Glossary
AI app builder terms, defined
Clear, plain-language definitions of the terms you'll meet when building apps by describing them. New to the idea? Start with the quickstart or see what you can build.
- AI app builder
- A tool that turns a plain-language description of an app into working software. You describe what you want and an AI agent writes and runs the code, so you can build apps without starting from boilerplate. Factorly is an AI app builder.
- AI coding agent
- An AI system that writes software by taking actions, not just suggesting snippets: it reads a project, creates and edits files, runs commands, reads the output, and fixes its own mistakes — looping until the task is done.
- Vibe coding
- Building software by describing the outcome you want in natural language and letting an AI agent handle the implementation, iterating in conversation rather than writing every line by hand.
- Live preview
- A real, running, clickable version of your app shown next to the chat as it is built. Unlike a static mockup, it updates within moments of each change so you can interact with the actual software.
- Checkpoint
- A saved snapshot of your project captured automatically at the end of an agent turn. Checkpoints let you compare versions and restore an earlier state if a change goes the wrong way.
- Rollback
- Restoring your project to an earlier checkpoint with one click, undoing later changes. It is the safety net that makes iterating with an agent low-risk.
- Prompt
- The plain-language instruction you give the agent — what to build or change. A good prompt is concrete about the what ("a recipe app I can search by ingredient") rather than the how.
- Workspace
- The place you build in: chat on one side, your live app on the other, plus a full code editor and terminal. Everything — writing, running, and previewing — happens in one screen.
- Scaffolding
- The initial project structure the agent generates from your first prompt — the files, dependencies, and configuration needed for a runnable starting point before features are added.
- Iteration
- Refining an app through a back-and-forth conversation: you ask for a change, the agent makes it and reruns the app, and the preview updates — repeated until the app is what you want.
- Deploy
- Publishing your app to a live URL so other people can use it, optionally on a custom domain. With Factorly you can deploy straight from the workspace in one click.
- GitHub export
- Pushing your project to your own GitHub repository. Because every Factorly project is a standard git repository from the first commit, you can take your code and keep building anywhere — there is no lock-in.
- Build credit
- The unit of agent work on Factorly. Each turn where the agent plans, writes files, runs commands, and checks the result draws from your monthly allowance; lightweight edits cost less than large, multi-step builds. See pricing for plan allowances.
- Dev server
- The process that runs your app in development and serves the live preview. The agent starts and manages it for you, so there is nothing to install or configure locally.
- MVP (minimum viable product)
- The simplest working version of a product that delivers its core value, built to validate an idea with real users. An AI app builder makes it fast to go from idea to a clickable MVP the same day.
The best way to learn is to build
Describe an app in one sentence and watch the agent bring it to life.