Fix: Bolt WebContainer Crashed or Frozen
Quick Answer
Hard refresh the page: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac). If that doesn't work, close the tab, clear browser cache for bolt.new, and open a new project. Copy your last prompt to restart.
Quick Fix Summary
| Issue | WebContainer crashed |
| Fastest fix | Hard refresh |
| Use this page if | Bolt preview shows 'WebContainer crashed' or goes blank |
Symptoms
- !Bolt preview shows 'WebContainer crashed' or goes blank
- !Terminal is unresponsive
- !Preview stuck on loading spinner indefinitely
- !Browser tab using excessive memory (2GB+)
Step-by-Step Fix
Hard refresh
Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac). This forces a full reload of the WebContainer environment. Wait 10-15 seconds for it to reinitialize.
Clear bolt.new data
If refresh doesn't work: Settings > Privacy & Security > Site Settings > bolt.new > Clear data. This removes corrupted WebContainer state.
Check for infinite loops
If your code has a while(true) or recursive function without a base case, it crashes the WebContainer. Ask Bolt to 'check for infinite loops in the code and add proper exit conditions.'
Use Chrome
Bolt works best in Chrome. Safari and Firefox have WebContainer compatibility issues. If you're on another browser, switch to Chrome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bolt auto-saves your project. After refreshing, your code should still be there. If not, check the project in your Bolt dashboard — previous versions may be recoverable.
Most crashes are caused by: infinite loops in generated code, memory-intensive operations, or browser compatibility issues. Chrome handles WebContainers most reliably.
Related
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