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:

  • 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

  • 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
Visual Editing Demo

🧩 Diverse Project Creation

  • 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
  • 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

  • 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]
  1. Containerized Code: Projects run in isolated web containers
  2. Real-time Preview: Container output rendered in editor via iFrame
  3. Intelligent Mapping: Precise DOM-to-source-code correlation
  4. Instant Synchronization: Visual edits translate to code modifications
  5. 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

  • 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

  1. Click “New Project” button
  2. Select blank template or starter
  3. Name your project and confirm
Project Creation Interface

Step 5: Visual Editing Basics

  • 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

Text Styling Demo
  • One-click font/color/spacing adjustments
  • Full Tailwind class support
  • Instant style-to-code synchronization

Step 7: Inserting Elements

Div Insertion Demo
  • Add containers with drawing tools
  • Smart alignment guides
  • Visual hierarchy management

Step 8: Code-Design Parallel View

Code-Design Interface
  • Split-screen preview
  • Element-to-code highlighting
  • Direct code editing with live preview

Deep Dive: Advanced Functionality

Component Management (In Development)

  • Automatic reusable component detection
  • Centralized component library
  • Cross-project component sharing

Collaboration Roadmap

  • 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
  • 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:

[![Contributors](https://contrib.rocks/image?repo=onlook-dev/onlook)](https://github.com/onlook-dev/onlook/graphs/contributors)

How to Participate

  1. Review contribution guidelines
  2. Start with Good First Issues
  3. Submit pull requests

Current Development Priorities

  • 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:

The Future: A New Paradigm for Design Tools

Onlook is redefining design-development workflows:

  1. Design-as-Code – Eliminating the design-dev gap
  2. AI Collaboration – Natural language to production interfaces
  3. Open Ecosystem – Community-driven innovation
  4. 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:

  1. Beginners: Start with templates to learn visual programming
  2. Designers: Participate directly in code creation
  3. Developers: Accelerate frontend development
  4. 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.