How to deploy a Bolt.new site in 30 seconds, no Git needed

Bolt.new lets you describe a website in plain language and get working code in minutes. The hard part is supposed to be over. But when you try to get that project onto a real URL, most guides assume you have Git installed, a GitHub account connected, and a CI/CD pipeline configured.

If you chose Bolt.new to avoid that complexity, the deployment step should not bring it back. This guide shows you how to go from Bolt.new’s editor to a live, shareable URL using drag-and-drop. No Git, no terminal configuration, no DevOps knowledge required.

For a broader comparison of AI code generators and how to host their output, our guide on hosting AI-built websites covers six tools side by side. Building with Lovable instead? Our guide to deploying a Lovable site walks through its Vite and React build step.

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What Bolt.new actually exports

When you click the Download button in the top-right corner of the Bolt.new editor, your browser downloads a .zip file containing your entire project. What is inside that ZIP depends on what you asked Bolt to build.

Vanilla HTML projects produce a folder structure like this:

my-site/
├── index.html
├── style.css
├── script.js
└── assets/
    ├── logo.png
    └── hero.jpg

These files are ready to upload directly. No processing, no build step, no terminal.

Framework projects (React, Vite, Astro) include source code that needs compilation:

my-app/
├── package.json
├── vite.config.js
├── src/
│   ├── App.jsx
│   ├── main.jsx
│   └── components/
├── public/
│   └── favicon.ico
└── index.html

This is source code, not the finished website. You need to run one command to compile it into the static HTML files a hosting platform can serve.

What is NOT in the export: environment variables you set in Bolt’s editor, live database connections, and any deployment configuration. If your project relies on a .env file with API keys, you will need to recreate that on your hosting platform or remove the dependency.

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Is your Bolt.new project static?

This is the question that saves you from a blank page after deployment. Static hosting platforms serve files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images). They do not run server-side code.

Your project is static if:

• It contains only .html, .css, .js, and image files
• The package.json (if present) has a build script that outputs a dist/ or build/ folder
• There is no server.js, server.ts, or Express/Fastify setup
• There are no API route files (/api/*, /routes/* with server handlers)
• There is no getServerSideProps, getStaticProps with revalidation, or server actions

Your project is NOT static if:

• Bolt created a Node.js backend with Express, Fastify, or Hono
• The project includes server-side rendering (Next.js SSR, Remix loaders)
• There are database connections (Supabase server auth, Prisma, MongoDB)
• You see files like server.js, .env.local with DATABASE_URL, or API route handlers

If your project falls in the “not static” category, you have two options: ask Bolt to regenerate it as a static site, or use a full-stack hosting platform. Our guides on Vercel alternatives and Netlify alternatives cover platforms that handle server-side code.

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Prompt tips to keep your Bolt.new project static

The easiest way to avoid deployment issues is to tell Bolt what you want from the start. These prompts produce clean, static output that uploads directly without a build step:

Build a portfolio website using plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
No framework, no React, no backend server.

Create a landing page for a SaaS product.
Use vanilla HTML and CSS only. No npm, no build tools, no server-side code.
Make it responsive and include a contact form that uses a mailto link.

Design a restaurant menu page with sections for appetizers, mains,
and desserts. Plain HTML and CSS, mobile-friendly, ready to host
as a static file.

Words that keep Bolt static: “vanilla HTML,” “plain HTML and CSS,” “no framework,” “no backend,” “no server-side code,” “static site only.”

Words that trigger backend generation: “authentication,” “user login,” “database,” “save to server,” “API endpoint,” “real-time updates.” If you include these, Bolt will likely generate server-side code that requires a full-stack host.

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Deploy your Bolt.new site on Supadrop

The deployment path depends on whether Bolt generated a vanilla HTML project or a framework project. Both end with the same drag-and-drop upload.

Vanilla HTML projects

1. Click the Download button in the top-right corner of the Bolt.new editor
2. Your browser downloads a .zip file
3. Go to Supadrop and drag the ZIP file onto the upload zone
4. Your site is live at yourproject.supadrop.site in under 30 seconds

That is the entire process. No unzipping, no terminal, no configuration. Supadrop extracts the ZIP, detects your index.html, provisions SSL, and gives you a shareable URL.

Framework projects (React, Vite, Astro)

Framework projects need one extra step: a build command that compiles the source code into static HTML files.

1. Click Download in Bolt.new to get the ZIP file
2. Unzip the file on your computer
3. Open a terminal in the project folder and run:

npm install && npm run build

4. This creates a dist/ folder (or build/ depending on the framework) containing the finished static files
5. Zip that folder (right-click it and choose Compress, or run zip -r dist.zip dist)
6. Drag the dist.zip onto Supadrop and the site goes live

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Alternative hosting options

Supadrop is not the only way to host a Bolt.new project. Here is how the main options compare for someone who wants to deploy without a complex pipeline.

Bolt built-in hosting publishes to a .bolt.host URL in one click. Good for sharing previews and prototypes. The limitation is that your site’s uptime is tied to your Bolt subscription, custom domains require a paid plan, and ongoing edits through Bolt consume tokens.

Netlify offers a drag-and-drop deploy feature at app.netlify.com/drop where you can drop a folder without connecting Git. The free tier includes 100 GB of bandwidth and custom domains. It is a strong option if you are comfortable with their dashboard.

Cloudflare Pages and GitHub Pages both offer generous free tiers but require Git-based workflows. If you are already using Git, these are excellent. If you chose Bolt.new to avoid Git in the first place, they add the complexity back.

For a deeper comparison of free hosting platforms, our free static hosting guide covers seven options in detail, and our free HTML hosting guide focuses specifically on HTML file hosting.

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Add a custom domain

Once your site is live on a default subdomain (yourproject.supadrop.site), you can connect your own domain name for a more professional URL.

The short version: point a CNAME or A record from your domain registrar to your hosting platform, wait for DNS propagation (usually under 10 minutes), and SSL provisions automatically. Supadrop supports custom domains on paid plans.

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Common issues and fixes

Blank page after upload. You uploaded the project’s source code instead of the built output. If Bolt generated a React or Vite project, you need to run npm install && npm run build first, then zip and upload the dist/ folder, not the root project folder.

Missing styles or broken images. The project uses absolute file paths (starting with / or http://localhost) instead of relative paths. Open the HTML files and check that CSS and image references use relative paths like ./style.css and ./assets/logo.png.

Site works in Bolt’s preview but not after deploy. The project likely includes server-side code that Bolt’s built-in preview can run but static hosting cannot. Check for files like server.js, API routes, or database connections. If you find them, the project is not static.

ZIP file is too large to upload. If Bolt included a node_modules/ folder in the export (uncommon but possible), delete it before uploading. The node_modules folder contains dependencies needed only for building, not for serving the finished site. After running the build command, only the dist/ folder needs to be zipped and uploaded.

“npm install” fails with errors. Make sure you have Node.js installed on your computer (the LTS version works best). If the error mentions a specific package, try deleting the node_modules folder and package-lock.json, then run npm install again.

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Frequently asked questions