v0

name	v0
description	Generate and iterate on UIs/apps with Vercel v0 via the v0 Platform API. Use when building a frontend with v0, calling the v0 API/SDK, or spending v0 credits.
allowed-tools	["Bash","Read","Write","Edit"]
user_invocable	true

Vercel v0

v0 is Vercel's AI app builder. Beyond the web UI at v0.app, it exposes a Platform API (and an OpenAI-compatible model API) so you can generate UIs, components, and full apps from code.

Hackathon note: participants receive v0 credits. The API bills against those credits, so you can drive v0 from the CLI without a paid upgrade as long as credits remain. Check usage at v0.app/settings/billing.

There are two distinct surfaces — pick the right one:

Surface	Package / endpoint	Use it for
Platform API	v0-sdk (npm), https://api.v0.dev/v1	Create/iterate chats that return generated files, demos, and deployable projects. This is the real "v0 builds my app" surface.
Model API	AI SDK @ai-sdk/vercel, https://api.v0.dev/v1 (OpenAI-compatible)	Use v0's models (v0-1.5-md, etc.) as a chat/completions model inside your own app.

Setup (do this first)

1. Get an API key — v0.app/settings/keys. The key grants full access to the v0 account — treat it as a secret.
2. Store it as an env var, never in code or flags. Add to .env (gitignored):

   echo 'V0_API_KEY=your-v0-api-key' >> .env
   

   The SDK and CLI read V0_API_KEY automatically.
3. Verify access:

   curl -s https://api.v0.dev/v1/user \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer $V0_API_KEY" | head
   

   A JSON user object means the key works. 401 means the key is wrong or credits/billing aren't enabled on the account.

Fastest path: scaffold a v0-powered app

# Spins up a Next.js app pre-wired to the v0 Platform API
pnpm create v0-sdk-app@latest my-v0-app
# or: npx create-v0-sdk-app@latest my-v0-app

Platform API via the SDK (generate UI from a prompt)

pnpm add v0-sdk        # or: npm install v0-sdk

import { v0 } from 'v0-sdk' // reads V0_API_KEY from the environment

// Create a chat — v0 generates the app and returns a live demo + files
const chat = await v0.chats.create({
  message: 'Build a landing page for a biotech hackathon with a hero and signup form',
})

console.log('Preview:', chat.demo)        // hosted preview URL
console.log('Chat:', chat.url)            // open/iterate in the v0 web UI
// chat.files[] holds the generated source files

// Iterate on the same chat
const next = await v0.chats.sendMessage({
  chatId: chat.id,
  message: 'Make the hero dark mode and add a pricing section',
})

Model API (use v0 as a model in your own app)

pnpm add ai @ai-sdk/vercel

import { generateText } from 'ai'
import { vercel } from '@ai-sdk/vercel' // reads V0_API_KEY

const { text } = await generateText({
  model: vercel('v0-1.5-md'),
  prompt: 'Generate a React component for a file-upload dropzone with Tailwind',
})

Or hit it directly — it's OpenAI-compatible:

curl https://api.v0.dev/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $V0_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"v0-1.5-md","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"a pricing table component"}]}'

Ship what v0 builds

v0 projects deploy to Vercel. After pulling the generated files into a repo, use the deploy skill (/vercel:deploy) or link the v0 project to Vercel from the v0 UI. Production deploys overwrite live URLs — confirm with the user first.

Anti-Patterns

• Never put V0_API_KEY in code, flags, or commits — env var only.
• Don't confuse the two surfaces: v0-sdk (build apps) vs @ai-sdk/vercel (use v0 as a model). They share the key and base URL but solve different jobs.
• The API spends credits/usage on every call — don't loop generations blindly; check remaining credits if calls start failing.

Reference

• Platform API overview: https://v0.app/docs/api/platform/overview
• v0-sdk package docs: https://v0.app/docs/api/platform/packages/v0-sdk
• Quickstart: https://v0.app/docs/api/platform/quickstart