Sideloading Apps for Development

Sideloading lets you run your app directly from a local folder without publishing it to the registry. Changes to your files auto-reload in the running app.

Enable Publisher Mode

Sideloading requires Publisher Mode:

1. Open VibeDepot and go to Settings.
2. Toggle Publisher Mode on.
3. The Library page now shows a Sideload App button.

Sideload via CLI

The fastest way to sideload:

cd my-app
vibedepot preview

On macOS, this opens VibeDepot and loads your app automatically. On other platforms, it prints manual sideloading instructions.

Sideload Manually

1. Go to the Library page.
2. Click Sideload App.
3. Select the folder containing your manifest.json.
4. Your app appears in the Library with a sideloaded badge.
5. Click Launch to open it.

Hot Reload

When your app is sideloaded and running, VibeDepot watches your app folder for changes. When any file is modified:

1. The file watcher detects the change (with a 300ms debounce).
2. The app’s manifest.json is re-read to pick up any manifest changes.
3. The app window reloads automatically.

No need to re-sideload — just save your file and the app updates.

Dev Warnings

Sideloaded apps get special developer warnings. If your app tries to use a Bridge API method without declaring the required permission, VibeDepot injects a warning banner at the top of the app window instead of silently failing.

This helps you catch missing permissions during development before publishing.

Removing a Sideloaded App

To stop sideloading an app:

1. Close the app if it’s running.
2. In the Library, click Remove on the sideloaded app.

This only removes the app from VibeDepot’s list — your local files are not deleted.

Tips

• Keep your manifest.json valid — the app won’t reload if the manifest can’t be parsed.
• The entry file must exist at the path specified in manifest.entry.
• Sideloaded apps have full access to the Bridge API, same as installed apps.
• Use vibedepot validate before publishing to catch issues the dev warnings don’t cover.

Next Steps

• Building Your First App — Full app tutorial
• Using the CLI — Preview and validate commands
• Publishing to the Registry — When you’re ready to share