Installation

App-Creator runs in two modes:

• Demo mode — zero configuration. In-memory data, simulated GitHub/deploy/billing providers, mock AI responses. Everything is clickable; nothing persists across restarts.
• Connected mode — Supabase for auth + persistence, NVIDIA for real AI, and optional provider keys for GitHub pushes, deployments, payments, and analytics.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+ (22 recommended) and npm 10+
• A Supabase project (free tier works) — connected mode only
• A free NVIDIA API key for real AI generation
• Optional: Paystack, Flutterwave, PostHog accounts

1. Clone and install

git clone <your-fork-url> app-creator
cd app-creator
npm install

2. Try demo mode (optional but recommended)

npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000, visit a workspace like /projects/demo-1, click Build app, and run the pipeline with a prompt like "Build a church website". You'll see the agents run, files appear in the Code tab, and the preview render — all without keys.

3. Set up Supabase

1. Create a project at database.new.

2. Apply the schema (12 migrations, in order):

   bashCopy

   npx supabase login
   npx supabase link --project-ref <your-project-ref>
   npx supabase db push

   Alternatively, paste each file from supabase/migrations/ (sorted by filename) into the SQL editor, then run supabase/seed.sql for starter templates.

3. Configure auth (Dashboard → Authentication):

   • URL Configuration — Site URL: http://localhost:3000 (your production URL later). Add http://localhost:3000/auth/callback to the redirect allow list.
   • Providers → Google (optional) — add your Google OAuth client ID/secret. The authorized redirect URI on the Google side is https://<project-ref>.supabase.co/auth/v1/callback.
   • Optional: point email templates at {{ .SiteURL }}/auth/confirm?token_hash={{ .TokenHash }}&type=... — both the code and token-hash flows are supported.

4. Configure environment variables

cp .env.example .env.local

Fill in at minimum:

NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=https://<project-ref>.supabase.co
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=<anon key>            # Project Settings → API
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=<service role key>        # same page — keep secret
NVIDIA_API_KEY=<nvidia key>                         # real AI generation (free)

Everything else is optional — see the environment variable reference.

5. Run

npm run dev        # development
# or
npm run build && npm run start   # production build locally

Sign up at /signup — the database trigger creates your users row automatically. To use the admin dashboard, promote yourself once in the SQL editor:

update public.users set role = 'admin' where email = 'you@example.com';

(role is deliberately not client-writable, so this must be done in SQL or with the service key.)

6. Verify the installation

• Auth: sign up, sign out, sign back in; try Google if configured
• Build: create a project, run Build app, confirm files persist in the Code tab after a refresh
• AI chat: send a message — with NVIDIA_API_KEY set you get real streaming responses
• Billing: /billing shows your Free plan usage meters
• Admin: /admin renders live aggregates (admin role required)

Troubleshooting