How to Move Your Project from Bolt.new to Cursor (Complete Migration Guide)

Bolt.new by StackBlitz is one of the fastest ways to go from zero to a working web app — it runs entirely in the browser, requires no local setup, and generates production-ready React or Next.js code with AI assistance. But when you outgrow Bolt's sandbox environment, Cursor is where most developers go next.

Cursor is a fork of VS Code supercharged with Claude and GPT-4 models. It understands your entire codebase, auto-completes multi-file edits, and runs in your local environment — giving you the power of a real development workflow without sacrificing AI assistance.

Why Developers Switch from Bolt to Cursor

• Bolt is browser-only: You can't run custom backend servers, access real file systems, or use native tools

• Limited package support: Bolt's WebContainer has restrictions on packages that require native binaries
• No real Git workflow: Bolt's GitHub export is one-way; real collaboration needs a proper Git workflow
• Compute limits: Bolt tokens run out fast on complex tasks
• Testing: Running test suites, linters, or CI pipelines isn't feasible in Bolt

Prerequisites

• Bolt.new project (with GitHub export enabled)

• Cursor installed — download at cursor.sh
• Node.js 18+ and Git installed locally
• A GitHub account

Step 1: Export Your Bolt Project to GitHub

• In Bolt, click the GitHub icon in the top-right toolbar

• Authenticate with your GitHub account
• Click Push to GitHub and create a new repository
• Copy the repository URL

If you don't see the GitHub button, use Download ZIP: Files icon → ⋮ menu → Download Project as ZIP.

Step 2: Clone the Repository Locally

git clone https://github.com/your-username/your-bolt-project.git
cd your-bolt-project npm install npm run dev

If the app runs — great. If not, note the errors; you'll address them in Cursor.

Step 3: Open the Project in Cursor

• Open Cursor

• File → Open Folder → select your cloned project directory
• Cursor will index your codebase (visible in the bottom status bar)
• Open AI chat with Cmd/Ctrl + L

Give Cursor immediate context:

This project was built in Bolt.new — a browser-based AI coding tool.
It uses React with Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui. Please read the codebase structure and confirm you understand the architecture.

Step 4: Set Up Your Environment Variables

Check your Bolt project's environment variables panel and recreate a local .env file:

touch .env
Add all keys Bolt was storing internally
VITE_SUPABASE_URL= VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY= VITE_STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=

Add .env to .gitignore:

echo ".env" >> .gitignore
git add .gitignore && git commit -m "chore: add .env to gitignore"

Step 5: Configure Cursor with .cursorrules

Create .cursorrules in your project root for persistent AI context:

# .cursorrules

Project
This app was migrated from Bolt.new. It is a [describe your app].

Tech Stack

Framework: React 18 with Vite

  
Styling: Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
  
Backend: Supabase
  
Package manager: npm


Code Style

Use TypeScript strictly — no any types

  
Components go in src/components/, pages in src/pages/
  
Follow existing naming conventions


Do Not

Modify .env files

  
Change package.json scripts without asking
  
Introduce new dependencies without confirmation

Step 6: Fix Bolt-Specific Code Patterns

Bolt sometimes generates code with browser-environment assumptions that break locally. Ask Cursor:

> Scan the codebase for any imports or references that assume a browser-only environment
(like StackBlitz WebContainer APIs) and replace them with standard Node.js equivalents.

For mocked API calls:

> Find all fetch() calls that return mock/hardcoded data in Bolt.
List them and suggest how to replace each with a real backend implementation.

Step 7: Learn Cursor's Power Features

• Composer (Cmd+I): Multi-file edits — "Add a user authentication flow with Supabase Auth — create the login page, protected route wrapper, and auth hook"

• Chat (Cmd+L): Codebase-wide questions — "Why is the sidebar not rendering on mobile?"
• Inline AI (Cmd+K): Select code → Cmd+K → "Refactor this to use async/await instead of .then()"
• @Codebase: Prefix any chat message with @Codebase to search across all files

Step 8: Set Up Deployment

Bolt's preview URL is gone. Set up your own:

Vercel (best for React / Next.js):

npm install -g vercel
vercel login vercel

Add your environment variables at vercel.com → Project → Settings → Environment Variables.

Bolt vs Cursor: Key Differences

Tips for a Smooth Transition

• Don't rewrite — refine. Your Bolt code is good. Cursor's job is to extend it.

• Set up ESLint and Prettier early. Bolt code is often un-linted. Ask Cursor to add this.
• Commit often. You now have a real Git workflow — commit before every major Cursor change.
• Use Cursor's codebase indexing. Press @Codebase in chat to search across all files.