Bolt.new Project Download: Export Your Project as a ZIP

Bolt.new is fantastic for prototyping. The in-browser StackBlitz preview is genuinely impressive, and the AI feedback loop is fast. The catch is that the StackBlitz WebContainer is not a production host. To put your Bolt project in front of real users, you need to export and deploy.

This guide is the five-minute path from a Bolt project to a real URL.

How to download your Bolt.new project as a ZIP

1. Open the project you want to export in Bolt.new.
2. Click the Download button in the top-right corner. Its icon is a downward arrow.
3. Save the ZIP file to your computer, then extract it into a new folder.
4. Open that folder and confirm it contains package.json, src/, and the rest of your project files.

The ZIP is a complete copy of the project, not just the rendered preview. You can open it in a local editor, put it in a GitHub repository, or build it for another host.

Why you can't just leave it in Bolt

The Bolt preview runs entirely in your browser via StackBlitz's WebContainer. That's amazing for development. It's wrong for production:

• Other users can't access your localhost-style preview
• The WebContainer doesn't have an externally addressable URL
• Even if it did, you'd be running production traffic on someone else's browser-side runtime
• StackBlitz also has a "Deploy" button that ships to Netlify; that works but pins you to Netlify's US infrastructure

For an EU-hosted, custom-domain, production-grade deploy you need to export and host elsewhere. Here's the path.

Step 1: Check the exported project

After downloading the ZIP, unzip it locally:

unzip my-bolt-project.zip
cd my-bolt-project

You should see a typical Vite + React + Tailwind layout: package.json, src/, public/, index.html, vite.config.ts.

Step 2: Build locally

Bolt's preview is dev-mode. The deploy needs the production build:

npm install
npm run build

The dist/ folder is your deployable artifact. Keep an eye out for build errors. Bolt sometimes generates code with subtle TypeScript or import issues that the dev server tolerates but the production build catches. Fix them as they come up.

If Bolt used a non-standard config (sometimes it generates Astro or Next.js scaffolds), the build command and output folder may differ. Check the README inside the ZIP.

Step 3: Pick a host

The "Deploy to Netlify" button inside Bolt is the path of least resistance. If that's what you want, you're done after one click. The trade-offs:

• Netlify pros: zero-config, generous free tier (100 GB bandwidth), well-documented.
• Netlify cons: US-headquartered, usage-metered above free, custom domain on free tier is fine but DPA requires enterprise.

For EU residency and flat pricing, VibeDeploy is the EU equivalent. The deploy steps are similar.

This guide assumes VibeDeploy from here. The rest of the pattern translates directly to Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, and others.

Step 4: Upload to VibeDeploy

Sign in to VibeDeploy. Click New Site. You have three options for getting the build to the host:

Option A: drag-and-drop

Drag the dist/ folder into the upload area. Done in 10 seconds.

Option B: deploy from an AI agent (MCP)

Connect the VibeDeploy MCP server (https://mcp.vibedeploy.be/mcp) in Claude or Cursor and ask the agent to deploy. It runs the build and uploads for you. Each redeploy is incremental.

Option C: Git connect

If you push the project to GitHub, connect the repo and let VibeDeploy redeploy on every push. This is the right pattern if you'll keep iterating.

Step 5: Custom domain

Add your domain in site settings. Add a CNAME at your registrar pointing to VibeDeploy's edge. SSL provisions in under a minute.

Step 6: Redeploy the next Bolt iteration

Bolt doesn't have a built-in Git push, but two patterns keep future iterations one step away:

• GitHub connect. Download from Bolt, push to a GitHub repo, connect it to VibeDeploy, and every push auto-redeploys.
• AI agent. Connect the VibeDeploy MCP server (https://mcp.vibedeploy.be/mcp) in Claude or Cursor, or paste your dashboard deploy guide into ChatGPT or Gemini, and tell the agent to redeploy the new build.

Workflow either way: edit in Bolt → download → push to GitHub (or hand to your AI agent) → VibeDeploy redeploys.

What works, what doesn't

These are the patterns we see with Bolt-built projects:

Works without changes:

• Static HTML, single-page apps, client-side fetch to external APIs
• Client-side routing (React Router, Vue Router, Solid Router)
• Tailwind plus shadcn/ui (Bolt's default styling)
• Most simple full-stack-looking sites where the "backend" is actually fetch calls to OpenAI, Supabase, or similar SaaS

Needs adjustment:

• Anything that referenced the StackBlitz WebContainer's mock APIs
• Hardcoded localhost URLs (search and replace before deploying)
• Server-side Bolt scaffolds (rare, but if Bolt generated a Next.js with API routes, those need a separate runtime)

Doesn't work on static hosts:

• Real backends (Express, Hono, etc.) Bolt sometimes generates. Move those to a serverless platform (Cloudflare Workers, Vercel functions) or a small VPS.

Cost

VibeDeploy's 14-day free trial covers 1 site with custom domain. The Maker plan at €15/month covers 3 sites. For a static Bolt project with normal traffic, you'll likely fit on Maker indefinitely.

Compared to Netlify Pro at $19/seat plus bandwidth, the EU-resident path is meaningfully cheaper for small teams.

Common problems

"I clicked Deploy in Bolt and it went to Netlify." That's the built-in path. To use a different host, ignore the Deploy button, click Download instead.

"My fetch calls fail in production." Bolt generates code that often references the WebContainer's local mock API. Search for localhost and 127.0.0.1 in your source. Replace with the real API URL or move to environment variables.

"My Tailwind isn't loading." Make sure Tailwind's content config includes ./src/**/*.{ts,tsx} and ./index.html. Bolt usually gets this right, but exports occasionally miss files.

"I want to keep iterating in Bolt but auto-redeploy." Bolt doesn't have native Git push, but if you push the exported project to GitHub once, you can paste Bolt's updates into the same repo (or pull them in via the AI agent of your choice).

Where to go next

For tool-agnostic deploy patterns: How to deploy AI-built websites in 2026.

For an honest comparison between staying on Netlify (Bolt's default) and switching to EU hosting: VibeDeploy vs Netlify.

For the deploy walkthrough specifically: /for/bolt.