Prototype - Lovable Documentation

Lovable Crash Course

Getting started with Lovable 101

By the end, you’ll have a simple application up and running with authentication and CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) functionality for managing notes.

Setting Up Supabase

Supabase is an open-source database service built on PostgreSQL. It provides authentication, data storage, and file storage—perfect for our Lovable integration.

Create an Organization & Project

Step 1

Log into Supabase.

Step 2

Create an organization (name it based on your startup or project).

Step 3

Create a new project within that organization.

Note your Supabase URL and API key (you’ll need them later).

Configure Authentication

Step 1

Navigate to Authentication > Sign In/Sign Up.

Step 2

Enable Email authentication.

Step 3

Turn off Confirm Email (since we don’t have an email provider set up yet).

Creating a Lovable Project

Now, let’s set up a project in Lovable.

Start with a Fresh Blank Project

Step 1

Open Lovable and create a new project.

Step 2

Keep your first prompt simple: “Create a blank project”.

Step 3

Lovable will generate the basic structure for your app.

Connect Supabase to Lovable

Step 1

In Lovable, navigate to the database settings.

Step 2

Enter your Supabase project URL and API key.

Step 3

Click Connect to link your Lovable project to Supabase.

Adding a Login System

Create a Navigation Bar with a Login Button

Step 1

Add a nav bar at the top of your project.

Step 2

Include a Login button that redirects users to a login page.

Apply SQL Changes for Authentication

Step 1

Lovable will generate SQL for Supabase to handle authentication.

Step 2

Click Apply Changes to execute the SQL commands.

Using the Visual Edit Tool

Customize the UI:

Step 1

Open the Edit Tool in Lovable.

Step 2

Click on UI elements (e.g., buttons) to modify styles.

Step 3

Ensure all text is visible (e.g., black text on white backgrounds).

Testing the Login System

Create a Test Account

Step 1

Use the Sign Up form to create a new user.

Step 2

Verify that login and logout workflows function correctly.

Redirect Users to a Dashboard After Login

Modify the authentication flow to send users to a dashboard after login.

Adding Notes (CRUD Functionality)

Set Up a Notes Table in Supabase

Step 1

Use Lovable to generate SQL for a Notes table.

Step 2

Ensure it has user ID and content fields.

Step 3

Click Apply Changes to create the table.

Build the Notes UI

Step 1

Add a table to display notes on the dashboard.

Step 2

Include an input field and buttons for CRUD operations.

CRUD create, read, update and delete

Test CRUD Operations

Step 1

Add a new note.

Step 2

Edit an existing note.

Step 3

Delete a note.

Step 4

Verify notes persist in Supabase.

Debugging with Chat Mode

To enable Chat Mode, go to Settings > Accounts Settings tab.

Identify Errors

If an issue arises, enable Chat Mode.
Lovable will analyze Supabase logs and TypeScript errors.

Apply Fixes

Step 1

Review Lovable’s debugging suggestions.

Step 2

Apply fixes as needed.

Congratulations 🎉

You’ve:

Set up Supabase and Lovable.
Implemented authentication.
Built a dashboard with CRUD functionality for notes.
Learned how to debug issues effectively.

Building Interactive UIs

In this module, we’ll cover components, reusable UI elements, design improvements, and debugging best practices.

Understanding Components

Components in Lovable help organize UI elements into modular and reusable parts. Instead of having all UI elements in a single page (e.g., a 400-line dashboard), we break them into components such as:

Sidebar
Welcome Card
Quote Card
Notes Section

This structure improves efficiency when making edits since changes apply only to specific components rather than the entire page.

Creating and Using Components:

Identify Large UI Sections

Look for UI parts that repeat or are too large.

Refactor Into Components

Use Lovable’s chat mode to scan the code and suggest an optimized structure.

Reuse Components

Copy and paste components across pages for consistency.

Editing UI Efficiently

Modify Individual Components

Instead of modifying the full dashboard, edit smaller components like the Welcome Card.

Run a prompt:

“Update the copy in the Welcome Card to make it more engaging.”

Use Chat Mode for Refactoring

Ask Lovable to refactor large UI sections into smaller components.

Example:

“Refactor the dashboard into smaller, cleaner components.”

Example: “Refactor the dashboard into smaller, cleaner components.”

Enhancing UI with Pre-Built Components

If you’re not a designer, leveraging pre-built styles can improve your app’s appearance.

Using 21st.dev for UI Inspiration

Step 1

Visit 21st.dev to explore pre-built UI components.

Step 2

Choose a design, copy its prompt for Lovable, and integrate it into your project.

Creating Global Styles

Step 1

Modify an element on the project

for eg: “Set a button as Rainbow Button”.

Step 2

Add this system prompt in the project settings’ knowledge to ensure all new buttons follow this style:

“When creating components, make sure to always use our global rainbow button”.

Step 3

Everytime you add a button, this pre-set style will be respected.

Redesigning the Dashboard

To update the dashboard layout:

Step 1

Find a design you like (e.g., on Dribbble).

Step 2

Screenshot the relevant section and upload it to Lovable.

Step 3

Provide clear instructions, such as:

“Refactor the dashboard layout based on this design.”

“Place notes in a left-hand sidebar, and open them in a side-by-side editable view.”

Implementing Real-Time Updates

Enable Real-Time Sync for Notes

Step 1

Run a prompt

“Enable real-time updates for notes so that changes reflect instantly.”

Step 2

Ensure data updates in both the sidebar and editing panel.

Debugging UI Issues

Use chat mode to scan the implementation and fix missing updates.

Example:

“When editing the title in the side-by-side view, it doesn’t save. Fix this issue.”

Refining the Note Editing Experience

Use Mobbin for Real-World UI Examples

Search for “note-taking UI” to see how popular apps design their interfaces.

Example:

A clean, minimalistic note editor with large titles and a dropdown for tags.

Applying UI Improvements

Step 1

Ensure the title is large and prominent.

Step 2

Add tags via a dropdown, similar to the reference UI.

Example prompt:

“Redesign the note editor to match this screenshot. Use a large title, white space for content, and dropdown-based tags.”

Debugging and Final Touches

Fix UI Bugs

Ensure all UI elements update correctly when modified.

Run a prompt:

“Fix the issue where note tags don’t save after editing.”

Optimize Button Styling

Adjust button and input styling to match the intended design.

Example:

“Ensure all buttons use the global Rainbow Button style.”

Congratulations 🎉

By the end of this module, you should have:

Refactored large UI sections into reusable components.
Implemented a polished note-taking dashboard.
Used real-time updates for better user experience.
Refined the design using external inspirations and best practices.

What's next?

If you enjoyed the first two modules, continue your crash course with Harry here! In the next lessons, you’ll explore:

Bonus: P5.js effects & Admin Roles
Advanced User Roles & RLS
Connecting to APIs & AI
Setting Up Stripe Payments
Advanced Features
Launch on Product Hunt

​Lovable Crash Course

Lovable Crash Course