Bolt.new npm install failing — what to do?

npm install failures in Bolt.new are usually caused by: (1) packages that don't support WebContainer (Node.js in the browser) — native binaries, packages requiring OS-level access, and many database drivers don't work in WebContainers; (2) package version conflicts; (3) the npm registry being temporarily unavailable. To fix: try removing packages one at a time to identify the problem dependency, or switch to a simpler starter template.

Bolt.new Not Working?

WebContainer not loading, npm install failing, AI not responding, or token credits gone? Check live status and fix it fast.

Current Status

Bolt.new has two failure surfaces — check both:

Bolt.new platform → prismix.dev/service/bolt-new

Anthropic API (Claude) → prismix.dev/service/anthropic

What's Wrong? Diagnose Fast

📦

WebContainer won't start

Browser compatibility issue. Bolt.new requires Chrome or Edge 89+. Firefox and Safari are NOT supported. Try incognito mode with extensions disabled.

⚠️

npm install failing

A package requires native binaries that can't run in a browser-based Node.js (WebContainer). Remove problematic dependencies — SQLite, bcrypt, sharp often fail.

💳

Token credits exhausted

Free: 1M tokens/month. Check your balance in the account panel. Each AI message consumes tokens. Upgrade to Pro ($20/mo) for 10M tokens/month.

🤖

AI not responding or generating

Anthropic Claude API degraded. Check prismix.dev/service/anthropic. If the WebContainer loads but AI doesn't respond, it's an API issue, not a browser issue.

⚠ Browser Compatibility Warning

Bolt.new uses WebContainers — a browser-based Node.js runtime by StackBlitz. It requires:

✓ Chrome 89 or newer
✓ Microsoft Edge 89 or newer
✗ Firefox — NOT supported (SharedArrayBuffer restrictions)
✗ Safari — NOT supported (COOP/COEP policy)

If the editor loads but the terminal never starts, you're likely on an unsupported browser.

Step-by-Step Fix

1

Check live status

Visit prismix.dev/service/bolt-new. Also check Anthropic status — Bolt.new uses Claude, so API outages affect it too.
2

Use Chrome or Edge

Open bolt.new in Chrome or Edge specifically. WebContainers don't work in Firefox or Safari. Try incognito mode to rule out extension interference.
3

Check token balance

Click the account icon in Bolt.new → check remaining tokens. Free plan: 1M tokens/month. If exhausted, wait for monthly reset (billing date) or upgrade to Pro for 10M tokens.
4

Fix npm install failures

Check the terminal output for which package is failing. Packages that require native binaries (SQLite, bcrypt, sharp, canvas) don't work in WebContainers. Ask the AI to remove them or use alternatives (e.g. better-sqlite3 → sql.js, bcrypt → bcryptjs).
5

Export to GitHub if stuck

If Bolt.new keeps failing, export your project to GitHub (the GitHub icon in the toolbar) and continue development locally with a real Node.js runtime. This avoids all WebContainer limitations.

Bolt.new Token Credits

Plan	Tokens/month	Cost
Free	1,000,000	Free
Pro	10,000,000	$20/month
Top-up	Variable	$10 per 5M tokens

Tokens are consumed per AI message and code generation. Complex projects with many revision cycles burn through free tokens quickly.

WebContainer-Compatible Alternatives for Common Packages

better-sqlite3

→ sql.js (WebAssembly SQLite, works in browser)

bcrypt

→ bcryptjs (pure JS, no native bindings)

sharp

→ jimp or browser-native Canvas API

canvas

→ Use browser's built-in Canvas API (no npm package needed)

puppeteer

→ Not possible in WebContainer — export to local development

Get Alerted When Bolt.new Goes Down

Star Bolt.new and Anthropic on Prismix for instant alerts when either goes down — so you know immediately if your build session is failing due to an outage.