Bolt.new to Cursor: Keep Your Prototype Momentum in Production

You shipped your MVP in Bolt.new in three days. The prototype works beautifully, users are signing up, and now investors are asking about scalability. But you're hitting limits: custom authentication, third-party API integrations, deployment customization. You need a professional IDE, but the thought of losing that rapid-fire development flow makes you hesitate.

Here's the truth: migrating from Bolt.new to Cursor doesn't mean abandoning AI-assisted development. Cursor preserves that same conversational coding experience while unlocking the flexibility you need to scale. This guide shows you exactly how to make the transition without breaking your momentum.

Before You Start: Prerequisites Checklist

Set yourself up for success with these ready-to-go requirements:

• Node.js 18+ installed locally (check with node --version)
• Git installed and configured with your credentials
• Cursor IDE downloaded and API key configured (free tier works)
• Your Bolt.new project downloaded as a ZIP from the project settings
• 30-60 minutes of focused time (realistic for most projects)

Workflow Comparison: Before and After

The core workflow stays remarkably similar—you're still describing what you want and letting AI write the code. Here's what changes:

Step-by-Step Migration Guide

Step 1: Export Your Bolt.new Project

In Bolt.new, click the project settings (gear icon) and select "Download Project". This gives you a ZIP file containing your complete codebase—components, styles, config files, and dependencies.

# Extract the ZIP to a new directory
unzip bolt-project.zip -d my-app
cd my-app

# Verify the structure
ls -la
# Should see: src/, public/, package.json, etc.

Step 2: Open in Cursor and Install Dependencies

Launch Cursor and open your extracted project folder. The first run will scan your codebase and index it for AI assistance.

# In Cursor's integrated terminal (Ctrl+`)
npm install

# If you see dependency conflicts
npm install --legacy-peer-deps

# Start the development server
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser. If your app loads successfully, you're 80% done—your components and logic have survived the migration intact.

Step 3: Initialize Git and Create Repository

Bolt.new doesn't give you version control. Let's fix that:

# Initialize Git repository
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit: Migrated from Bolt.new"

# Create GitHub repo and push (optional but recommended)
gh repo create my-app --private --source=. --push

Now you have snapshots of every change. Made a mistake? git checkout . reverts everything.

Step 4: Configure Environment Variables

Bolt.new often hardcodes API keys (not great for security). Create a .env.local file for sensitive data:

# .env.local (create this file in your project root)
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.yourservice.com
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...

# Add to .gitignore to avoid committing secrets
echo ".env.local" >> .gitignore

Update your code to reference these variables instead of hardcoded values. Use Cursor's Composer to help:

// Before (Bolt.new style)
const apiUrl = "https://api.example.com";

// After (Cursor + environment variables)
const apiUrl = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL;

Step 5: Master Cursor Composer (Your New Best Friend)

Cursor's Composer (Cmd+K or Ctrl+K) is your Bolt.new chat on steroids. Here's how to get the same rapid iteration:

// Example Composer prompt (same style as Bolt.new)
"Create a pricing card component with three tiers (Free, Pro, Enterprise). 
Use Tailwind, make it responsive, add hover effects, and include a 
'Contact Sales' button for Enterprise tier."

Step 6: Set Up Deployment Pipeline

Bolt.new's one-click deploy was convenient, but limited. Here's how to get automatic deployments with more control:

# Option A: Deploy to Vercel (Next.js optimized)
npx vercel --prod

# Option B: Deploy to Netlify (great for static sites)
npx netlify deploy --prod

# Option C: Deploy to Railway (includes databases)
railway up

Connect your GitHub repository for automatic deployments on every push to main. This matches Bolt.new's instant deploys while giving you staging branches for testing.

Skill Bridge: Translating Bolt.new Concepts to Cursor

Your Bolt.new intuitions still apply—the terminology just shifts slightly:

• "Chat with Bolt" → Cursor Composer (Cmd+K)
  Same conversational coding, more control over what changes
• "Preview pane" → localhost:3000 in browser
  Live reload on save (with Hot Module Replacement)
• "Bolt.new project settings" → package.json + .env files
  Direct file editing instead of UI settings
• "Deploy to Bolt.new" → git push → auto-deploy
  More steps initially, but then fully automated
• "Bolt.new templates" → create-next-app, Vite, etc.
  Industry-standard project scaffolding

Troubleshooting Common Migration Issues

# Clear cache and reinstall
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install --legacy-peer-deps

// Verify tailwind.config.js includes all content paths
module.exports = {
  content: [
    "./src/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}",
    "./app/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}",
    "./components/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}",
  ],
  // ... rest of config
}

Your New Development Loop

After migration, your workflow looks like this (same speed, more power):

1. Open Cursor → Your project loads with full context
2. Hit Cmd+K → Describe what you want to build
3. Review changes → Accept/reject specific edits (or apply all)
4. Test in browser → Localhost:3000 auto-refreshes on save
5. Commit to Git → git add . && git commit -m "Add feature"
6. Push to deploy → git push triggers auto-deployment

Notice what stayed the same: Steps 1-4 feel identical to Bolt.new. You're still describing intent and iterating rapidly. The difference is steps 5-6 give you version control and deployment flexibility.

What You Can Do Now That Was Impossible Before

With Cursor, you've unlocked professional capabilities without sacrificing speed:

• Custom authentication: Integrate Auth0, Supabase, or Clerk without workarounds
• Database flexibility: Use Postgres, MongoDB, PlanetScale—your choice
• API integrations: Call any third-party API without CORS limitations
• Monorepo structure: Organize multiple apps/packages in one repository
• CI/CD pipelines: Add automated testing, linting, and deployment checks
• Team collaboration: Code reviews, protected branches, merge policies

Key Takeaways

• Bolt.new taught you rapid prototyping—that skill transfers directly to Cursor's Composer. You're not starting over; you're upgrading tools.
• The migration takes 30-60 minutes for most projects: export, install dependencies, configure environment, test locally, deploy. Most of your code works immediately.
• Cursor preserves your velocity with Cmd+K conversational coding while adding Git, custom deployments, and unlimited integrations.
• You gain production capabilities like environment variables, version control, staging environments, and team collaboration—without losing AI assistance.
• The workflow stays familiar: describe → review → test → deploy. You're adding steps that give you control, not complexity.

Your Bolt.new prototype proved your idea works. Now scale it with the same development speed and professional-grade infrastructure. The vibe coding continues—just with fewer limits.