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Agent: The AI configuration that powers how Bolt understands your requests and writes code. Bolt offers two agents: Standard and Max. See Choose an agent. API (Application Programming Interface): A set of rules that lets one piece of software communicate with another. Bolt uses APIs to connect to services like Stripe and Supabase. API key: A private code that grants access to an external service. You may need to provide an API key when setting up connectors or third-party integrations. Treat it like a password: don’t share it. Authentication: How your app verifies who users are and manages sign-ups, logins, and password resets. Bolt Database includes built-in authentication so you can add user accounts to your app without writing the login system yourself. See Database: Authentication settings.B
Backend: The part of your app that runs on a server instead of in the browser. Includes databases and API calls. Understanding the distinction helps when troubleshooting, since backend issues (like a failed database query) behave differently from frontend issues (like a broken layout). Bandwidth: The amount of data your site sends to visitors. Each hosting plan includes a bandwidth limit. Free plan sites go offline if they hit their monthly limit. Pro plan users can set a pay-as-you-go spending cap to stay online beyond the limit. See Bolt Cloud hosting plans. bolt.host: The free subdomain Bolt assigns to every published project (for example,yourapp.bolt.host). If you have a paid plan, you can replace it with a custom domain you own.
Bolt Cloud: Bolt’s built-in suite of infrastructure tools, including hosting, databases, and domains. Bolt Cloud lets you manage your site infrastructure from inside your project without needing third-party accounts. See What is Bolt Cloud?.
Branch: In GitHub, a separate copy of a project where you can test changes without affecting the main version. Branches are especially useful on teams, where multiple people can work in parallel and merge their changes back in when ready. Branching is available in GitHub, not directly in Bolt. See Version history, version control, and GitHub.
Bolt Agent: The AI agent used to plan your project, write code, and troubleshoot as you build. Bolt offers two agents, Standard and Max, powered by large language models. See Choose an agent.
Build mode: The default mode in Bolt where your prompts generate code. Switch to Plan mode (Bolt Agent) or Discussion Mode (v1 Agent) when you want to think through ideas without making changes.
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Commit: In GitHub, a manually saved snapshot of changes. Each commit records what changed and why, so you can trace issues back to a specific change or restore an earlier version if something breaks. See Version history, version control, and GitHub. Connector: A built-in integration that connects Bolt to an external tool (Notion, GitHub, Linear, and others) using MCP. Connectors give Bolt access to your data from those tools while you build. See Connect to an MCP server. Context window: The amount of conversation history and project information Bolt can work with at one time. Bolt limits active history to recent messages to keep performance smooth, which means it can lose track of instructions from earlier in a long conversation. Restate important details if they’re relevant again. See How Bolt handles context. Custom domain: A web address you own (likeyoursite.com) that you connect to your Bolt project in place of the default bolt.host address. Custom domains are available on paid plans. See Domains.
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Database: Organized storage for your app’s data, including user accounts, saved content, orders, and anything else your app needs to remember between sessions. Bolt creates a database automatically when your project needs one. See Introduction to databases. Deploy / Deployment: Making your app live at a URL so others can access it. Bolt handles deployment when you click Publish. See Publish your project. Design system: A collection of visual rules, including colors, typography, spacing, and component styles, that Bolt follows when generating interfaces. All users can build with Bolt’s pre-loaded design systems. Adding your own design system requires a paid Team plan. See Introduction to design systems. Discussion Mode: A chat mode available with the v1 Agent (legacy) for asking questions and brainstorming without generating code. The Bolt Agent equivalent is Plan Mode. See Plan before building with Plan or Discussion Mode. DNS (Domain Name System): The system that translates a domain name (likeexample.com) into the server address where your site is hosted. You’ll work with DNS records when connecting a custom domain to Bolt. It’s important to configure your DNS records correctly, or your domain won’t load your site. See DNS records and Connect a domain.
Domain: A website’s address on the internet, like yoursite.com. You can purchase a domain through Bolt or connect one you already own. See Domains.
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Edge functions: Small pieces of backend code that run on servers close to your users. See Server functions. Environment variables: Configuration values (API keys, database URLs, and passwords) stored outside your code so they stay secure. Putting sensitive values directly in project files risks exposing them. Environment variables keep them separate so your app can read them at runtime without including them in the code itself. See Introduction to databases. Expo: A framework for building mobile apps using JavaScript. Integrate your project with Expo when you want to turn a project into an iOS or Android app. See Expo for mobile apps.F
Framework: A pre-built set of tools and conventions for building apps. Bolt focuses on JavaScript-based web frameworks like React and Vue. Bolt chooses a framework when you start a project, but you can specify one in your prompt if you have a preference or need compatibility with existing code. Frontend: The part of your app that runs in the browser — everything users see and interact with. Compare with backend. Understanding the distinction helps when troubleshooting, since backend issues (like a failed database query) behave differently from frontend issues (like a broken layout). Full-stack: An app with both a frontend and a backend. Bolt builds full-stack apps when your project needs server-side logic or a database.G
Generative AI: A type of AI that creates new content (text, code, images) rather than retrieving stored answers. Bolt uses generative AI to turn your prompts into working code. See Introduction to LLMs. GitHub: A platform for storing and managing code with version control. Bolt integrates with GitHub so you can back up your project, collaborate with teammates, and publish to other hosting services. See GitHub for version control.H
HTTPS / SSL certificate: HTTPS is the secure version of web traffic; an SSL certificate encrypts data between your site and its visitors. Bolt automatically provisions SSL certificates for all hosted projects. See Domains: Status, HTTPS, and SSL certificates.J
JavaScript: The programming language Bolt focuses on. All Bolt projects use JavaScript for frontend code and, through Node.js, backend code as well. See Supported technologies.K
Knowledge: Instructions and context you add to help Bolt build to your specifications. You can define knowledge at three levels:- Account knowledge: Defined in your Account settings and applies across all your projects.
- Project knowledge: Defined in your Project settings and applies to that specific project.
- Team knowledge: Defined in your Team’s workspace settings and applies to all projects created by your team.
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Large language model (LLM): The AI technology that powers Bolt. An LLM processes your natural-language prompts and generates the code, designs, or explanations you asked for. See Introduction to LLMs.M
MCP (Model Context Protocol): A standard that lets AI tools connect to external apps and data sources. Bolt uses MCP to power its Connectors, giving Bolt access to tools like Notion, Linear, and GitHub while you build. See Connect to an MCP server. Merge: In GitHub, combining changes from a branch into a project’s main version. Merging is how tested work from a branch becomes part of the live project. Like branching, merging is available in GitHub, not directly in Bolt. See Version history, version control, and GitHub. Model: The specific AI that powers Bolt Agent. Choose the Standard or Max agent based on the type of work you’re doing, and Bolt handles model selection behind the scenes. See Choose an agent.N
Node.js: A JavaScript runtime that lets JavaScript code run on a server. Bolt uses Node.js for the backend of your apps. You may see it mentioned in error messages or dependency requirements. See Supported technologies.O
Open source: Software whose source code is publicly available for anyone to inspect, use, or build on. Bolt Database is built on PostgreSQL, an open-source database, which means your data isn’t locked into a proprietary system, and you can find extensive community resources for troubleshooting.P
Plan mode: A chat mode available with Bolt Agent for thinking through build strategies or working through problems without generating code. The v1 Agent (legacy) equivalent is Discussion Mode. See Plan before building with Plan or Discussion Mode. PostgreSQL (Postgres): The SQL database that powers Bolt Database. Postgres is widely used, open source, and reliable at any scale. See Introduction to databases. Prompt: The message or instruction you type into Bolt’s chatbox. Clear, specific prompts give Bolt the context it needs to produce better results. See Prompt effectively. Prompt engineering: The practice of writing prompts carefully to get more accurate, useful results from an AI. See Prompt effectively. Pull request (PR): In GitHub, a proposal to merge changes into the main project. PRs let teammates review and discuss changes before they go live, which helps catch issues early. Creating a PR is available in GitHub, not directly in Bolt. See Version history, version control, and GitHub.R
Real-time updates: Changes that appear in your app instantly, without the page needing to refresh. Bolt Database supports real-time updates, which is useful for chat tools, live dashboards, or anything that reflects shared activity. Repository (repo): In GitHub, the main project folder that contains all your code and its full change history. See Version history, version control, and GitHub.S
Secrets: Sensitive values (API keys, passwords, database connection strings) stored securely alongside your project rather than in your code files. See Database: Secrets settings. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Practices that help your site appear in search engine results. Bolt Cloud includes an SEO Boost feature for published projects. See Hosting: SEO Boost. Server: A computer that stores and delivers your app’s files and data to users over the internet. When you deploy a Bolt project, Bolt Cloud hosts it for you. Server functions: Small pieces of backend code that run on servers close to your users. You can use them to automate tasks like sending emails, processing form submissions, or updating data. Also called edge functions. See Database: Server functions. SQL (Structured Query Language): The standard language for working with relational databases. Bolt Database is built on PostgreSQL, which organizes data in tables with rows and columns. See Introduction to databases. SSO (Single Sign-On): An authentication method that lets users log in with an existing account (like Google) instead of creating new credentials. See Google SSO for authentication. Subdomain: A prefix added to a main domain that creates a separate address, likeapp.yoursite.com. Bolt publishes every project to a bolt.host subdomain by default. If you have a paid plan, you can replace it with a custom domain you own. See Connect your domain.