blink-new MCP Tools
blink_versions_restore — Restore a project to a previously saved version snapshot (use blink_versions_list to find version IDs).
Frontend deployment is done via CLI — blink deploy ./dist --prod. The MCP has no deploy tool because agents deploy using the CLI after building.
Getting Started
# Build your app
npm run build
# Deploy to production — always pass project ID explicitly to avoid "No project context" errors
blink deploy <project_id> ./dist --prod
# OR: link the project first, then deploy without ID
blink link <project_id>
blink deploy ./dist --prod
# That's it — no activation step. Do NOT run `blink hosting activate` or call the
# blink_hosting_activate MCP tool after this (see "Two hosting systems" below) — both
# spellings hit the same endpoint, which rebuilds from the Blink sandbox and overwrites
# what you just deployed.
# Preview deploy — publishes to the project's own blinkusercontent.com URL (no activation
# needed, but this IS the project's default live site, not a throwaway — see below)
blink deploy <project_id> ./dist
# List saved version snapshots
blink versions list
# Restore a version snapshot (version rollback)
blink versions restore <version_id>
Two hosting systems — do NOT mix them
Blink has two separate hosting paths. Never run blink hosting activate or call the
blink_hosting_activate MCP tool after blink deploy — both spellings hit the same endpoint.
Path A — CLI deploy (for externally-built apps)
blink deploy <project_id> ./dist --prod
# → live immediately at https://{project_slug}.blinkpowered.com
# → NO further steps needed. Do NOT run `blink hosting activate` or call blink_hosting_activate.
The URL is printed by the CLI after deploy. blink_hosting_status will keep showing inactive
permanently for a CLI-deployed project — the deploy route never writes that field, so this isn't a
transient lag to wait out. The real cause is the project's billing lifecycle, not deploy state; the
site is live regardless. Do not "fix" an inactive status by running hosting activation — see
above.
Path B — Blink sandbox activation (for projects built in the Blink AI editor)
blink_hosting_activate # only for sandbox-based projects
# → triggers a fresh build from the Blink sandbox and deploys
Why you must not mix them:blink_hosting_activate rebuilds from the Blink sandbox and overwrites the S3 files that blink deploy uploaded. Calling activate after a CLI deploy replaces your app with the Blink AI template.
Summary
| Scenario | Command | URL |
|---|---|---|
| App built externally (Vite/Next/React) | blink deploy <id> ./dist --prod |
{slug}.blinkpowered.com |
| App built in Blink AI editor | blink_hosting_activate |
{slug}.blinkpowered.com |
| Preview / default URL | blink deploy <id> ./dist (no --prod) |
{projectId}.blinkusercontent.com |
Deploy Pipeline
1. npm run build → generates ./dist (or .next, out/, build/)
2. blink deploy ./dist → uploads to Blink hosting
3. URL printed → {projectId}.blinkusercontent.com (preview), or {slug}.blinkpowered.com with --prod (or custom domain)
Preview vs Production
Neither flag is a safe/isolated sandbox — both overwrite a real, live URL. A preview deploy
publishes to the SAME blinkusercontent.com URL the Blink AI editor's own publish path writes to
(and the UI shows as the project's default domain) — running blink deploy ./dist without
--prod replaces whatever is live there right now.
| Flag | Behavior | URL |
|---|---|---|
| (none) | Publishes to the project's default URL — no activation, but not throwaway either | {projectId}.blinkusercontent.com |
--prod |
Publishes ONLY to the production/custom-domain URL — does NOT also update the default URL above, which stays on whatever was last deployed there | {slug}.blinkpowered.com + custom domains |
# Publishes to the project's blinkusercontent.com URL — this replaces what's live there now
blink deploy ./dist
# → https://{projectId}.blinkusercontent.com
# Production — replaces live site
blink deploy ./dist --prod
# → https://{slug}.blinkpowered.com
Framework Build Outputs
| Framework | Build Command | Output Dir |
|---|---|---|
| React (Vite) | vite build |
./dist |
Next.js (output: 'export') |
next build |
./out |
| Vue | vite build |
./dist |
| Svelte | vite build |
./build |
| Astro | astro build |
./dist |
| Plain HTML/CSS/JS | — | ./ |
For Next.js static export, ensure next.config.ts has output: 'export'.
Backend Deploy
Backend (Hono on CF Workers) has its own deploy command — see blink-backend skill.
blink backend deploy
Full Production Checklist
# 1. Ensure env vars are set
# 2. Build
npm run build
# 3. Deploy frontend
blink deploy ./dist --prod
# 4. Deploy backend (if applicable)
blink backend deploy
# 5. Set up custom domain (optional)
blink domains add myapp.com
Common Issues
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Empty deploy | Check build output directory exists and has files |
| 404 after deploy | Verify correct output dir (dist/, out/, build/) |
| Env vars missing | Set secrets in project settings before build |
| Stale deploy | Ensure --prod flag for production updates. If it's specifically the default blinkusercontent.com URL that's stale after a --prod deploy, that's expected — --prod doesn't touch it (see Preview vs Production); run a plain blink deploy (no flag) to update it too |