Latest / AI Builds It: Easy Coding Tools / What to Do When Your AI Coding Agent Breaks the Website
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: What to do when your AI coding agent breaks the website?
- 0:03SPEAKER_00: A color change should be simple, but an AI agent might change a shared theme instead of one small section.
- 0:10SPEAKER_00: Suddenly the header is unreadable, buttons look wrong, or the page no longer loads.
- 0:16SPEAKER_00: Don't ask the agent to fix everything right away.
- 0:20SPEAKER_00: First, stop it from making more edits.
- 0:23SPEAKER_00: Then, find the last working version, check it, and restore it if needed.
- 0:28SPEAKER_00: Here's how to recover in cursor, replit agent, and lovable, based on their current documentation and pricing as of October 20th, 2026.
- 0:38SPEAKER_00: First, stop, check, restore.
- 0:40SPEAKER_00: When a page breaks, take these steps.
- 0:43SPEAKER_00: Stop the agent if it is still working.
- 0:45SPEAKER_00: Don't send more requests yet.
- 0:48SPEAKER_00: Look at the broken page.
- 0:49SPEAKER_00: Note what changed and where.
- 0:51SPEAKER_00: Is the problem on one page, every page, or only on the published site?
- 0:56SPEAKER_00: Find the last working version.
- 0:58SPEAKER_00: Use the product's history or checkpoint tools.
- 1:01SPEAKER_00: Preview it if you can.
- 1:03SPEAKER_00: Make sure it looks right before you restore it.
- 1:06SPEAKER_00: Restore only if the target version is the one you want.
- 1:10SPEAKER_00: A restore can remove other work made after that point.
- 1:14SPEAKER_00: Test the site again.
- 1:15SPEAKER_00: Check the page, a second page, and a phone-sized view.
- 1:19SPEAKER_00: The goal is to return to a known good version, not to pile new guesses on top of a bad edit.
- 1:27SPEAKER_00: Quick comparison.
- 1:28SPEAKER_00: For the full table, please open this article on easycoding.tools.
- 1:34SPEAKER_00: The buttons are not the same as a universal undo key.
- 1:38SPEAKER_00: Each tool has its own rules, and each has a different idea of what a version includes.
- 1:44SPEAKER_00: Cursor.
- 1:54SPEAKER_00: Open the chat where it happened and hover over the earlier request.
- 1:58SPEAKER_00: Choose Restore Checkpoint.
- 2:00SPEAKER_00: Cursor says you can also use the restore button on an earlier request or the plus button beside a message.
- 2:07SPEAKER_00: Restoring changes the files, but it does not erase chat messages.
- 2:12SPEAKER_00: Preview before you restore.
- 2:15SPEAKER_00: A checkpoint lets you preview the files as they were at that point.
- 2:19SPEAKER_00: To check the website itself, run your local site and open it in Cursor's built-in browser.
- 2:25SPEAKER_00: Cursor's browser can display the local site and capture visual details for agent review.
- 2:31SPEAKER_00: What to watch for?
- 2:33SPEAKER_00: Cursor checkpoints are not a full backup system.
- 2:36SPEAKER_00: They track changes made by the agent, not your manual edits.
- 2:40SPEAKER_00: They're stored on your computer, separate from Git.
- 2:43SPEAKER_00: Cursor cleans them up automatically.
- 2:46SPEAKER_00: They restore files, not the chat.
- 2:48SPEAKER_00: For important projects, use Git or another backup as well.
- 2:52SPEAKER_00: Cursor's plan prices and names changed in 2026.
- 2:56SPEAKER_00: Its current documentation lists free, plus, premium, super, and ultra plans, while some existing customers may still have older plans.
- 3:06SPEAKER_00: I found no documentation that makes local checkpoint restoring a paid-only feature, but the amount of agent use depends on your plan.
- 3:16SPEAKER_00: Replit Agent.
- 3:17SPEAKER_00: Check app history before rolling back.
- 3:20SPEAKER_00: Replit agent creates checkpoints at important points in its work.
- 3:24SPEAKER_00: To undo a bad edit, find the checkpoint from before the request and choose roll back to here.
- 3:30SPEAKER_00: Replit's app history brings versions together across agent sessions, including versions that were deployed.
- 3:37SPEAKER_00: It can also show a screenshot of an earlier version.
- 3:41SPEAKER_00: Previewing and restoring are different.
- 3:44SPEAKER_00: Replic describes runnable previews for checkpoints from the last seven days.
- 3:48SPEAKER_00: That lets you try an older version before you choose a rollback.
- 3:52SPEAKER_00: An older checkpoint may still be available to restore even if its runnable preview is no longer available.
- 4:00SPEAKER_00: Be careful if the app has a database.
- 4:02SPEAKER_00: A code rollback does not automatically roll back database data.
- 4:06SPEAKER_00: Replit's documentation says you can choose to include the development database in a rollback.
- 4:12SPEAKER_00: Production database recovery is a separate process.
- 4:16SPEAKER_00: Don't assume a website rollback will undo changes to customer or business data.
- 4:21SPEAKER_00: Plans and 2026 changes.
- 4:24SPEAKER_00: Replit lists core at$20 per month or$18 per month when billed annually, and Pro at$100 per month or$90 per month annually.
- 4:36SPEAKER_00: Pro lists database rollback for up to 28 days.
- 4:40SPEAKER_00: That is a database recovery feature, not a promise that every app code checkpoint has a 28-day preview.
- 4:48SPEAKER_00: In August 2026, Replit introduced Free Mode, which lets Core and Pro users do some everyday agent work without using credits.
- 4:57SPEAKER_00: Within usage limits.
- 4:59SPEAKER_00: It is an agent mode, not the same thing as a free subscription.
- 5:04SPEAKER_00: Lovable.
- 5:05SPEAKER_00: Preview a version, then revert lovable.
- 5:08SPEAKER_00: Saves changes as versions automatically.
- 5:11SPEAKER_00: Open the history panel from the top bar or choose project, history, from the menu beside the chat box.
- 5:18SPEAKER_00: Select a version to preview it without changing the current project.
- 5:23SPEAKER_00: You can also review its code changes and find the chat message that created it.
- 5:28SPEAKER_00: To restore the project, choose revert to this version and confirm.
- 5:33SPEAKER_00: Lovable's version restore is a whole project restore, not a tiny undo for one color.
- 5:39SPEAKER_00: If you only want to undo one specific part, lovable's docs suggest asking it to restore that part instead.
- 5:46SPEAKER_00: A very old version might still open for preview, even when lovable no longer allows you to revert to it.
- 5:53SPEAKER_00: Most important, lovables revert restores code, not database data.
- 5:58SPEAKER_00: If the bad change also added records, change data or ran a database migration.
- 6:05SPEAKER_00: Check that separately.
- 6:06SPEAKER_00: Reverting a message also does not refund the credits used to make it.
- 6:11SPEAKER_00: A safer preview for color changes.
- 6:14SPEAKER_00: On September 7th, 2026, lovable introduced drafts.
- 6:19SPEAKER_00: A draft has its own chat and preview, so you can try a new color or layout without changing the live app.
- 6:26SPEAKER_00: You decide whether to accept the draft and publish it.
- 6:29SPEAKER_00: Drafts currently focus on front-end changes.
- 6:33SPEAKER_00: Database structure and login changes still happen in the project chat.
- 6:38SPEAKER_00: The draft preview also uses the published apps database, so it is not a separate test database.
- 6:44SPEAKER_00: Lovable's current pricing page lists free at$0, Pro at$25 per month, and Business at$50 per month.
- 6:55SPEAKER_00: It does not list version history as a paid-only feature.
- 6:59SPEAKER_00: Lovable also announced that its current free chat allowance applies through October 31st, 2026.
- 7:06SPEAKER_00: Some work, such as generating images or handing work to plan or build, uses credits.
- 7:13SPEAKER_00: In June 2026, Lovable began moving users toward one balance of credits for building and running apps.
- 7:21SPEAKER_00: That billing change affects how you track usage.
- 7:24SPEAKER_00: It does not change the basic history and revert steps.
- 7:28SPEAKER_00: Example, a simple color change breaks the page.
- 7:32SPEAKER_00: Imagine you ask, change the home page background to pale lavender.
- 7:36SPEAKER_00: The agent changes a shared color setting instead of the background of one section.
- 7:41SPEAKER_00: Now the header, cards, and buttons are lavender too.
- 7:45SPEAKER_00: Some text is hard to read, and the other pages look different.
- 7:49SPEAKER_00: Here's the safe way back.
- 7:51SPEAKER_00: Identify the problem.
- 7:53SPEAKER_00: Write down what you can see.
- 7:55SPEAKER_00: Page, home page.
- 7:57SPEAKER_00: Expected.
- 7:58SPEAKER_00: Only the main background changes to pale lavender.
- 8:01SPEAKER_00: Actual, header.
- 8:03SPEAKER_00: Cards and buttons change too.
- 8:05SPEAKER_00: Some text is hard to read.
- 8:07SPEAKER_00: When it started, right after the color request.
- 8:10SPEAKER_00: If the site has a published version, check whether the issue appears in the preview on the live site or both.
- 8:17SPEAKER_00: Don't publish another change just to see if it helps.
- 8:21SPEAKER_00: Find and check the last good version in Cursor.
- 8:24SPEAKER_00: Find the checkpoint from before the color request.
- 8:27SPEAKER_00: Preview the files and open the local site in Cursor's browser to confirm the look.
- 8:33SPEAKER_00: In Replit, open app history.
- 8:36SPEAKER_00: Preview the earlier checkpoint if it falls within Replit's seven-day preview window.
- 8:41SPEAKER_00: In Lovable, open history and select the version from just before the color request.
- 8:47SPEAKER_00: Check its preview before you revert.
- 8:50SPEAKER_00: If you used a draft, discard the bad draft instead of publishing it.
- 8:55SPEAKER_00: Restore the working version.
- 8:57SPEAKER_00: Choose Restore Checkpoint in Cursor, roll back to here in Replit, or revert to this version in Lovable.
- 9:04SPEAKER_00: Before confirming, check the date or message carefully.
- 9:08SPEAKER_00: Restoring an older point can remove later code changes.
- 9:12SPEAKER_00: In Replit and Lovable, remember that restoring app code does not necessarily restore database data.
- 9:19SPEAKER_00: Try again with a smaller request.
- 9:21SPEAKER_00: Once the page works again, ask for a narrow change.
- 9:25SPEAKER_00: Great.
- 9:26SPEAKER_00: Change only the background of the main hero section on the homepage to pale lavender.
- 9:32SPEAKER_00: Do not change the header, buttons, cards, text colors, other pages, or global theme.
- 9:38SPEAKER_00: Show me the result in preview before I publish or accept it.
- 9:43SPEAKER_00: That prompt gives the agent a clear target and a list of things to leave alone.
- 9:49SPEAKER_00: If possible, make the color change in a draft or preview first.
- 9:54SPEAKER_00: Check the home page, another page, and the mobile view before you make it live.
- 10:00SPEAKER_00: The best safety habit.
- 10:05SPEAKER_00: Before a redesign or other wide change, mark a version you know works.
- 10:11SPEAKER_00: In lovable, bookmark it.
- 10:13SPEAKER_00: In Replit, check the recent history and consider a Git commit for longer-term protection.
- 10:20SPEAKER_00: In Cursor, use Git.
- 10:22SPEAKER_00: Checkpoints are local and temporary.
- 10:25SPEAKER_00: A rollback button is useful, but it is not a substitute for a separate backup.
- 10:31SPEAKER_00: AI agents make website changes fast.
- 10:34SPEAKER_00: That is a real advantage, but speed without a recovery habit is how a small color request turns into an afternoon of cleanup.
- 10:43SPEAKER_00: Preview first.
- 10:45SPEAKER_00: Restore cleanly.
- 10:47SPEAKER_00: Then, try again with a smaller request.
- 10:50SPEAKER_00: All links to sources are available in the text version of this article.
- 10:54SPEAKER_00: You can find the full article at easycoding.tools slash blog.
- 11:00SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening.
- 11:02SPEAKER_00: For more practical AI coding guides, tool comparisons, and resources for builders, visit easycoding.tools.
- 11:11SPEAKER_00: And if it's easier to remember, just go to aibuilds.it.
- 11:16SPEAKER_00: It redirects to easycoding.tools.