at making a web application?
It is distinguished by its conversational AI and its point-and-click editing, which is more intuitive than V0 or Replit, but less technical than Webflow. With a score of 4.6/5 on TechRadar, it excels for non-technicians, although it is more focused on MVPs than complex projects.
Do you need to know how to code to use Lovable?
No, Lovable is 100% no-code. Describe your idea in natural language, AI takes care of the rest.
What types of applications can I create?
Showcase sites, e-commerce, SaaS, complex platforms, internal tools and more.
Can I see and edit the generated code?
Yes, you can review the generated code, export it, or sync it to GitHub according to your plan.
Does Lovable have a free plan?
Yes, there is a free version to test the platform. Paid plans unlock more features.
Are my applications mobile?
Yes, all apps are responsive by default and can be adapted for mobile or published on stores.
What are the integrated payment methods?
Lovable integrates Stripe for online payments, ideal for shops, reservations or subscriptions.
What should I do if I encounter a problem?
You can contact support via the built-in chat, review documentation, or ask for help from the Discord community.
Can I use Lovable for client projects?
Absolutely, many freelancers and agencies use it to deliver faster to their customers