Build and Preview a Next.js App in an OpenPond Project

A Project gives an application a durable home in OpenPond. A Sandbox gives it compute. Keeping those concepts separate makes it easier to return to the same codebase and clean up temporary runtime when you are done.

A Project retains the source context; a Sandbox is the bounded place to install, run, and preview it.

1. Create the Project

Open Sandboxes → Projects and choose Create project. For an existing Next.js application, select Import source, connect the GitHub installation, and choose the repository and branch. For a new app, choose Empty project and give it a clear name.

The OpenPond repository is public, so it is a useful reference for a Git-backed project that remains the source of truth while the runtime comes and goes.

2. Add or review application code

Open the Project's Files workspace. An imported Project already has its repository content; an empty one is ready for the files you add. Keep secrets out of the repository. Add them through the Project's environment-secret controls, separately from source.

3. Start a bounded development environment

Open a Sandbox for the Project and install dependencies there. In a standard Next.js repository, the familiar sequence is:

Use the Sandbox process view to confirm the development server is listening. The Project remains available when you stop the Sandbox; the Sandbox is not an implicit deployment or permanent host.

4. Open a private preview

Expose only the port your application needs and keep the preview private while you are iterating. Review behavior, files, and logs before sharing a URL. When the work is complete, stop the process and clean up the Sandbox according to the environment's retention policy.

The simple rule is: Project for durable source and context, Sandbox for temporary compute, and deployment as a separate intentional release step.