The moment has arrived. You’re about to enter a space where your ideas transform into reality through conversation. Setting up Replit might be the easiest part of your entire website journey – and that’s by design. Let’s get you from zero to ready-to-build in the next few minutes.
Creating Your Replit Account
Head to replit.com and look for the Sign up button in the top right corner. You have several options for creating your account:
- The fastest path. You can sign up with your Google or GitHub account. One click, and you’re in.
- The traditional route. Use your email address. Replit will send a verification link. Click it, and you’re ready to build.
Once you’re in, Replit might ask about your experience level or what you want to build. Be honest – if you aren’t a coder, say so. Replit adapts its interface and suggestions based on your experience, so by being truthful, you’re only making it easier to use.
Your Dashboard Tour: Understanding the Landscape
Your Replit dashboard is command central. Let me go over what matters and what you can ignore for now:
The Creation Zone (center screen): This is where the magic starts. You’ll see a text field that says “Describe the idea you want to build.” This is where you’ll type your initial prompt and begin creating your website. Think of it as the starting line for your project.
Your Projects (left sidebar): Once you create your first website, it appears here. Each project is called a “Repl” (hence the name Replit). You can have multiple projects running simultaneously – you could have one for your main business site and another for testing new ideas, for example.
Deployments (also left sidebar): After you deploy a website, you’ll see its URL here. This is where you’ll manage your live sites, check their status, and make updates.
Usage & Billing (bottom left): Replit shows you exactly how many resources you’re using and what it costs. For most brand websites, you’ll stay well within the free tier initially. The transparency here is refreshing – no surprise charges.
The Search Bar (top): You can search through your projects, find templates, or look for help. At this stage, you probably won’t need to engage the search bar since we’re building from scratch.
Desktop App vs Browser: Which Should You Choose?
Replit works entirely in your browser, but it also offers a desktop app, as well as a mobile app. Here’s my take after building dozens of sites.
Use the browser if:
- You’re just getting started (it’s one less thing to install)
- You switch between computers regularly
- You want to occasionally build from your tablet or phone
Consider the desktop app if:
- You plan to build multiple sites
- You want a dedicated workspace without browser tabs
- You’re on a slower internet connection (the app is more stable)
Building your first site? I recommend you stay in the browser. You can always download the desktop app later if you start building regularly.
Understanding Replit’s Pricing Structure
Let’s talk money. Here’s the thing: you probably won’t spend much, if anything, to build and launch your first site.
The free tier includes:
- Ability to build unlimited projects
- Basic hosting for your sites
- Access to the AI agent for development
- Enough resources for most brand websites
Start paying for:
- AI usage. After your free credits, it’s typically $0.20-$0.50 to build an entire brand website.
- Custom domains. It’s free to connect if you own one, or about $20/year to buy one through Replit.
- Enhanced hosting. If your site experiences increased traffic, you might need to upgrade your plan (this typically won’t be a concern until you hit thousands of visitors daily).
- Development power. Faster builds and more concurrent projects are also available on paid plans.
Replit’s AI Agent vs AI Assistant: What You Need to Know
The AI Agent is your builder. This is what constructs your website from scratch. You’ll give the Agent your initial prompt, and it will create all the files, write all the code, and structure your entire site. Think of the Agent as your architect and construction crew rolled into one.
The AI Assistant is, well, your assistant. Once you’ve given the AI agent your initial prompt and your site exists, the Assistant can then help you make small changes, troubleshoot issues, and brainstorm new features. It’s like having a knowledgeable friend looking over your shoulder, ready to help when you get stuck.
Your First Interaction: Testing the Waters
Before we build your actual website, let’s get comfortable with Replit’s interface. Here’s a simple exercise:
In the center of your dashboard, where it says Generate a project with AI, type this:
“Create a simple webpage that says ‘Hello World’ with a blue background”
Hit your enter key and watch what happens. Within seconds, you’ll see:
- Code being written in real-time
- A preview of your webpage appearing
- The Agent explaining what it’s doing
This isn’t your website – it’s just practice. But notice how natural that felt? You asked for something in plain English, and it appeared. That’s the power you’re about to harness.
Customizing Your Workspace
Once you have an open project, you can customize how you work.
- The layout. You’ll see the agent on the left and the site preview on the right by default. Drag the divider to give yourself more preview space. Remember, you’re not editing code directly, so you don’t need to see as much of it.
- The preview. Click the expand icon ( ) on your preview to see your site in full-width mode in a new tab. This gives you a better sense of how visitors will experience it.
- The console. At the bottom, you might see technical messages. You don’t need to worry about this, you can minimize it – it’s useful for developers but not essential for vibe coding.
- Dark mode vs light mode. Click the Replit logo in the top left and select your desired theme. Choose what’s easier on your eyes. You’ll be here for a while, so make yourself comfortable.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
Before we build your actual website, let’s establish some best practices:
Name your projects clearly. Instead of “mywebsite” or “test1,” use descriptive names like “strategic-growth-mainsite”. You’ll thank yourself later when you’ve accrued multiple projects.
Start fresh when experimenting. If you want to try something radically different, start a new Repl rather than destroying what you’ve already built. Storage is free, and you can always delete failed experiments later.
Keep the preview open. Always have your preview visible while building. The real-time feedback is invaluable – you’ll catch issues immediately rather than after several changes.
Save progress mentally. While Replit auto-saves everything, make mental notes of significant milestones. “The header looks perfect now” or “Love this color scheme” – these mental checkpoints help you know what’s still a work in progress and what you don’t have to worry about.
The Moment Before Building
You’re now fully equipped with your Replit environment. You understand the dashboard, the difference between Agent and Assistant, and how the platform works. But before we dive into building your actual website, let’s talk about the most crucial element: your initial prompt.
The next section on prompt engineering might be the most important part of this entire guide. The quality of your initial prompt determines whether you’ll spend 30 minutes or 3 hours getting your site right. Don’t worry, I’ll help you write it.
A well-crafted prompt is like giving clear directions to a destination – you’ll arrive smoothly and quickly. A vague prompt is like saying “take me somewhere nice” – you might end up somewhere good, but it probably won’t be what you envisioned.
Ready to learn the art and science of prompting? Let’s craft the perfect instructions for your AI builder.
