Documentation
Public beta docs for developers using Shipboard as an AI UI builder and Next.js generator. For machine-readable context see llms.txt.
What is Shipboard?
Shipboard is an AI compiler for developers. You describe a product surface in chat; it generates multi-file React + Tailwind + TypeScript oriented toward Next.js App Router. Live preview is a projection of that source. The product is eject: GitHub, ZIP, or Vercel — code you own.
Golden path recipes
In the studio empty state, use Admin Users, Auth Screens, or Kanban. These prompts import @/app/actions with a production dialect so preview can mock Server Actions while eject emits real action modules when BYOB is connected.
BYOB (Bring Your Own Backend)
Settings → Database: paste a Neon or Supabase Postgres connection string. Shipboard runs read-only introspection, stores only a schema map (not your password), and uses it for generation + Drizzle/Server Actions on ship. After clone: cp .env.example .env.local and set DATABASE_URL.
Ship readiness
The studio toolbar shows Ready to ship, Needs Continue, or Building. Truncated or stub code is blocked from GitHub/ZIP/deploy — click Continue to finish. Complete code with @/app/actions may warn if no BYOB is connected — still shippable, but set DATABASE_URL for real data.
Iteration diffs (Changes tab)
After a generation or Continue, open Changes to see files added/modified and a unified diff vs the previous version (or base). Jump to Code or copy hunks. Non-destructive review before push.
Continue in Cursor
Push to GitHub or download ZIP, open the folder in Cursor (cursor .), install deps, run the Next dev server, and extend with your agent. See /for-cursor for the full workflow.
Plans & limits
Free: 5 generations/day, 3 projects. Builder $15 CAD (40/day). Pro $25 CAD (120/day). Max $45 CAD (unlimited). Paid checkout is Stripe after GitHub or Google sign-in. See /pricing.
Studio tools (scrape + Imagine)
If you paste a public https URL, Shipboard fetches the HTML and injects printed facts (title, headings, emails, phones, hours-like lines) before generating. On Grok (xAI) or OpenAI the model can also call scrape_url and generate_image (Grok Imagine). Rebuild from URL is a golden path: it will not invent emails, hours, or prices that were not on the page. Generated stills are not real staff photos. Localhost and private IPs are blocked.
Ready to try?
Open studio