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Deployment & Sharing

Preview URLs

Every app you build on Webase gets a unique preview URL that you can share with anyone. Preview URLs let people view and interact with your app in their browser — no Webase account needed.

What Are Preview URLs?

A preview URL is a public web address where your app is accessible as a full-page experience. It looks like this:

webase.com/preview/my-task-manager

The last part of the URL is your app's slug — a URL-friendly version of your app's name. When someone visits this link, they see your app running as a standalone web page, just as it appears in the editor's preview panel.

How Preview URLs Work

When you build and save your app, Webase compiles all of your source files (React components, styles, and configuration) into a single HTML file. This bundled HTML is stored on the server and served as a complete web page when someone visits your preview URL.

The preview includes everything your app needs to run:

  • All React components — Your app's UI code, bundled and ready to execute.
  • Tailwind CSS — Loaded from the CDN so all your styling works perfectly.
  • External libraries — Any packages your app imports from esm.sh are loaded automatically.
  • Data connections — If your app uses Data Models, the preview connects to the same data API, so records are live and up to date.

Sharing Your Preview URL

Sharing your app is as simple as copying the URL and sending it to someone. Here are a few common ways to share:

  • Send the link directly — Paste the URL into an email, text message, Slack channel, or social media post.
  • Embed in a website — Use an iframe to embed your app preview in another web page or blog post.
  • QR code — Generate a QR code from your preview URL for easy mobile access at events or on printed materials.

Remember to save first. Your preview URL shows the last saved version of your app. If you've made changes in the editor but haven't clicked Save, visitors will see the older version. Always save before sharing your link.

Page-Specific Previews

If your app has multiple pages (using the built-in routing), you can link directly to a specific page using a page-specific preview URL:

webase.com/preview/my-task-manager/pages/settings

This is useful when you want to share a specific section of your app with someone — for example, linking directly to a "Dashboard" or "About" page instead of the home screen.

Your app uses hash-based routing internally, so the page-specific URL maps to the correct route automatically. Visitors can still navigate to other pages within your app once they've opened it.

Preview URLs Are Public

Preview URLs do not require authentication. Anyone with the link can view and interact with your app. There's no login screen, no password, and no Webase account required for viewers.

Keep this in mind when building your app:

  • Don't include sensitive information — Since the preview is public, avoid putting private data, passwords, or confidential content in your app.
  • Data Models are shared — If your app uses Data Models, all visitors see and interact with the same data. One person's changes will be visible to everyone.
  • The URL is hard to guess — While the preview is public, someone would need to know (or guess) your app's slug to find it. It's not listed in a public directory.

Finding Your Preview URL

You can find your app's preview URL in several places:

1

In the Editor Toolbar

When you have your app open in the Application Editor, look for the preview link or share button in the toolbar at the top of the page. Click it to copy the URL to your clipboard.

2

From Your App List

On your Webase dashboard where all your apps are listed, each app shows its preview URL or has a quick-copy link button. This makes it easy to share without opening the editor.

3

Construct It Manually

If you know your app's name, you can construct the URL yourself. The pattern is webase.com/preview/your-app-slug. The slug is typically your app's name in lowercase with spaces replaced by hyphens.

Want a custom domain? Preview URLs are great for sharing and testing, but for a production-ready deployment with a custom URL, consider deploying your app to Netlify.