How to host your Lovable website
Lovable generates a React/Vite app. To host it anywhere of your own you build it to static files first, then publish that output. SiteDrop takes the build folder and gives you a live link.
Publish your site free →Get it live in 4 steps
- In Lovable, export or download your project code (or connect GitHub and download the repo).
- On your computer run npm install, then npm run build, to produce the static output folder (usually dist).
- Zip the contents of the dist folder — index.html must be at the top level of the zip.
- Upload the zip to SiteDrop.
What file types work
Lovable produces a React/Vite app, so you host its BUILT output — the static dist folder after npm run build, which is plain HTML/CSS/JS. That uploads perfectly. What can't be hosted statically is anything wired to a live backend (auth, a database, server routes); for a marketing or portfolio build that's usually nothing.
What breaks — and how to fix it
- I zipped the project and got a blank page.
You zipped the source, not the build. Run npm install then npm run build, and zip the CONTENTS of the dist folder with index.html at the top level.
- Blank page and the console shows 404s for /assets/*.
Vite defaults to absolute asset paths. Set base: './' in vite.config before building so assets resolve from the zip root, then rebuild.
- Supabase or auth features stop working once published.
Those need a live backend and environment keys that static hosting doesn't run. Publish the static front-end here and keep dynamic features on a service that runs a server.
SiteDrop vs just using Netlify
Netlify can run the Vite build for you from a git repo — handy if you want auto-deploys. The trade-off is connecting git, configuring the build, and managing env vars. If you'd rather build once locally and just host the dist folder, SiteDrop takes that zip directly and gives you a link (and a custom domain on paid plans) without the pipeline.
Lovable hosting — FAQ
Why do I need to run a build first?
Lovable apps are React projects, not plain HTML. The build step turns them into the static files browsers can serve. Once you have the dist folder, hosting it is just a zip upload.
I don't want to touch the command line at all — options?
If your project is purely static once built, ask Lovable (or any AI assistant) to produce a single built/static version, then zip and upload that. Anything dynamic that needs a server isn't a fit for static hosting.
Ready to publish your Lovable site?
Upload your .zip and get a live, shareable link in under a minute. Free 24-hour preview, no card needed.
Publish it now →