Previewing & iterating
New to Emergent? The Learn the Basics path walks this end-to-end.
Using the preview
For guidance on refining and iterating on your app, see Make it yours.
As the AI agent builds your app, Emergent automatically generates a live preview. This preview updates in real time as the agent writes code, installs dependencies, and configures features - no manual refresh required in most cases.
The preview runs in a sandboxed environment separate from your eventual production published app. It's designed for rapid iteration: you can test each feature, explore the UI, and verify behavior before you ever commit to publishing.
Sharing the preview
You can share the preview URL with teammates or stakeholders to gather feedback before publishing. Keep in mind that the preview environment may reset or become unavailable if the workspace is idle for an extended period, so it's not suitable for long-term public access.
Preview is NOT your published app
The preview environment and your published app are completely separate. Changes you see in the preview do not automatically appear in production.
- The preview uses temporary infrastructure that spins up and down as you build.
- Published app is a deliberate step that provisions persistent infrastructure, locks in a specific version of your code, and assigns a production domain.
Until you explicitly publish (or re-publish), your live app will continue running the last published version - even if the preview shows something totally different. For details on how these environments differ, see Preview vs Published.
When you're ready to publish
Once you're satisfied with what you see in the preview, you can move to published app. Published app packages your app, provisions infrastructure according to your Publishing plan level, and publishes it at a stable URL.
Check the Publishing types page to understand your options, and see A tour of the workspace for the publish button location and workflow.
