Open in Replit

Learn how to create an Open in Replit button that lets visitors start building from your app or website.

Clicking this badge automatically opens Replit and populates the prompt and settings.

Building a link

To build a link, use the format below.

https://replit.com/?stack=Build&prompt=A4Jw9gtsAuQ&referrer=replit-docs

URL parameters

Make sure to include the following parameters in your URL.

Parameter	Type	Description	Required/Optional
stack	string	The build mode to use. Must be either Design or Build. Design opens Canvas for visual prototyping. Build opens Agent for full app development.	Required
prompt	string	Text describing the application to build, compressed using LZ-string. The uncompressed prompt can be up to 50,000 characters.	Required
referrer	string	The name or URL of the page containing this link. Used for attribution.	Optional

The prompt parameter must be compressed using LZ-string compression before being added to the URL. This helps URLs remain within browser length limits and parse correctly.

Interactive link builder

Use the tool below to generate your Open in Replit link. Enter your prompt, select the stack mode, and the link will be generated automatically with LZ-string compression applied.

Compressing prompts

To create a valid Open in Replit link, you must compress your prompt using LZ-string compression. Here’s how:

JavaScript/TypeScript

import LZString from 'lz-string';

const prompt = 'Create a todo app with a clean, modern design';
const compressed = LZString.compressToEncodedURIComponent(prompt);
const url = `https://replit.com/?stack=Design&prompt=${compressed}`;

Python

import lzstring

prompt = "Create a todo app with a clean, modern design"
compressed = lzstring.LZString().compressToEncodedURIComponent(prompt)
url = f"https://replit.com/?stack=Design&prompt={compressed}"

Use compressToEncodedURIComponent to ensure the compressed string is URL-safe.

Examples

Canvas with basic prompt

https://replit.com/?stack=Design&prompt=AoUwTgzg9gdghgGwAQAcpgC4DMoIJZRIR4YgB0QA

Build Mode with detailed prompt

https://replit.com/?stack=Build&prompt=LIQw1gpgBCUE4HsQBMC2IAOUMBsQDt8BLfAcygBcEEcoB3ACwjmg0WQFcBjCqdfEKWYBnKFwJiWICtALIoANyLCOIHEQBe0AI6q4MuDgCe2dt16IU6DMIB0UAJL4uODsmjI4g0iABGOaHE4ZFEAMwQ4KBIiCiJpIgUIYQAaUyIImJMKQRSYfHkuGgixBGQScl8siBBUewARJKJSfCjeOhiGGFMEUKThdIFaWNQIdXxoJQg6PIKAglTUUuYWgFUHWyA&referrer=replit%20docs

Stack modes

Canvas

Use stack=Design to open your prompt in Canvas, which is optimized for:

• Visual design and UI prototyping
• Rapid iteration on layouts and styling
• Creating design mockups
• Frontend-focused development

Build Mode

Use stack=Build to open your prompt in Agent, which is optimized for:

• Full-stack application development
• Backend logic and APIs
• Database integration
• Complex functionality and features

Best practices

• Keep prompts concise and focused on core features for best generation results.
• Use clear, descriptive language that explains what you want to build.
• Choose the appropriate stack mode for your use case (Design for UI/UX, Build for full apps).
• Test your compressed URLs to ensure they parse correctly before sharing.
• Consider your audience’s technical level when crafting prompts.

User authentication

Regardless of your Replit authentication state, you’ll need to provide input before creating the app. Usually this means submitting the prompt.

Error handling

If the URL is malformed or parameters are invalid, Replit won’t fill the prompt. Possible causes include:

• Missing required parameters (stack or prompt)
• Invalid stack value (must be Design or Build)
• Failed decompression of the prompt parameter
• Browser “URL too long” errors (though compression helps mitigate this)

Security considerations

Open in Replit links could be used to create apps with unintended behavior or security vulnerabilities. Only click links from trusted sources.

When sharing Open in Replit links:

• Review prompts carefully before sharing publicly
• Consider the security implications of the apps being generated
• Avoid including sensitive information in prompts
• Be transparent about what the link will create

Related resources

• Canvas documentation
• Agent documentation
• Replit AI integrations