> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vlyai-1c28d863.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How recipes work

> The structure of every recipe — what to expect, time estimates, prerequisites.

Every recipe is a **complete, end-to-end build** for a specific app shape. The structure is the same:

<Steps>
  <Step title="What you'll build">
    A short description and a screenshot of the finished product.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prerequisites">
    What you need (vly account, third-party accounts, env vars, time estimate).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Step-by-step build">
    A series of prompts you submit to vly, with what to expect after each.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Testing">
    How to verify the feature works end-to-end.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Going further">
    Variations and extensions you might want next.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Difficulty levels

* **Beginner** (\~30 min): single-feature builds; assumes [Quickstart](/getting-started/quickstart).
* **Intermediate** (\~45–60 min): multi-feature; assumes [Prompting fundamentals](/prompting/fundamentals).
* **Advanced** (\~75–90 min): complex flows (Stripe Connect, real-time, AI tool calling).

## Tips

<Tip>
  **Recipes are prompts to a real model.** The exact code vly produces will vary. The recipe describes the architecture and verification steps; trust the agent for the implementation.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  **Combine recipes.** A "marketplace with chat" is the marketplace recipe + the realtime chat recipe stacked.
</Tip>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Cookbook overview" icon="utensils-crossed" href="/recipes/overview">
    All recipes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prompting fundamentals" icon="message-square" href="/prompting/fundamentals">
    Background reading.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/getting-started/quickstart">
    The five-minute starter.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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