How to Build an App Like Instacart with Lovable
Lovable builds exactly what your prompt describes, so a grocery delivery app comes down to naming who is browsing, who is shopping, and what happens between an order and a delivery. Here is the actual shape of that prompt.
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Find the Project URL field below and click the copy icon. We will use this in Lovable’s environment settings.
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Describe both sides of the marketplace
Type a prompt that names your two user types by what they do, not just what they are called. For an Instacart style app that means something like: customers browse a catalog, add items to a cart, and place an order. Shoppers see incoming orders and fulfill them. Being specific about both sides is what gives Lovable enough to build a first working version.
Send the prompt and let Lovable build
Send your prompt to the AI. Lovable reads it the way a developer would, and builds working screens and logic for exactly what you described, no code written by you.
Snag: do not try to get it perfect on the first prompt
Do not overthink your first version, you can always refine later. The first prompt only needs to cover the core flow, browsing and placing an order, and a shopper fulfilling it, substitutions and delivery tracking are refinements you add in follow up prompts.
Where this fits in the bigger picture
Writing this prompt is the first objective in Build Your First SaaS App For $0. From here the mission connects your new app to GitHub, deploys it live on Vercel, and wires up a Supabase backend so orders actually get stored.
Why naming both sides of the marketplace matters
Lovable builds what your prompt describes, nothing more and nothing less. A vague prompt like build me an Instacart clone gives Lovable little to work with. Naming both roles and what each one does in plain language is what turns a one line idea into a working first version.
What a two sided app actually needs from the backend
Once customers can order and shoppers can fulfill inside the app itself, those orders still need somewhere real to live. That is what connecting a backend like Supabase handles later in the same mission, storing every customer, order, and cart instead of losing them when the page refreshes.
Want to build this for real instead of just reading about it?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a real product catalog before I can build an app like Instacart?
No. Lovable can generate a working catalog and cart from your prompt using placeholder items, you can connect real inventory data later once the core browsing and ordering flow works.
Can Lovable build both the customer side and the shopper side in one app?
Yes, as long as your prompt names both roles and what each one does. Lovable reads the whole description and builds screens and logic for each side you describe.
What happens right after I send the prompt?
Lovable reads it the way a developer would and builds working screens and logic for exactly what you described. You do not write any code yourself at this stage.
Do I need a real backend to store orders and carts?
Eventually yes. The prompt step generates the app itself, connecting it to a backend like Supabase so orders actually get saved is a separate, later step in the same mission.
Can I add delivery tracking or substitutions after the first version exists?
Yes. The first prompt only needs to cover the core flow, browsing, adding to cart, and a shopper fulfilling the order. Tracking, substitutions, and tipping are refinements you add with follow up prompts once the basic app exists.
Name the two roles before you describe any features
Start your prompt by naming who is on each side of the app and what they are trying to do. Features make more sense to Lovable once the roles are clear.
Describe the one core action, not every screen
Focus your first prompt on browsing, ordering, and fulfilling. Extra screens like order history or saved lists are easy follow up prompts once the core flow works.
Treat the first result as a draft, not a final answer
Your first generated app will not have real inventory, substitutions, or delivery tracking dialed in. That is expected, refine it with additional prompts rather than rewriting the first one from scratch.
Why people drop off before they finish
You're not the problem. The format is. Here's what changes when you switch to an interactive mission.
- ✕Pause, rewind, pause again, repeatedly
- ✕The UI has changed since recording
- ✕No feedback when you complete a step
- ✕Lose context every time you switch tabs
- ✓Live overlay, no tab switching ever
- ✓Always current: guides track the real UI
- ✓Instant confirmation at every step
- ✓Full context stays open in your browser
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