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--- |
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name: repl_setup |
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description: Setup and configure web applications in the Replit environment. Covers host configuration, frontend/backend connectivity, cache control, and framework-specific setup for Angular, React, Vite, and Vue. |
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--- |
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# Repl Setup |
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Guidelines for setting up and configuring web applications to work correctly in the Replit environment. Users see your application through a proxy (iframe), which requires specific configuration. |
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## When to Use |
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Use this skill when: |
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- Setting up a new web application or frontend framework |
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- The user cannot see your frontend changes |
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- Configuring host settings for development servers |
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- Connecting frontend code to backend APIs |
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- Debugging visibility issues with the user's preview |
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## When NOT to Use |
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- For non-web applications (CLI tools, scripts, etc.) |
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- When the application is already working correctly |
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- For deployment/publishing issues (use the deployment skill) |
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## Critical Replit Environment Rules |
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### Host Configuration |
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The user sees your frontend through a proxy within an iframe. **You must configure your development server to allow all hosts**, otherwise the user will never see your frontend. |
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Every web framework needs its development configuration set to allow all hosts. If you don't know the specific configuration for a framework, use web search to find it. |
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### Frontend Server Port |
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Bind frontend servers to **0.0.0.0:5000**. Never bind anything else to port 5000. |
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### No Docker or Virtual Environments |
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Never use Docker, virtual environments, or containerization. Replit uses a Nix environment that doesn't support nested virtualization. |
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## Stack-Specific Setup |
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For framework-specific configuration, refer to these guides: |
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- `.local/skills/repl_setup/references/angular.md` - Angular setup with allowedHosts and CLI flags |
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- `.local/skills/repl_setup/references/react_vite.md` - React and Vite configuration |
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- `.local/skills/repl_setup/references/vue.md` - Vue.js setup |
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For Microsoft Fabric (MSFT_RAYFIN) apps, the standard Replit dev-server proxy rules don't apply — the project is published to the Microsoft Rayfin backend instead. Use the `msft-rayfin` skill for setup instructions and the `fabric-rayfin` skill for the deploy workflow. |
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## Frontend-Backend Connectivity |
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When your frontend calls a local backend API: |
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1. **Get the public domain**: Run `env | grep DOMAIN` in the shell to get the website's public URL |
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2. **Use the public URL**: Replace any `localhost` references with the public domain |
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3. **Never use localhost**: You're in a cloud environment - the user cannot access your localhost |
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```bash |
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# Get the public domain for API calls |
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env | grep DOMAIN |
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``` |
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## Debugging Visibility Issues |
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If the user reports they cannot see your changes: |
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1. **Check workflow status**: Ensure the workflow is running and has been restarted after changes |
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2. **Read console logs**: Check for errors and follow any instructions in the logs |
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3. **Verify host configuration**: Confirm the framework's dev config allows all hosts (most common issue) |
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4. **Cache control** (rare): If above checks pass, the issue may be caching |
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- Modify webserver code to disable cache storage |
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- Instruct user to use "empty cache and hard refresh" in developer tools |
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## Workflow Setup Order |
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Always set up frontend workflows first, then backend services. After completing any task: |
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1. Re-run the workflows to ensure they're running |
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2. Read the console logs to verify no errors |
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3. Take a screenshot to confirm the frontend is visible |
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## Best Practices |
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1. **Verify host config early**: Check framework-specific allowedHosts before writing any code |
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2. **Test visibility immediately**: After setup, verify the user can see the preview |
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3. **Use public URLs**: Never hardcode localhost in frontend code |
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4. **Restart after changes**: Server-side changes require workflow restart |
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5. **Check logs first**: Console logs often reveal the root cause of issues |