Onlook: The Intelligent Code Editor for Designers, Ushering in a New Era of Visual Programming
Have you ever dreamed of writing code as intuitively as designing in Figma? Onlook is turning this vision into reality—a visual-first code editor built for designers that’s revolutionizing how we create websites and applications.
What is Onlook? The Designer’s Dream Tool
Imagine designing a website where you can drag-and-drop elements directly in your browser, see changes in real-time, while simultaneously generating production-ready Next.js and TailwindCSS code. This is the transformative experience Onlook delivers.
As an open-source visual code editor, Onlook bridges the gap between designers and developers. It empowers designers to participate directly in code creation while giving developers the benefits of visual editing. Unlike traditional IDEs, Onlook offers:
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Figma-like interface – Familiar visual editing environment -
Real-time bidirectional sync – Visual changes instantly reflect in code -
AI-assisted design – Generate interfaces through natural language prompts -
Zero-configuration workflow – Built on Next.js + TailwindCSS stack
Born from a powerful philosophy that coding should be as intuitive as designing, Onlook is emerging as the open-source alternative to tools like Bolt.new, V0, and Webflow.
Core Features of Onlook: The Toolset Designers Actually Need
🎨 Visual Editing Capabilities
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WYSIWYG Editing: Manipulate DOM elements directly in the browser -
Precise Element Mapping: Right-click any element to locate its source code -
Live Preview: All modifications render instantly without manual refresh -
Layout Tools: Rearrange elements through intuitive drag-and-drop
🧩 Diverse Project Creation
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Generate complete apps from text or images -
Scaffold Next.js apps in seconds -
Figma design import (in development) -
GitHub repository integration (in development)
⚙️ Developer-Friendly Features
# Execute commands via CLI
onlook generate component Header
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Real-time code editor: View generated code while designing -
Version snapshots: Save/restore project checkpoints -
Local development: Connect via Onlook Desktop -
Extension marketplace: Access components and templates
🤖 AI-Powered Assistance
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Generate UI elements from natural language -
Intelligent code suggestions -
Design consistency checks -
Responsive layout automation
Technical Insights: How Onlook Works Its “Magic”
Onlook’s architecture elegantly blends modern web technologies with AI capabilities:
graph LR
A[User Interface] --> B[Web Container]
B --> C[Code Execution]
C --> D[Preview iFrame]
D --> E[Code Indexing]
E --> F[Element Mapping]
F --> G[Bidirectional Sync]
G --> H[AI Code Processing]
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Containerized Code: Projects run in isolated web containers -
Real-time Preview: Container output rendered in editor via iFrame -
Intelligent Mapping: Precise DOM-to-source-code correlation -
Instant Synchronization: Visual edits translate to code modifications -
AI Enhancement: LLMs interpret design intent into optimized code
This framework supports any declarative DOM-rendering framework (JSX/TSX/HTML), currently optimized for Next.js + TailwindCSS workflows.
Quickstart Guide: Build Your First Project in 15 Minutes
Prerequisites
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Modern browser (Chrome/Firefox/Safari/Edge) -
Basic terminal knowledge -
GitHub account (optional for saving projects)
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Clone Repository
git clone https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook.git
cd onlook
Step 2: Install Dependencies
Using Bun package manager:
bun install --frozen-lockfile
Step 3: Launch Local Environment
bun dev
Access at http://localhost:3000
Step 4: Create New Project
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Click “New Project” button -
Select blank template or starter -
Name your project and confirm

Step 5: Visual Editing Basics
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Add elements via toolbar -
Adjust layouts through drag-and-drop -
Modify Tailwind styles in right panel -
Observe real-time code updates
Step 6: Text & Styling Workflow

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One-click font/color/spacing adjustments -
Full Tailwind class support -
Instant style-to-code synchronization
Step 7: Inserting Elements

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Add containers with drawing tools -
Smart alignment guides -
Visual hierarchy management
Step 8: Code-Design Parallel View

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Split-screen preview -
Element-to-code highlighting -
Direct code editing with live preview
Deep Dive: Advanced Functionality
Component Management (In Development)
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Automatic reusable component detection -
Centralized component library -
Cross-project component sharing
Collaboration Roadmap
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Multi-user real-time editing -
Commenting/feedback system -
Version history comparison
Deployment Workflow
1. Click "Deploy" in top toolbar
2. Configure deployment parameters
3. Generate shareable link
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One-click demo generation -
Custom domain support -
Vercel integration (planned)
FAQ: Answering Designers’ Top Questions
❓ Can non-coders use Onlook effectively?
Absolutely! Designed with designers in mind, Onlook’s visual interface requires no coding knowledge. Start visually and gradually learn code concepts.
❓ How do designs become real products?
Onlook generates production-ready Next.js+TailwindCSS code. Future versions will include one-click deployment.
❓ Can I import existing projects?
Current support includes standard Next.js projects. Onlook Desktop allows direct local project editing.
❓ Does Onlook support team collaboration?
Collaboration features are actively being developed, including real-time co-editing. Join our Discord for updates.
❓ Why transition from Electron to web?
Web version offers greater accessibility and update efficiency. The Electron app remains available as Onlook Desktop.
Join the Open-Source Movement: Contribute to Onlook
We welcome developers, designers, and technical writers:
[](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/graphs/contributors)
How to Participate
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Review contribution guidelines -
Start with Good First Issues -
Submit pull requests
Current Development Priorities
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Automated component detection -
Figma design importer -
Collaborative editing infrastructure -
AI prompt engineering
Technology Stack & Ecosystem
Built with cutting-edge technologies:
Technology | Purpose | Official Link |
---|---|---|
Next.js | Application framework | nextjs.org |
TailwindCSS | Styling system | tailwindcss.com |
Supabase | Backend services | supabase.com |
Drizzle | Database ORM | orm.drizzle.team |
tRPC | API communication | trpc.io |
Bun | Runtime environment | bun.sh |
Join the Onlook Community
Collaborate with hundreds of innovators:
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Discord Community – Real-time discussions -
GitHub Repository – Source code & issue tracking -
Official Documentation – Comprehensive guides -
Twitter Updates – Latest feature releases
The Future: A New Paradigm for Design Tools
Onlook is redefining design-development workflows:
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Design-as-Code – Eliminating the design-dev gap -
AI Collaboration – Natural language to production interfaces -
Open Ecosystem – Community-driven innovation -
Seamless Teamwork – Shared workspace for designers & developers
With upcoming component libraries, collaboration tools, and deployment solutions, Onlook is poised to become the next-generation design-to-development platform.
Start Your Visual Programming Journey Today
Whether you’re a designer seeking efficient prototyping or a developer optimizing UI workflows, Onlook delivers:
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Beginners: Start with templates to learn visual programming -
Designers: Participate directly in code creation -
Developers: Accelerate frontend development -
Contributors: Shape the future of open-source tooling
“Tools shouldn’t limit creativity. Onlook breaks barriers between design and development, freeing creative flow.” – Onlook Core Team
Visit the Official Website to explore, or join the GitHub Community to participate in the design tool revolution. The future of design development is visual, collaborative, and open—and that future is here.