Set Up Once. Start Building.

This is for everyone who wants to build but feels overwhelmed by where to start. Especially the moms I’ve met who have ideas for things they wish existed.

A home assistant. A personal librarian. Games for your kids. Tools for your business.

This guide walks you through the setup I use: GitHub, Supabase, Netlify, and Google sign-in. Your AI agent helps with the technical work and uses the browser to do as much setup as it can. You keep control of the accounts.

TL;DR

Set aside an afternoon. Plan on $100/month for your AI coding subscription, plus $0–$34 in starting hosting and database costs. Extra usage and a custom domain cost more.

You’ll finish with a home for your code, a database for saved information, hosting for your apps, and secure sign-in. Then build your Family Assistant.

For a ready-made assistant, Meta Muse has a free starting option, and Gemini Spark offers scheduled tasks and Gmail-triggered workflows with Google AI Pro or Ultra. This walkthrough is for people who want to control their app’s code, data, and hosting, and keep building across AI providers.

Before you start

We’ll assume:

You already use ChatGPT or Claude and have budgeted for a $100/month plan for sustained building.
You’re using its coding agent in a workspace where it can create and edit files.
You have a laptop, a Google account, and a password manager.
You’ll enable the agent’s browser tools and service connections when prompted.

You handle sign-ins, verification codes, account recovery, and billing decisions. Your agent handles navigation, configuration, code, and checks.

Service	Its job
GitHub	Stores your code and its change history
Supabase	Stores persistent data and manages access
Netlify	Publishes your app at a web address
Google sign-in	Verifies who is using your app

Google sign-in identifies the person. Supabase’s access rules determine which information that person can read or change. We’ll set up both.

The setup

Seven steps, with your agent beside you

You keep the accounts. Your agent connects the pieces.

Give your agent the setup job.

You doOpen a project folder and enable browser assistance.

Agent takes overPrepare the checklist and help with each account.

Create a project folder called family-assistant on your computer and open it in your coding agent. Start a new chat.

Prompt to paste

Help me set up GitHub, Supabase, Netlify, and Google sign-in for a private family assistant.

Use your browser tools and connected services to do as much of the setup as possible. Open the relevant pages, inspect what’s on screen, fill in configuration, and verify saved changes. When I need to sign in or enter a verification code, let me take over, then continue.

I’m a beginner. Explain unfamiliar terms briefly. If browser control is unavailable, give me the exact next steps for the page I’m on.

Create a setup checklist in this project folder. Record the account and project links as we go, but keep passwords and secret values out of chat and GitHub.

Prepare only the foundation for now. We’ll build the family workflow using a separate guide.

Check: The agent can create files in your project and has explained how you’ll share browser control.

Create your GitHub account.

You doSign up and secure your account.

Agent takes overCreate the repository, connect the local folder, and save the setup files.

A repository is a project folder with a history of changes. It lets you keep your work, return to earlier versions, and hand the project to another agent.

Open GitHub signup.
Create your account and verify your email.
Choose the Free plan.
Turn on two-factor authentication and save the recovery codes.
Open New repository.
Name it family-assistant.
Choose Private.
Leave initialization options unchecked so the agent can upload the local project.
Select Create repository.

Prompt to paste

Connect this project folder to my private GitHub repository: [REPOSITORY URL].

Help me complete the browser authorization needed to save code from this computer. Create a README explaining the project and our setup progress.

Exclude credentials and local secret files. Save and push the files to GitHub, then verify they appear in the repository.

Check: Open the repository yourself. You should see the README. Bookmark it; this is the home for your code.

Create your Supabase database.

You doCreate the account and save the database password.

Agent takes overHelp configure the project and record how the app connects.

Supabase stores information after you close the app. It also lets you access the same information from your laptop and phone.

Open the Supabase dashboard.
Sign up using GitHub.
Create an organization for your personal projects and choose the Free plan.
Select New project.
Name it family-assistant.
Generate a database password and save it in your password manager.
Choose a region near you.
Create the project and wait for it to finish preparing.
Open Connect to find the Project URL and publishable key. Keys are also available under Settings → API Keys. Supabase connection details

Prompt to paste

Help me finish configuring this Supabase project for our family assistant.

Record the project link. Configure the app connection using the Project URL and publishable key.

Keep the database password and secret or service-role keys out of browser code, chat, and GitHub. Use secure configuration fields when a secret is needed.

Save database setup instructions alongside the code. Every table containing private information must have database-enforced access rules. We’ll add the family’s actual data during the build.

Check: You can open the Supabase project, and the agent has recorded its connection requirements. You now have a database ready for the app.

Set up Netlify.

You doCreate the account and authorize access to your GitHub repository.

Agent takes overPrepare a minimal app foundation and publish it.

The agent needs a small app foundation to establish the web address and configure sign-in. This will become your Family Assistant dashboard.

Prompt to paste

Prepare the minimal web app foundation for our family assistant. Include a landing page and the structure needed for Supabase Google sign-in. Do not add family features or real personal information yet.

Make it ready for Netlify, test the production build, and push it to GitHub.

Give me the exact build settings and environment variables required. Use your browser tools to help configure Netlify.

Open Netlify signup.
Sign up using GitHub and choose the Free plan.
Select Add new project → Import an existing project.
Choose GitHub.
Authorize Netlify to access the family-assistant repository.
Select that repository.
Have the agent enter or confirm the build command and publish directory.
Add the Supabase connection variables specified by the agent.
Deploy the project.

Netlify’s GitHub import workflow connects publishing to your repository. Future code changes pushed to the production branch trigger a new deployment.

Check: Open the address Netlify provides, ending in netlify.app. Your landing page should appear. Save this address for the next step.

Set up Google sign-in.

You doSign into Google and complete account verification.

Agent takes overConfigure Google and Supabase and connect the sign-in button.

OAuth is the connection that lets someone sign into your app using Google without giving your app their Google password.

Setting	Where it points
Google’s authorized redirect URI	Back to Supabase
Supabase’s Site URL and allowed redirects	Back to your app on Netlify

Have the agent copy the exact addresses from the relevant dashboards.

In Google Cloud

Open Google Cloud Console.
Create a project named Family Assistant.
Open Google Auth Platform.
Complete the initial setup with the app name, support email, and contact email.
For a personal Google account, choose External as the audience.
While setting up, use Testing and add your Google account and intended testers to the test-user list.
Open Clients → Create client.
Choose Web application.
Name the client Family Assistant Web.
Under Authorized redirect URIs, enter the callback URL shown in Supabase’s Google provider settings.
Create the client.

Google provides a Client ID and Client secret. Transfer these directly into Supabase’s configuration fields; don’t paste the secret into your coding chat.

In Supabase

Open Authentication → Sign In / Providers → Google.
Enable Google.
Enter the Google Client ID and Client secret.
Save.
Open Authentication → URL Configuration.
Set Site URL to your Netlify address.
Add the exact app return URLs provided by your agent to Redirect URLs.
Save.

These settings follow Supabase’s Google sign-in instructions and redirect configuration.

Prompt to paste

Use the browser to help finish Google sign-in for this app. Check both sides of the configuration: Google’s callback to Supabase and Supabase’s return to our Netlify app.

Request only basic identity information needed for sign-in. Implement the sign-in button, session handling, and sign-out.

Keep the Google Client secret in Supabase’s provider settings. Tell me the current Google audience and publishing status, and resolve any requirements needed before inviting the intended users.

Deploy the changes and help me try the complete sign-in flow.

This login does not grant access to Gmail or Calendar. You’ll connect those separately in the Family Assistant guide.

Check: Select Sign in with Google on your app. Complete the Google screen and confirm you return to your app signed in.

Lock down access and verify saved data.

You doIdentify the initial owner and who should eventually have access.

Agent takes overEnforce permissions in Supabase and test the deployed app.

For this setup, start with your account as the owner. Other Google accounts should not gain access to your family’s information simply by signing in.

Prompt to paste

Configure this as a private app with my account as the initial owner: [YOUR GOOGLE EMAIL].

Enforce access in the database, not just by hiding screens. Enable row-level security on private tables and use a protected membership record for access. Users must not be able to grant themselves membership.

Add a minimal setup check that saves a harmless test value to Supabase and reads it back after refreshing. Keep this separate from future family data.

Test signed-out access, owner access, and an account without permission. Verify unauthorized users cannot read or change private records through direct requests as well as the interface.

Use dedicated test identities and synthetic data for automated checks. Don’t borrow my personal browser session for automation.

Test reopening, a new tab, sign-out, and real session refresh. Record the deployed revision, environment, accounts or roles, checks, and results. Explicitly list anything blocked or unverified.

Now make your own quick check:

Sign in on your laptop and save the test value.
Close and reopen the app.
Sign in on your phone and confirm the value is there.
Change it on your phone and refresh the laptop.
Sign out.
Open the app in a private browser window and confirm private information is unavailable.

Check: Your data persists across devices, and the agent’s access tests confirm that unauthorized accounts cannot retrieve or change it.

Save the setup and start your Family Assistant.

You doKeep your account recovery information and bookmark the dashboards.

Agent takes overLeave a clear handoff so future work doesn’t depend on this chat.

Prompt to paste

Finish our setup checklist and save it with the project.

Include the GitHub repository, Supabase project, Netlify project and live address, Google Cloud project, deployment instructions, configuration variable names, database setup files, and verification results.

Document how to export and restore saved data. Keep secret values out of these files.

List any remaining setup blockers clearly. Push the completed instructions to GitHub.

Your code is in GitHub. Your persistent data lives in Supabase. Your app is hosted on Netlify. Google sign-in identifies users, and database rules protect private information. The setup is documented for whichever agent you use next.

Your first real build

Build your Family Assistant →

Connect the inbox, shared plan, and daily handoffs using the foundation you just set up.

In the same coding project, paste:

Prompt to paste

Read https://roseyao.com/agents/family-assistant and help me build this using the GitHub, Supabase, Netlify, and Google sign-in setup we just completed.

Read our setup checklist first. Reuse the existing projects and secure access rules. Use your browser tools to help with the remaining connections, and walk me through the decisions that need my input.

Check: Your setup checklist is saved in GitHub and ready for your next build.