Catalog App Builder

Can I build a catalog app without heavy setup or coding experience?

Yes—on Replit you can describe your idea in natural language and the AI Agent will handle code generation, scaffolding a working catalog app in an online IDE with no-install setup. The Assistant then helps refine features, fix issues, and explain code, giving you a low-code path even if you’re new to development. Use the Visual Editor for quick UI adjustments while leaving complex logic to code the AI writes. Safe experimentation is built in via automatic checkpoints and one-click rollback so you can iterate confidently.

How should I structure products, categories, and inventory data?

Use PostgreSQL for a normalized schema with tables for products, categories, and a join table for relations, plus variants with SKU and attribute definitions linked by foreign keys. Keep attributes either in a dedicated attributes table or JSON columns, depending on the breadth of customization. Manage migrations and seed data with the AI Agent so your entities and relations evolve safely over time. For simpler needs or caching, a built-in key-value store can complement Postgres.

How do I add search, filters, and sorting to my catalog?

Implement full-text search with Postgres indexing and add faceted search via precomputed aggregations in SQL. Expose query params for server-side filtering and sort options, and use debounce on client inputs to reduce noisy requests. Support pagination or infinite scroll for performance, with the heavy lifting done server-side and optional client-side filtering for minor refinements. The AI Agent can scaffold endpoints and UI components that wire up these patterns cleanly.

What’s the best way to handle product images and media?

Store assets in object storage and serve them through a CDN to minimize latency and cost. Add image optimization pipelines to generate thumbnails, responsive images (srcset), and WebP, with compression and caching headers for fast loads. Use lazy loading and descriptive alt text to improve performance and accessibility. The AI Agent can integrate common libraries and services to automate these steps.

Can I import designs or existing code to speed up setup?

Yes—use Figma import to convert frames into React components (respecting autolayout) and get an instant UI scaffold. Pull existing projects with GitHub import or remix a community project to jump-start features. Start from templates and let the AI Agent adapt them to your requirements. You can keep iterating in code or ask the Assistant to make targeted changes.

How do I add login, checkout, and order notifications?

Mention oauth or auth in your prompt and the AI Agent can wire Google OAuth or Replit Auth for secure login flows. Add Stripe or PayPal for checkout and configure webhooks to process order events reliably. For notifications, integrate SendGrid for email and Twilio for SMS, keeping secrets in the Replit secrets manager as environment variables. Payments remain PCI-managed by providers like Stripe/PayPal, while you focus on app logic.

What are the limits of drag-and-drop when building a catalog app?

Replit’s Visual Editor excels at UI tweaks—text edits, styles, and layout—directly on the live preview. Complex changes still happen in the code editor, where you manage state management and backend logic. It’s a pragmatic low-code vs code approach: use visual tools for polish and AI-driven code edits for deeper functionality. This balance keeps you fast without boxing you into a pure drag-and-drop system.

How do I deploy, use a custom domain, and iterate safely?

Deploy to the cloud in minutes, attach a custom domain, and get automatic https via ssl/tls. For staging, deploy a separate Repl or branch-based environment before promoting to production, leveraging version control to track changes. Use checkpoints and rollback as built-in backups to recover instantly from bad releases. If you need monitoring, connect third-party services or webhooks to observe health and alerts post-deployment.