Build and deploy a Hacker News scraper app
Build and Deploy a Neon-powered full-stack app using Replit Agent. Task: Build and Deploy a Neon-powered full-stack app using Replit Agent Subscribe to our changelog Receive only our latest updates. No spam, guaranteed. Replit released Replit Agent, an AI Software Engineer that helps build full-stack apps. Replit Agent includes a planner, a code editor, integrations to third-party APIs such as Discord and Stripe, and the ability to create and deploy Postgres databases powered by Neon. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to use Replit Agent to build a news app that scrapes data from Hacker News, stores it in a Postgres database, and displays the front end. But first, let’s dive into what Replit Agent is and why it’s a powerful tool for developers. Prefer watching over reading? You can watch the full tutorial on YouTube on how to create a scraper using Replit Agent, where we walk through the process of building this news app. For those who enjoy a written guide, continue reading to learn how to use Replit Agent to build a fully functional news app that scrapes Hacker News, stores data in a Postgres database, and renders it using Next.js. What is Replit Agent? Replit Agent is an AI-powered development tool within the Replit ecosystem that allows you to easily create, debug, and prototype applications. By simply providing natural language prompts, you can instruct Replit Agent to generate fully functional apps, install dependencies, create back-end and front-end structures, and even deploy the final product. You can think of Replit Agent as an intelligent coding assistant that helps you turn your ideas into reality quickly—whether it’s a stock data visualization app, a map of local landmarks, or, in our case, a news scraper app. It’s integrated with various databases like Postgres, and third-party applications such as Google Docs, Slack, Discord, and more. Note: It’s important to note that Replit Agent is currently in early access. This means the tool is still experimental, and while it does its best to fulfill requests, users may occasionally encounter errors or unexpected behavior. Replit is actively working on improvements and appreciates user feedback during this phase. What Can You Do with Replit Agent? Replit Agent can help you: Rapidly prototype apps with minimal coding Integrate with databases like Postgres Create both back-end and front-end code Debug and deploy applications Integrate external APIs and services such as Slack or Google Docs Now, let’s go step by step to build our news app. Step-by-Step Guide: Building a News App with Replit Agent Step 1: Sign Up for Replit and Enable Replit Agent 1. Go to Replit and sign up for an account if you haven’t already. 2. Replit Agent is available in Replit Core and Replit Teams. Make sure you have access to one of these plans. Step 2: Start a New Replit Agent Project 1. Once signed in, navigate to the Replit Agent interface. 2. Use a natural language prompt to instruct the agent to start building your news app. Here’s the prompt we used: Pro Tip: Click on “Improve Prompt” to generate a detailed prompt. 3. Click on “Start Building”. Replit Agent will then propose a step-by-step plan for the project. Step 3: Approve the Plan 1. Review the proposed steps, which may include: – Implementing user authentication – Creating an API endpoint for scraping – Adding search functionality – Implementing caching 2. Approve the plan, and the agent will begin building the files and dependencies for your project. Step 4: Watch the Project Build As the agent starts working, you’ll see: – Files being automatically generated (e.g., scraper, database models, API endpoints) – Dependencies like Postgres being installed – A live console where the app is being compiled and executed Step 5: Customize the Scraper The scraper will continuously collect data from the Hacker News website. It’s built using: – SQLAlchemy to manage database interactions – Flask for handling API requests You can inspect the scraper code, which will look something like this: Step 6: Set Up the Postgres Database The Replit Agent automatically integrates Postgres to store your scraped news data. You can manage and view the schema within the Replit interface. Navigate to the Postgres section to see the schema. Step 7: Create the Front End The Replit Agent creates base.html and index.hmtl pages in the template folders to display the frontend. The Replit Agent handles: – Routing for different pages (e.g., Home, News Detail) – Rendering the scraped news data; tools: Replit Agent. Human role: The original post does not say how a person stayed involved.; limitations: Replit Agent is in early access and experimental, meaning users may encounter errors or unexpected behavior. Access requires a Replit Core or Teams subscription. The tutorial does not specify integration costs, API rate limits for scraping, or long-term maintenance requirements for the generated code..
Tools
Published on Agent Work Atlas:
Overview
Build and Deploy a Neon-powered full-stack app using Replit Agent
Workflow
Build and Deploy a Neon-powered full-stack app using Replit Agent Subscribe to our changelog Receive only our latest updates. No spam, guaranteed. Replit released Replit Agent, an AI Software Engineer that helps build full-stack apps. Replit Agent includes a planner, a code editor, integrations to third-party APIs such as Discord and Stripe, and the ability to create and deploy Postgres databases powered by Neon. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to use Replit Agent to build a news app that scrapes data from Hacker News, stores it in a Postgres database, and displays the front end. But first, let’s dive into what Replit Agent is and why it’s a powerful tool for developers. Prefer watching over reading? You can watch the full tutorial on YouTube on how to create a scraper using Replit Agent, where we walk through the process of building this news app. For those who enjoy a written guide, continue reading to learn how to use Replit Agent to build a fully functional news app that scrapes Hacker News, stores data in a Postgres database, and renders it using Next.js. What is Replit Agent? Replit Agent is an AI-powered development tool within the Replit ecosystem that allows you to easily create, debug, and prototype applications. By simply providing natural language prompts, you can instruct Replit Agent to generate fully functional apps, install dependencies, create back-end and front-end structures, and even deploy the final product. You can think of Replit Agent as an intelligent coding assistant that helps you turn your ideas into reality quickly—whether it’s a stock data visualization app, a map of local landmarks, or, in our case, a news scraper app. It’s integrated with various databases like Postgres, and third-party applications such as Google Docs, Slack, Discord, and more. Note: It’s important to note that Replit Agent is currently in early access. This means the tool is still experimental, and while it does its best to fulfill requests, users may occasionally encounter errors or unexpected behavior. Replit is actively working on improvements and appreciates user feedback during this phase. What Can You Do with Replit Agent? Replit Agent can help you: Rapidly prototype apps with minimal coding Integrate with databases like Postgres Create both back-end and front-end code Debug and deploy applications Integrate external APIs and services such as Slack or Google Docs Now, let’s go step by step to build our news app. Step-by-Step Guide: Building a News App with Replit Agent Step 1: Sign Up for Replit and Enable Replit Agent 1. Go to Replit and sign up for an account if you haven’t already. 2. Replit Agent is available in Replit Core and Replit Teams. Make sure you have access to one of these plans. Step 2: Start a New Replit Agent Project 1. Once signed in, navigate to the Replit Agent interface. 2. Use a natural language prompt to instruct the agent to start building your news app. Here’s the prompt we used: Pro Tip: Click on “Improve Prompt” to generate a detailed prompt. 3. Click on “Start Building”. Replit Agent will then propose a step-by-step plan for the project. Step 3: Approve the Plan 1. Review the proposed steps, which may include: – Implementing user authentication – Creating an API endpoint for scraping – Adding search functionality – Implementing caching 2. Approve the plan, and the agent will begin building the files and dependencies for your project. Step 4: Watch the Project Build As the agent starts working, you’ll see: – Files being automatically generated (e.g., scraper, database models, API endpoints) – Dependencies like Postgres being installed – A live console where the app is being compiled and executed Step 5: Customize the Scraper The scraper will continuously collect data from the Hacker News website. It’s built using: – SQLAlchemy to manage database interactions – Flask for handling API requests You can inspect the scraper code, which will look something like this: Step 6: Set Up the Postgres Database The Replit Agent automatically integrates Postgres to store your scraped news data. You can manage and view the schema within the Replit interface. Navigate to the Postgres section to see the schema. Step 7: Create the Front End The Replit Agent creates base.html and index.hmtl pages in the template folders to display the frontend. The Replit Agent handles: – Routing for different pages (e.g., Home, News Detail) – Rendering the scraped news data
Reported result
The source describes the successful creation of a functioning app with real-time scraping, database storage, and frontend rendering. However, it does not provide measured outcomes, performance metrics, or specific failure rates. The author claims the process is significantly faster than traditional development but offers no quantitative data to support this.
Human role
The original post does not say how a person stayed involved.
Limitations
Replit Agent is in early access and experimental, meaning users may encounter errors or unexpected behavior. Access requires a Replit Core or Teams subscription. The tutorial does not specify integration costs, API rate limits for scraping, or long-term maintenance requirements for the generated code.
Try it
Act as a developer using Replit Agent to prototype a data-driven web application. First, verify I have access to Replit Core or Teams. I will provide a natural language prompt to build an app that [replaceable: scrapes data from a specific public source, stores it in a Postgres database, and displays it on a frontend]. Before the agent executes, review its proposed plan for steps like authentication, API endpoints, and caching. Approve the plan only if it aligns with my requirements. Monitor the build process for errors. Once the app is generated, inspect the scraper code and database schema. Deploy the app to a staging environment. Do not publish to production without my explicit confirmation. If errors occur, pause and report them. Provide a summary of the generated files and any manual adjustments needed.
Source reports are not independently verified. Publication date is the catalog publication date, not the original article date.