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Quick start

This guide takes you from a one-line idea to a clickable prototype, then shows you how to continue to code and launch. Plan for about 15 to 30 minutes, most of which is Codalio working while you watch.

1. Describe your idea​

Go to app.codalio.com.

  • New to Codalio? You land on the start page. Type your idea in a sentence or two, for example "a meal-planning app for busy families", and click Start Building My App. You don't need an account yet.
  • Already signed in? On the home page, under What's on your mind?, describe your product and press Send.
Write like you would to a colleague

Plain language works best. Say who it is for, what problem it solves and the two or three things it must do. You don't need special prompt formats.

You can attach a pitch deck, wireframes, PDFs or images with the paperclip button. The AI reads them to understand your idea better. See Start a project for supported files.

2. Create your account​

If you started from the start page, Codalio shows a summary of your vision and asks you to create an account so it can save your work. Sign up with your email, then click the link in the confirmation email. Full details are in Create your account.

3. Answer a few questions​

Codalio asks a short series of questions about the problem, your users, key features, how you'll make money and your launch goal. For each one you can:

  • pick one or more suggested answers,
  • write Your own answer, or
  • click Skip all. Let AI decide and move straight on.

4. Review and approve your Product Desk​

Your answers become the Product Desk: the plan your app is built from. Sections appear as they are written. Read it, edit any section by hand, or ask the AI to rewrite something (for example "make the pitch punchier"). When you're happy, click Approve Product Desk.

5. Shape the look and feel​

In the design studio, describe the tone you want and add reference sites or screenshots of apps you like. You can also skip this and let the studio propose a look.

Codalio then writes a Design Spec: colours, fonts, corner radius and the screens it plans to build. Change anything you like, then click Approve design spec. See Design Spec.

6. Look at your prototype​

Codalio builds a working, clickable prototype from your two documents. This can take a few minutes. You'll see each screen as it's built. When it's ready, click through it, ask for changes in chat, and click Approve prototype when it looks right.

Free so far

Your documents, your prototype and your edits during this first guided journey are free. Building production code needs a paid plan.

7. Build, then launch​

From here you can keep refining your PRD and prototype, or start the build:

  1. Connect GitHub so Codalio has somewhere to put your code.
  2. Open the Build stage and click Generate Code. See Build your code.
  3. When the build finishes, click Apply Changes to GitHub.
  4. Open the Launch stage and click Deploy to cloud. See Launch your app.

What's next​

Find your way aroundThe sidebar, the project page and the lifecycle bar.Get more from your PRDScores, canvas tabs, versions and exports.