Stop Using ChatGPT: How to Enable "Artifacts" in Claude 3.5 to Build Apps in Seconds
I’ve been a loyal ChatGPT user since day one. It changed how I write emails and brainstorm ideas. But this week, I cancelled my subscription.
Why? Because Claude 3.5 Sonnet (by Anthropic) just introduced a feature called "Artifacts," and it fundamentally changes the game for non-programmers.
With ChatGPT, if you ask for code, you get a boring block of text. You have to copy it, open a code editor, paste it, save it, and run it just to see if it works. It’s a hassle.
Claude Artifacts is different. It actually renders the app right next to the chat window. You can build a Pomodoro timer, a financial dashboard, or a snake game in 30 seconds, and play with it immediately without leaving your browser.
Here is why this is the future of coding, and how you can enable it right now.
1. What Are "Artifacts"? (It’s Not Just Code)
Think of Artifacts as a dedicated workspace. When you ask Claude to generate content like code, documents, or vector graphics, it separates them from the chat conversation.
Standard Chat: Great for questions and answers.
Artifacts Window: A live preview window that appears on the right. If you ask for a website design, it shows the actual website, not just the HTML code.
2. How to Enable Artifacts (Step-by-Step)
By default, this feature might be turned off depending on when you created your account.
Go to Claude.ai and sign up (it’s free to try).
Click on your Initials/Profile Icon in the bottom left corner.
Select "Feature Preview" from the menu.
Find "Artifacts" and toggle the switch to ON.
Start a new chat.
3. The Test: Building a Bitcoin ROI Calculator
I wanted to test if a complete beginner could build a useful tool. I typed this prompt:
"Create a modern, dark-mode ROI calculator for Bitcoin investments. Make it interactive with sliders for 'Years Held' and 'Initial Investment'. Show a projected profit graph at the bottom."
The Result: In about 5 seconds, Claude didn't just write code. It launched a fully functional app in the sidebar.
I could drag the sliders.
The numbers updated in real-time.
The graph animated beautifully.
I didn't have to open VS Code or install Python. It just worked.
4. The "Magic" of Real-Time Editing
This is where Claude destroys ChatGPT. Let's say you don't like the color of the app. You don't need to rewrite the code. You just talk to it.
My Prompt: "Change the background to a deep blue gradient and add a 'Download Report' button."
Claude's Action: It updated the app instantly in the preview window. It feels like working with a human developer sitting next to you.
5. Three Things You Can Build Right Now
Stuck on ideas? Here are three things I built in under 10 minutes using Artifacts:
A Pomodoro Timer: Ask for a timer with custom breaks and lofi-style aesthetics.
SEO Keyword Dashboard: Paste your CSV data and ask Claude to visualize it into a pie chart or heatmap.
SVG Graphics: Ask for a "Vector icon of a futuristic robot" and it will draw it using code that you can download as an SVG file for your website.
Pro Tip: Once you build a tool, you might want to automate how you use it. For example, connecting your new dashboard to Google Sheets. Learn how in our guide: [Zapier Tutorial 2025: How to Automate Your Boring Work].
6. Limitations: What It Can't Do (Yet)
While Artifacts is amazing, it's primarily a Frontend tool.
It uses React (Javascript), HTML, and CSS.
It cannot connect to a real database (like SQL) or store user logins permanently.
It is perfect for Prototypes, Calculators, and Visualizers, but not for building a full social media platform like Facebook.
Conclusion
ChatGPT is still great for writing text, but for building products, Claude 3.5 is currently the undisputed king. If you are a content creator, you can use this to make free tools for your audience to boost your website traffic.
Go enable it, build something cool, and share it with the world.
What is the first app you are going to build?