Bolt.new app throwing errors, failing to run, or stuck in a loop? Here are the 10 most common Bolt.new problems — package errors, CORS failures, blank screens, database issues — with exact fixes for each.
Bolt.new lets you build full-stack apps in the browser without any local setup. It is genuinely impressive until something breaks — and when it does, you are often staring at an error in a browser-based terminal with limited context for what went wrong. Here are the 10 most common Bolt.new problems and how to fix each one.
1. Package Installation Fails
This usually means a package name is wrong, the version conflicts with another dependency, or the container timed out. Fix: Ask Bolt to use an alternative package or specify a stable older version explicitly — for example, 'use [email protected] instead of latest'.
2. Cannot Find Module Errors
Import errors usually mean the file path is wrong, the package was not installed, or an index file is missing. Fix: Tell Bolt the exact error message from the console — it can fix path issues immediately when given the precise text.
3. API Calls Failing with CORS Errors
CORS errors when calling external APIs happen because browser security blocks cross-origin requests. You cannot fix CORS on the client side. Fix: Ask Bolt to create a server-side API route that proxies the external API call. Server-to-server calls bypass CORS entirely.
4. Environment Variables Not Working
In Bolt Vite projects, environment variables must be prefixed with VITE_ and accessed via import.meta.env.VITE_VARIABLE_NAME. Server variables use process.env.VARIABLE_NAME. Using the wrong prefix means the variable is undefined at runtime.
5. App Runs But Shows a Blank Screen
Open the browser console (F12). Blank screens in React apps almost always have a red error in the console — usually an uncaught error in the root component or a null reference error on first render. Copy the error and give it to Bolt.
6. AI Keeps Regenerating the Same File
Bolt sometimes loops on the same file without solving the root problem. Stop and start a fresh message: describe exactly what the app should do, what it currently does, and paste the exact error text from the console.
7. Database Not Persisting Data
Data appears to save but disappears on refresh? Check whether the app is writing to React state instead of actually calling the database. Ask Bolt to add console.log after each database write to confirm the write is reaching the database.
8. Auth Redirecting to Wrong URL
After login, users land on the wrong page. Fix: Add the exact URL of your Bolt app to the allowed redirect URIs in your Supabase auth settings or OAuth provider settings.
9. Build Fails When Deploying
Bolt preview works but production build fails. Check for TypeScript errors that are warnings in dev but errors in build, missing environment variables in the build environment, and case-sensitive import paths (Mac is forgiving, Linux servers are not).
10. App Works Once Then Breaks Intermittently
Intermittent failures usually mean a race condition — data is used before it has loaded, a missing loading state, or an API rate limit being hit. Ask Bolt to add proper loading and error states to every async operation.
If your Bolt.new app is stuck on any of these, we can take the exported code and fix it. Most Bolt app fixes take 2 to 6 hours with a developer at Saurabh Infosys.
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