Course: Building AI Apps | Pathway: Builder | Tier: Free | Level: Beginner Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
Building an app that works on your screen is satisfying. But the real value comes when other people can use it. This lesson covers how to get your app live on the internet, put it on a proper URL, and share it with the people it's built for.
We'll cover three deployment options, from simplest to most professional, so you can pick the one that fits your situation.
If you built your app in Replit (as we did in earlier lessons), deploying is built right in.
Steps:
your-app-name.yourusername.replit.appPros:
Cons:
Best for: Quick projects, prototypes, tools you're sharing with a small number of people.
Vercel is a hosting platform designed for web apps. It's what many professional developers use, and it has a generous free tier that's perfect for the kinds of apps you're building.
Why Vercel?
What you'll need:
Steps:
Put your code on GitHub. If you built in Cursor or VS Code, you can push your code to GitHub directly. If you built in Replit, you can export your code and upload it to a new GitHub repository.
If this feels unfamiliar, don't worry. The process is:
Connect Vercel to GitHub.
Your app is live. Vercel gives you a URL like your-project.vercel.app. Every time you update your code on GitHub, Vercel automatically deploys the new version.
If you want your app on a proper domain (like tools.yourbusiness.co.nz), Vercel makes this straightforward:
Buy a domain from a registrar. In New Zealand, common options include:
A .co.nz domain typically costs around $25-40 per year.
Add the domain in Vercel. Go to your project settings, click Domains, and type in your domain name.
Update your DNS settings. Vercel tells you exactly what to change. You'll go to your domain registrar and update the DNS records to point to Vercel. This usually involves adding a CNAME record.
Wait for it to propagate. DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, though it's usually fast.
Done. Your app is now on your custom domain with HTTPS automatically configured.
There are plenty of other places to host web apps. Here are a few worth knowing about:
Netlify — Very similar to Vercel. Free tier, GitHub integration, custom domains. Some people prefer it, and either is a solid choice.
Cloudflare Pages — Free hosting with excellent global performance. Good if you need your app to load fast for people around the world.
Railway — Good for apps that need a database or backend server. Free tier available with some limitations.
Your existing web host — If you already have website hosting (e.g., for your business website), you might be able to add your app there. This depends on your hosting provider and the type of app.
For most beginners, Vercel or Replit's built-in deployment will cover everything you need.
Getting a live URL is step one. Getting people to actually use your app is step two.
When someone lands on your app, they should immediately understand what it does. Include:
Long URLs with random characters are hard to share verbally and look unprofessional. Options:
Before you share broadly, test your app on:
If you want your app to look good when shared on social media or messaging apps, add metadata. Ask your AI builder:
"Add Open Graph meta tags with the title 'Meeting Cost Calculator', description 'See what your meetings really cost', and a preview image."
This means when someone shares your URL on LinkedIn or in a Teams message, it shows a nice preview instead of a bare link.
Once your app is live, here are some ways to get it in front of people.
Direct sharing:
Social media:
Your website:
Word of mouth:
A deployed app needs occasional attention.
Check it periodically. Visit your app every few weeks to make sure it's still working. Hosting platforms sometimes update, and things can occasionally break.
Monitor for errors. If you're using Vercel, it has built-in logs where you can see if anything is going wrong. Check these if someone reports a problem.
Update when needed. If information changes (like pricing in a quote calculator), update the code and redeploy. With Vercel and GitHub, this is as simple as updating the file and pushing the change.
Keep your accounts active. Free tiers sometimes deactivate after long periods of inactivity. Log into your Vercel and GitHub accounts occasionally to keep them active.
Let's look back at what you've covered across these six lessons:
You've gone from "I wonder if I could build something" to actually knowing how. The tools are accessible, the process is learnable, and the only thing standing between you and your next app is deciding what to build.
Build more. The best way to get better is to build more apps. Each one gets faster and better than the last.
Explore the Lalapanzi.ai platform. There are courses on prompt engineering, vibe coding fundamentals, and more advanced topics when you're ready.
Join a community. Building things is more fun when you have people to share them with, ask questions to, and learn from.
Start solving real problems. The most rewarding apps are the ones people actually use. Look at the friction points in your work, your community, your daily life. Build tools that make those things easier.
You don't need to become a developer. You just need to keep building.
Key Takeaways: