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⏰ Estimated time: 10 minutes By the end of this guide, you will have built and improved a small app from a prompt using Free Mode.
The finished Gather workshop app showing the My RSVPs view in Preview

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Before you start

You need a Replit account. This guide uses Free Mode, which uses intelligent model routing to select the model. The goal is to practice a repeatable prompting loop:
  1. Describe one useful outcome.
  2. Add observable success criteria.
  3. Set boundaries for what not to build yet.
  4. Test the result in Preview.
  5. Ask for one focused improvement.

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Build the first version

1

Start a new Website

Start a new conversation and choose Website as the artifact. You can select it from the New menu or from Add attachment → Create something new → Website in the prompt box.Open the mode selector and choose Free.
You can also ask Replit to build a website directly in natural language. Selecting Website first makes the intended artifact explicit and adds a Website pill to the prompt.
2

Describe the outcome and success criteria

Use this prompt:
The Gather prompt ready to send with the Website artifact selected and Free Mode enabled
The prompt starts with one outcome: a workshop-discovery app. It then says what visitors must be able to do, defines observable success criteria, and postpones login, data, payments, and integrations.Those boundaries keep the first build focused. You can add production capabilities after the core experience works.
3

Let Agent build in Free Mode

Send the prompt. Agent plans the artifact, creates the app, starts it, and checks the result. Follow progress in chat and wait until Agent presents a Website artifact and Preview is running.Free Mode may take a few minutes for a complete first build. If Replit recommends a higher mode for a more complex request, you can decide whether to escalate; this Gather build completes in Free Mode.
The first working Gather website in the default Build layout with Agent chat and Preview
4

Test the result in Preview

Use the app like a visitor. Check that you can:
  • Browse the workshop list.
  • Open a workshop detail page.
  • Submit an RSVP.
  • See a clear confirmation after submitting.
  • Use the main navigation.
  • Resize Preview to a phone-sized width.
Compare the result with the success criteria in the prompt. If something is broken, describe the symptom to Agent instead of trying to diagnose the code yourself.

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Improve the app with a focused prompt

Once the core experience works, ask for one clear improvement at a time. For Gather, add a session-only view of submitted RSVPs:
Add a My RSVPs view and make submitted workshops appear there for the current session. Keep the existing visual style and do not add login or a database.
A focused follow-up prompt asking Agent to add a session-only My RSVPs view in Free Mode
Test the RSVP flow again, then open My RSVPs. The submitted workshop should appear for the current browser session.
The refined Gather app showing a submitted workshop in the My RSVPs view
You have now completed the core Replit loop: prompt, build, test, and refine.

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Grow your app

The first prompt deliberately postpones production capabilities. Add them when the core experience is ready:

Add login

Give attendees accounts and private RSVP history.

Add a database

Persist workshops and RSVPs across sessions.

Add payments

Sell tickets for paid workshops.

Add integrations

Send confirmations or connect calendars and other services.
When you are ready to share the app, follow Publish your app.