Launch6 min read278 words
Leaving Lovable, Replit or Bolt: the production checklist we actually use
Prototype platforms are excellent for version zero. Real customers, payments, and a custom domain need a different bar — in a deliberate order.
Rehan Goraya
Founder & Head of Product Development · Published 15 Sept 2026
Shipping a clickable demo on a prototype host is a win. Treating that demo as production usually is not. Auth, secrets, backups, domains, observability, and ownership all change when money and customers arrive.
This is the order we migrate vibe prototypes so nothing critical is left on a sandbox assumption.
1. Inventory what the prototype secretly relies on
List env vars, third-party keys, file storage, cron jobs, and platform-only APIs. You cannot migrate what you have not named.
2. Get the code into a real repository
Move to Git with a clear main branch, protected deploys, and a README that explains how to run locally. AI sessions disappear; the repo must not.
3. Separate secrets from the app
No keys in client bundles, chat logs, or committed .env files. Use a proper host secret store and rotate anything that ever lived in a prototype UI.
4. Put data somewhere you control
Export prototype databases, pick a managed Postgres/Mongo/Firebase project you own, migrate schemas, and verify backups before cutting DNS.
5. Harden auth and permissions
Replace demo logins, shared admin passwords, and wide-open APIs. Add rate limits, session rules, and role checks that match real users.
6. Domain, TLS, email, and redirects
Attach the production domain, force HTTPS, set up transactional email from a domain you authenticate (SPF/DKIM), and redirect leftover preview URLs.
7. Logging, errors, and uptime before launch traffic
Wire error tracking, basic uptime checks, and access logs. Prototype hosts forgive silence; production will not.
8. Cut over with a rollback plan
Ship to production hosting first, smoke-test critical flows, then flip DNS with a documented rollback. Celebrate after payments and signup still work on Monday morning.
Questions people ask
- Launch
- Migration
- Replit
- Lovable
- Bolt
Written by
Rehan Goraya
Founder & Head of Product Development, Fixthevibecode
Building software products since 2019. Every enquiry is read and answered by me personally, not by a sales team.
