Skip to main content
This guide provides practical examples and instructions for deploying and hosting Lovable applications outside Lovable’s own hosting and built-in backend (Cloud). It builds on the concepts explained in How Lovable hosts your app and Deployment, hosting, and ownership options with Lovable, and focuses on the most common migration paths. You can adopt any of these scenarios independently and in any order. In this guide, hosting refers to where your application runs, while deployment refers to how your code is built and delivered to that environment. If you plan to run everything on Lovable, you do not need this guide.

Before you migrate

This guide is intended for teams with specific requirements, such as compliance constraints, data residency needs, or organizational infrastructure policies, that require running parts of an application outside Lovable. Lovable already provides an integrated development and production environment, including:
  • Production hosting with custom domains and automatic SSL
  • Automated deployments and environment management
  • Managed authentication with row-level security
  • Database and file storage
  • Automatic preview environments for every change
  • AI agent with debugging in preview and development environments
  • Managed AI provider access for runtime features
  • Built-in OAuth configuration and token refresh
  • Security scanning and compliance-ready infrastructure (SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001)
Most teams never need to migrate. You can start on Lovable and move components later if and when you hit real constraints.

Prerequisite: Connect your project to GitHub

All scenarios in this guide require connecting your project to GitHub. When GitHub is connected:
  • Your Lovable project stays in continuous sync with your repository
  • External platforms deploy directly from GitHub
  • Lovable continues to manage development, previews, and tooling independently
From here on, this guide assumes your project is connected to GitHub.

Host the production frontend on a managed platform

This is the most common first step when moving outside Lovable. You deploy the production frontend to a managed hosting platform while continuing to use Lovable for development and previews. Your backend and data can remain on the built-in backend (Cloud) or run elsewhere.

What you’re responsible for

When the production frontend runs outside Lovable, you are responsible for:
  • Frontend deployment pipelines and rollbacks
  • Production environment variables
  • CDN behavior and caching
  • Frontend availability and uptime
  • Production logs and deployment history
  • Preview environments for production branches or releases
Lovable cannot monitor or debug production infrastructure it does not control.

Common approaches

  • Git-based hosting platforms
    These platforms connect directly to your GitHub repository and automatically build and deploy on each push:
    • Netlify
    • Cloudflare Pages
    • Vercel
    • AWS Amplify Hosting
    • Azure Static Web Apps
    • Google Firebase Hosting
  • Object storage + CDN hosting
    These platforms host static files behind a CDN but require a build pipeline to generate and upload the dist/ output.
    • AWS: S3 + CloudFront
    • Google Cloud: Cloud Storage + Cloud CDN
    • Azure: Azure Storage (Static Website) + Azure CDN or Front Door

Deploying to a Git-based hosting platform

This approach applies to platforms that automatically build and deploy from your GitHub repository.
1

Connect your repository

Connect your GitHub repository to the hosting platform.
2

Configure build settings

Most platforms auto-detect these:
  • Build command: npm run build
  • Output directory: dist
  • Node version: 22
3

Configure environment variables

Projects without a backend require no environment variables.Projects using the built-in backend (Cloud) need the values from your project’s .env file:
You can find these in the .env file in Lovable’s code editor or in your synced GitHub repository.
4

Configure SPA routing

If direct URL navigation returns a 404, configure a fallback rewrite so all routes serve /index.html. The method varies by platform (for example, _redirects file on Netlify/Cloudflare, staticwebapp.config.json on Azure, rewrite rules on Amplify, vercel.json on Vercel, firebase.json on Firebase).
5

Update OAuth redirect URLs

If your app uses Google sign-In or other OAuth providers, add your new production domain to your authentication provider’s allowed redirect URLs.
6

Deploy

Each push to GitHub triggers a new production deployment.
Result: A publicly accessible production frontend served over HTTPS, connected to your built-in backend (Cloud).

Deploying to object storage + CDN with CI/CD

CDN-backed hosting requires a CI/CD pipeline to build your app and upload the dist/ output. Build steps are identical across providers. Deployment is provider-specific, see links to official documentation for each platform.
For authentication, all major cloud providers support OpenID Connect (OIDC) with GitHub Actions, which eliminates the need to store long-lived credentials as secrets. This is the recommended approach.
1

Add GitHub secrets

Add the required secrets in your GitHub repository settings (Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions).
2

Create the workflow file

For example, create .github/workflows/deploy.yml in your repository:
3

Add provider-specific deployment steps

After the build step, add deployment steps for your platform. Refer to official documentation for current best practices:
4

Configure SPA routing

All CDN-backed hosting requires configuration to return index.html with a 200 status code for routes that don’t match a file. This is typically configured as:
  • A custom error response returning 200 (CloudFront)
  • A URL rewrite rule on a load balancer (Cloud CDN)
  • A URL rewrite rule (Front Door)
Do not rely on storage-level error page settings, as they return 404 status codes.

Host the production frontend on your own infrastructure

Use this approach when you need full control over frontend hosting, networking, or runtime environment. This is sometimes referred to as self-hosting. The frontend is built from your GitHub repository and deployed to infrastructure you manage. The backend and data can remain on the built-in backend (Cloud) or run elsewhere.

What you’re responsible for

When the production frontend runs on infrastructure you manage, you are responsible for:
  • Build and deployment automation
  • SSL/TLS configuration
  • CDN and reverse proxy configuration
  • Monitoring, logging, and uptime
  • Infrastructure updates and security
  • Preview environments for branches or releases
Lovable cannot monitor or debug production infrastructure it does not control.

Common approaches

  • Container-based deployments
    For example: Docker deployed via Kubernetes (EKS, GKE, AKS), ECS, Nomad, or internal container platforms
  • Virtual machines behind a web server
    For example: Linux VMs running Nginx or Apache, managed through configuration management or internal tooling
  • Internal PaaS platforms
    For example: company-internal deployment platforms or private cloud PaaS solutions

Build requirements

Lovable projects are standard Vite applications and build as static frontends.
  • Build command: npm run build
  • Output directory: dist/
  • Node version: 22 recommended
Environment variables prefixed with VITE_ are embedded at build time, not runtime. If using the built-in backend (Cloud), you must set these before running npm run build:
  • VITE_SUPABASE_URL
  • VITE_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY
You can find these values in your project’s .env file.

Container-based deployment (Docker)

You can generate these Docker configurations directly with the Lovable agent. See Using Lovable to generate Docker deployments below.
This is the most common approach for deploying to Kubernetes, ECS, Cloud Run, or any container orchestration platform. It also works for running the frontend as a standalone container on a single VM.
1

Clone your GitHub repository

2

Create a Dockerfile

Lovable projects can be containerized using a standard multi-stage Docker build: the first stage installs dependencies and runs npm run build, and the second stage serves the static output with nginx.Here’s an example Dockerfile you can adapt:
3

Create an nginx configuration file

Lovable projects use client-side routing (React Router with BrowserRouter), so your web server must return index.html for all routes. Create an nginx.conf file:
4

Build the container image

Set your environment variables as build arguments:
5

Push to your container registry

For example:
6

Deploy using your orchestration platform

Deploy the container using Kubernetes, ECS, Cloud Run, Nomad, or your internal platform. No runtime environment variables are needed, they are already embedded in the build.
Result: A running container serving your frontend over HTTP on port 80.
Environment variables are embedded at build time. To change them, you must rebuild the container image.
This workflow builds a Docker image and pushes it to a container registry for deployment to Kubernetes, ECS, or other orchestration platforms. This automates the manual container-based deployment steps described above.
You will likely need to adapt it for your security requirements, existing pipelines, and organizational policies.
For authentication, major container registries support OpenID Connect (OIDC) with GitHub Actions, which eliminates the need to store long-lived credentials as secrets. This is the recommended approach.Prerequisites:
  • A container registry (for example, GitHub Container Registry, AWS ECR, Google Artifact Registry, Azure Container Registry, Docker Hub)
  • The Dockerfile and nginx.conf files from the manual container-based deployment section above
  • An orchestration platform to deploy the container (for example, Kubernetes, ECS)
1

Add GitHub secrets

Add the required secrets in your GitHub repository settings (Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions).
2

Create the workflow file

For example, create .github/workflows/deploy-container.yml in your repository:
3

Configure registry authentication

Add the appropriate authentication step before Build and push Docker image in the workflow. Refer to official documentation for current best practices:

VM or static server deployment

This approach is for deploying to Linux VMs, bare-metal servers, or any machine running a web server like Nginx or Apache.
1

Clone your GitHub repository

2

Install dependencies

3

Build the application with environment variables

Set environment variables before running the build:
Build output is in the dist/ directory.
4

Upload the build output to your server

For example, using scp:
Or using rsync:
5

Configure your web server

Lovable projects use client-side routing (React Router with BrowserRouter), so your web server must return index.html for all routes.Example nginx configuration:
Example Apache configuration (.htaccess):
6

Configure TLS (recommended)

Use Certbot to add a free Let’s Encrypt certificate, or configure your existing SSL certificates.
Result: Your app is served over HTTP(S) from your server.
Environment variables are baked into the build output. No runtime configuration is needed on the server. To change environment variables, rebuild the application and re-upload the dist/ output.

Host backend and data on a managed provider (Supabase example)

This option is typically chosen when you need direct database access, advanced database features, or clearer separation of infrastructure ownership, without taking on full operational responsibility. You move your backend services and database to a managed backend provider. The most direct migration path is to managed Supabase, which closely matches the built-in backend’s architecture. The production frontend can run on Lovable or elsewhere. After migration:
  • The production frontend needs to point to the new backend
  • You can continue using the Lovable editor and preview environments during development
This guide uses Supabase as the reference migration path because Lovable applications rely on Supabase-compatible services (authentication, storage, realtime, edge functions, and row-level security). Migration to other backend platforms is possible, but may require implementing equivalent authentication, storage, and backend services depending on your provider. The detailed steps below describe how to migrate a project from the built-in backend (Cloud) to a managed Supabase instance.

What you’re responsible for

When your backend runs outside Lovable, you are responsible for the backend capabilities Lovable previously managed, including:
  • Database availability, scaling, and backups
  • Backend monitoring and incident response
  • Row-level security configuration and maintenance
  • Authentication provider configuration
  • OAuth credentials, redirect URLs, and secret rotation
  • Backend environment variables and configuration
  • Security scanning for misconfigurations and exposed secrets
  • Compliance posture of your backend infrastructure
Lovable cannot monitor or debug backend infrastructure it does not control. Managed OAuth configuration and automatic token refresh are only available when the backend runs on the built-in backend (Cloud).

What migrates and how

1

Create a new Supabase project

Follow the steps below to create a new Supabase project.
  1. Go to supabase.comNew project
  2. Choose your organization and fill in:
    • Project name: any name
    • Database password: strong password
    • Region: closest to your users
  3. Click Create new project and wait around 2 minutes for the project to initialize.
  4. From your new Supabase project settings, save these values:
    • Project ID
    • Public API Key (anon key)
    • Project URL: https://[your-project-id].supabase.co
2

Update environment variables

Replace the old backend values with new Supabase credentials in your .env file.
  1. In your Lovable project, go to Code.
  2. Locate .env file.
  3. Update the old backend values with new Supabase credentials:
  4. Save changes.
3

Update Supabase configuration

Replace the old project ID with your new Supabase project ID in your supabase/config.toml file.
  1. In your Lovable project, go to Code.
  2. Locate supabase/config.toml file.
  3. Update the old project ID with your new Supabase project ID:
  4. Save changes.
4

Run database migrations

Each project on the built-in backend includes SQL migration files in the supabase/migrations/ folder.Run them in chronological order based on the timestamp in the filename. They are ordered from earliest to latest. For example:
For each migration file in your project, follow the steps below:
  1. Copy the entire SQL content from each migration file.
  2. Paste it into the SQL editor in your new Supabase project.
  3. Run and wait for success message.
If a migration fails, check the migration order, table dependencies, and SQL syntax errors.
5

Export and import your database data

Request a database export from your project and then import it to your new Supabase project.Request a database export from Cloud (see Export Lovable Cloud data):
  1. Go to Cloud tab → Overview → Advanced settings.
  2. In Export project data, click Export data.
  3. In the Database card, click Export, then click Start export to confirm.
  4. Lovable emails you when the export is ready. The export is saved to your project’s Cloud storage, so download it from Cloud tab → Storage.
Import your database export into Supabase:
  1. Open your new Supabase project.
  2. Follow Supabase’s database import guidance for the export format.
  3. Verify that tables, records, and relationships are present before switching your app to the new backend.
Database exports are limited to 5 GB, and you can request one export every 24 hours. Download your export and your storage files before removing Cloud from the project; exports saved to Cloud storage are no longer accessible afterwards.
6

Reconfigure authentication

If your project requires authentication, you need to manually reconfigure auth providers in your new Supabase project.
  1. In your new Supabase project, go to Authentication → Sign In / Providers.
  2. Enable and configure each provider.
  3. In your OAuth app settings (for example, Google Console, GitHub), update redirect URLs to use your new Supabase project URL.
7

Migrate storage files

Download any files from storage buckets in your project and upload them to your new Supabase project.
  1. In your Lovable project, go to Cloud tab → Storage.
  2. Download files from your storage buckets.
  3. In Supabase, go to Storage and upload files to corresponding buckets.
8

Set up environment variables and secrets

If you are using any external services (for example, Stripe) in your project, you need to manually reconfigure API keys, tokens, and credentials in your new Supabase project.
  1. In your new Supabase project, go to Edge Functions → Manage Secrets.
  2. Add any API keys or external service credentials.
  3. Save changes.
9

Verify everything works

When you are done with all of the steps, your app runs entirely on your Supabase backend. Make sure that everything works, for example:
  • App loads without errors
  • You can create and read database records
  • Authentication works
  • Storage uploads/downloads succeed
For developers comfortable with the command line:
For provider-specific details, see Supabase documentation.

Host backend and data on your own infrastructure (Supabase example)

This option is intended for strict compliance, data residency, or infrastructure control requirements. You run the backend and database on infrastructure you operate. The most direct self-hosted path is self-hosted Supabase, which provides the authentication, storage, realtime, and edge function services that Lovable applications depend on. The production frontend can remain on Lovable or elsewhere. Lovable can still be used for development, or development can fully transition to other tools. Running only a standalone PostgreSQL database is not sufficient unless you implement equivalent authentication, storage, realtime, and edge services.

What you’re responsible for

When the backend runs on infrastructure you operate, you are responsible for the backend capabilities Lovable previously managed, including:
  • PostgreSQL operations, backups, and disaster recovery
  • Authentication, storage, and realtime service availability and reliability
  • Row-level security design and enforcement
  • Applying security patches and managing version upgrades
  • Edge function deployment and execution
  • Performance tuning and scaling
  • Monitoring, alerting, and incident response
  • Compliance certification of your infrastructure
Lovable does not monitor, operate, or debug any part of self-hosted infrastructure, and production previews are not generated for self-hosted production environments. When self-hosting Supabase, you typically:
  • Deploy Supabase in your own infrastructure using Supabase’s official self-hosting with Docker guide.
    You can generate these Docker configurations directly with the Lovable agent. See Using Lovable to generate Docker deployments below.
  • Configure PostgreSQL, authentication, storage, and required services.
  • Apply the migration files from your Lovable project (supabase/migrations/) to your self-hosted instance.
  • Update your application environment variables to point at your self-hosted Supabase:
For detailed infrastructure setup and operational guidance, follow Supabase’s official self-hosting documentation.

Using Lovable to generate Docker deployments

If you prefer a containerized deployment, you can prompt Lovable to generate Docker and Docker Compose configurations for your project. The agent will provide generated file details, service ports, and run commands in chat. Below are the three supported patterns.

Frontend only

Package just the React app as a static site served by Nginx. Use this when you only want to move your frontend. For example:

Backend only (self-hosted Supabase)

Run the full Supabase stack locally without bundling the frontend. Use this when you want to develop the frontend separately or serve it from another host. For example:

Full stack (frontend + self-hosted Supabase)

Bundle the frontend and a self-hosted Supabase stack in a single Docker Compose setup. Use this for fully self-contained deployments. For example:

Manual configuration required for self-hosted Supabase

The agent generates placeholder secrets that must be replaced before use:
  1. Generate a JWT secret: openssl rand -base64 32
  2. Generate API keys using your JWT secret. Follow the Supabase self-hosting documentation for generating API keys.
  3. Replace the following values in docker-compose.yml:
    • JWT_SECRET
    • POSTGRES_PASSWORD
    • ANON_KEY
    • SERVICE_ROLE_KEY

Limitations

  • The agent cannot run or test Docker builds. You must verify locally.
  • The agent cannot generate real secrets. Placeholders require manual replacement.