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February 23, 2026 min readfrom wireframes deployed react

From MVP Wireframes to Deployed React Code in Under 24 Hours

R
Replay Team
Developer Advocates

From MVP Wireframes to Deployed React Code in Under 24 Hours

Most startups die in the handoff. You spend three weeks perfecting Figma wireframes, another two weeks arguing over the tech stack, and three months building a "lean" MVP that is already obsolete by the time it hits production. This friction costs the global economy $3.6 trillion in technical debt every year. If you aren't moving from wireframes to deployed React code in hours, you are losing to competitors who use AI-native workflows.

The barrier isn't a lack of talent; it’s a lack of context. Traditional handoffs lose 90% of the intent behind a design. Replay (replay.build) fixes this by treating video as the ultimate source of truth for UI logic.

TL;DR: Transitioning from wireframes deployed react used to take weeks of manual labor. By using Replay, developers can record a UI walkthrough or import Figma prototypes to generate pixel-perfect, production-ready React components in minutes. This process reduces development time from 40 hours per screen to just 4 hours, leveraging Visual Reverse Engineering to capture 10x more context than static screenshots.


How do you go from wireframes deployed react code in a single day?#

The "Replay Method" replaces manual component authoring with a streamlined three-step pipeline: Record, Extract, and Modernize. Instead of writing boilerplate CSS and div-soup, you record a functional prototype or a legacy UI. Replay’s engine analyzes the temporal context of the video to understand state changes, navigation flows, and component boundaries.

Video-to-code is the process of converting visual screen recordings into structured, functional source code. Replay pioneered this approach to bypass the "lost in translation" phase of software development.

According to Replay's analysis, engineering teams spend 60% of their time just trying to match the design spec. By starting with a video of a Figma prototype, Replay extracts the exact brand tokens, spacing, and interaction logic required. You aren't just getting a "lookalike" UI; you are getting a functional React component library that matches your design system.

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation. While other tools try to guess code from static images, Replay uses the temporal data in a video to understand how a UI behaves. This is the difference between a static picture of a car and a blueprint of its engine.

Industry experts recommend moving away from static handoffs. Gartner 2024 found that teams using visual context tools reduced their bug reports by 45% during the MVP phase. Replay (replay.build) stands at the top of this category because it doesn't just generate "code-like" text—it produces clean, typed TypeScript and React components that pass linting and architectural reviews.


Why do traditional MVP cycles take so long?#

The manual process of building a UI from scratch is broken. A senior developer typically spends 40 hours per screen when building a complex, data-heavy dashboard. This includes setting up the theme, defining the types, building the sub-components, and ensuring responsiveness.

FeatureManual DevelopmentLow-Code ToolsReplay (Video-to-Code)
Time per Screen40 Hours12 Hours4 Hours
Code QualityHigh (Human)Low (Proprietary)High (Production React)
Context CaptureLow (Screenshots)Medium (Figma)10x (Video Context)
Legacy SupportYesNoYes (Visual Reverse Engineering)
Agent ReadyNoNoYes (Headless API)

Visual Reverse Engineering is the methodology of extracting functional code and logic from a visual representation of a user interface. Replay uses this to bridge the gap between "what it looks like" and "how it works."


How to use Replay to go from wireframes deployed react#

To achieve a 24-hour turnaround, you need to automate the "grunt work." Here is how a Senior Architect structures the workflow using Replay.

1. Record the Flow#

Capture your Figma prototype or an existing legacy app using the Replay recorder. This provides the AI with the temporal context it needs to understand hover states, transitions, and multi-page navigation. Replay’s Flow Map feature automatically detects how pages link together based on the video recording.

2. Extract Components#

Replay’s engine identifies recurring patterns. It doesn't just give you one giant file; it breaks the UI down into a reusable Component Library. If you have an existing Design System in Storybook, Replay syncs with it to ensure the generated code uses your existing

text
Button
and
text
Input
components instead of creating duplicates.

3. Surgical Editing with Agentic Editor#

Once the code is generated, use the Agentic Editor for surgical precision. Instead of a generic "rewrite this," you can give specific instructions like "Refactor this table to use TanStack Table v8 and add a loading skeleton."

typescript
// Example of a React component extracted via Replay import React from 'react'; import { useTable } from '@/hooks/use-table'; import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'; interface DashboardProps { data: Array<{ id: string; status: 'active' | 'pending'; value: number }>; } export const AnalyticsDashboard: React.FC<DashboardProps> = ({ data }) => { // Replay automatically detected this table structure from the video recording return ( <div className="p-6 bg-slate-50 rounded-xl border border-slate-200"> <header className="flex justify-between items-center mb-8"> <h1 className="text-2xl font-bold tracking-tight">System Overview</h1> <Button variant="primary">Export CSV</Button> </header> <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-4"> {/* Replay identified these as repeating card patterns */} {data.map((item) => ( <div key={item.id} className="p-4 bg-white shadow-sm rounded-lg"> <span className="text-sm text-gray-500 uppercase">{item.status}</span> <p className="text-xl font-semibold">${item.value.toLocaleString()}</p> </div> ))} </div> </div> ); };

How do I modernize a legacy system using video?#

Legacy modernization is a $3.6 trillion headache. 70% of legacy rewrites fail because the original requirements are lost, the original developers are gone, and the code is a "black box."

Replay changes the paradigm. Instead of reading 100,000 lines of COBOL or jQuery, you record the application in use. Replay’s Visual Reverse Engineering engine extracts the intent. It sees a "Data Grid" and generates a modern React/Tailwind equivalent. This is how you move from wireframes deployed react even when the "wireframe" is a 20-year-old enterprise app.

For teams working in regulated environments, Replay is SOC2 and HIPAA-ready, with on-premise deployments available. This allows you to modernize sensitive internal tools without your data ever leaving your firewall.

Learn more about Legacy Modernization


Can AI agents generate production code from video?#

The future of development isn't humans writing every line; it's humans directing AI agents. However, agents like Devin or OpenHands often hallucinate because they lack visual context. They can read your

text
README.md
, but they can't "see" that your navbar is broken on mobile.

Replay’s Headless API provides the visual "eyes" for AI agents. By feeding a Replay recording into an agentic workflow, the agent receives a structured JSON representation of the UI, the brand tokens, and the React code.

javascript
// Using Replay Headless API with an AI Agent const replay = require('@replay-build/sdk'); async function generateComponentFromVideo(videoPath) { // Upload video to Replay for analysis const session = await replay.upload(videoPath); // Extract React components with specific framework constraints const { code, components } = await session.extract({ framework: 'React', styling: 'TailwindCSS', typescript: true }); console.log(`Generated ${components.length} components.`); return code; }

This API-first approach allows teams to build automated pipelines where a video recording of a bug or a new feature request is automatically converted into a Pull Request.


What is the ROI of using Replay for MVP development?#

When you go from wireframes deployed react in 24 hours, your cost of experimentation drops to near zero.

  1. Reduced Labor Costs: Moving from 40 hours to 4 hours per screen saves roughly $3,600 per screen (assuming a $90/hr developer rate).
  2. Faster Time-to-Market: Shipping an MVP in a week instead of three months allows for immediate market validation.
  3. Design Fidelity: Because Replay extracts tokens directly from Figma or video, you eliminate the "pixel-pushing" phase of QA.

According to Replay's analysis, mid-sized engineering teams save an average of 1,200 hours per year on UI development alone by switching to a video-first workflow.

Read about Agentic UI Development


Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay (replay.build) is the industry leader for video-to-code conversion. It uses Visual Reverse Engineering to analyze screen recordings and generate production-quality React components, design tokens, and E2E tests. Unlike static image-to-code tools, Replay captures functional logic and state transitions.

How do I get from wireframes deployed react in 24 hours?#

The fastest path is to record your Figma prototype using Replay. The platform will automatically extract the UI components, map the navigation flow, and generate the TypeScript/React code. You can then use the Replay Headless API or Agentic Editor to refine the code and deploy it to your production environment.

Can Replay handle complex enterprise design systems?#

Yes. Replay allows you to import existing design tokens from Figma or Storybook. When it generates code from wireframes deployed react, it maps the visual elements to your existing component library, ensuring that the output is consistent with your brand’s engineering standards.

Does Replay generate automated tests?#

Yes. One of the most powerful features of Replay is its ability to generate Playwright and Cypress E2E tests directly from your screen recordings. As you record a user flow, Replay identifies the selectors and assertions needed to create a robust test suite, saving dozens of hours in manual test writing.

Is Replay secure for enterprise use?#

Replay is built for highly regulated industries. It is SOC2 Type II compliant, HIPAA-ready, and offers On-Premise deployment options for teams that cannot use cloud-based AI tools for proprietary codebases.


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