Design tool evolution timeline and feature releases

Claude 4.5 Opus is temporarily available at the same price as other models — get smarter code suggestions and faster iteration. Tip: we still recommend Gemini 3 when you’re designing user interfaces.

Upscale images up to 4K and remix visuals with Nano Banana Pro to get higher-resolution assets and fresh variations instantly. Ideal for heroes, presentations, and pixel-perfect exports.

We’re actively surfacing great templates created by the community. Featured designs are getting major traction — some have reached 1k+ views — so it’s easier than ever to discover and be discovered.

Bio links are now automatically detected and clickable, and you can add a website and location in the settings modal — making profiles clearer and more useful for collaborators and viewers.

You can now unpublish designs when you’re not ready to share them publicly. Keep drafts private while you iterate, then publish again when they’re ready.

Gemini 3 is now available in Aura. It delivers crisper detail and better composition — for the best output use the prompt builder, include @ references, or attach an image for reference. This makes creative prompts more reliable and speeds up iteration.

Image-to-HTML now supports Gemini 3 and Claude 4.5 in addition to GPT 5.1. That means more model options for converting designs into clean HTML, improving accuracy and giving you flexibility to pick the result you prefer.

Brand-ready color icon sets have been added for logos, skills, flags and square icons. These make it faster to drop in consistent company and skill icons across projects, saving time when building UI and prototype screens.

Gradients are now remembered and previews update as you adjust them. You can easily apply the same angle or direction across multiple elements, keeping visual consistency and reducing repetitive edits.

GPT 5.1 is now the default model: responses are significantly faster and image-to-HTML conversion is nearly instant, so you can iterate designs and prototypes without waiting.

Introduce an infinite canvas to build beautiful, flowable presentations directly from your designs. Arrange artboards, add notes, and export sequences to share polished presentations without leaving Aura.

Quickly place your designs into realistic desktop, tablet, and mobile mockups with one click. Customize overlays and animated backgrounds to make presentations feel dynamic and professional.

A modern, clearer layout for Pricing and Learn pages that helps teams compare plans, discover features, and find tutorials faster — so new users get up to speed and teams can choose the right plan with confidence.

Create a beautiful Liquid Glass finish on any container with easy controls for blur, tint, sheen, noise and edge hardness — perfect for adding depth and a premium feel to your designs.

Apply gradients to borders and text (not just fills) and choose from redesigned linear, radial and conic presets. The new presets and simpler controls make it faster to build modern, on-trend color treatments.

New Solar icon family includes six styles: outline, bold, bold duotone, broken, line duotone and linear, so you can match icons to any visual language or theme with consistent weight and expression.

To reduce abuse and control rising costs, free user limits have been reduced from 20/min to 10/min and from 5/day to 3/day. We believe these limits still give new users enough room to try Aura while keeping the service sustainable.

A brand-new prompt experience that lets you compose using full code inclusion of templates, components, assets, chats, and code snippets — all in one place. Quickly reference and combine pieces to speed up design iteration and keep context directly inside the prompt.

Easily blend layers into the background with intuitive sliders for alpha masking. Get smooth, real-time previews and fine-grained control over how elements fade and merge, making compositing faster and more predictable.

New options for Z-Index, Pointer Events, Opacity, and Blend Mode give you precise control over stacking order, interactivity, and visual blending of backgrounds. These controls make it simpler to manage complex layouts and tailor how elements behave and appear.

Fixed an issue where animated layers exported to Figma could appear at 0% opacity. Animated content now preserves its intended opacity and visibility during export, ensuring what you design is what you share.

Choose to edit only specific parts of your HTML instead of regenerating the whole file. This speeds up iteration, reduces risk on large projects, and keeps unrelated code unchanged.

Image generation now produces up to 4 variations using Ideogram, Nano Banana, and Flux Kontext so you get more options faster. We've removed GPT-1-Image from the default flow due to cost and speed, focusing on more practical models.

You can now upload multiple images at once and the file limit has been raised from 2MB to 10MB. This makes it easier to add high-quality assets and bulk-import image sets.

Editing text elements now supports inner HTML like spans and embedded images, and inline editing has been improved for more accurate, WYSIWYG updates. Keep complex markup intact while editing visually.

Attachment previews now include larger thumbnails and a full-view modal so you can inspect images more easily before placing or exporting them. Faster visual review reduces mistakes and speeds up selection.

Pro, Max, Ultra and Elite plans now include additional monthly prompts that match or exceed the free plan, giving paid users more creative fuel each month and better value from their subscription.

You can now create and edit your designs from your phone — toolbars and panels have been adapted for smaller screens so you can design comfortably on the go.

Save and insert preset code and instructions for manual edits or let the AI apply them for you. Snippets include border gradients, animations, progressive blur, gradient alpha masks and more to speed up advanced styling.

The watermark is now minimized by default with a hover interaction, making shared previews cleaner and less intrusive while still protecting your work.

Resolved several layout issues on Mobile Safari and improved touch interactions across phones so panels, zoom, and gestures behave more reliably during editing.

We’ve released Claude 4.5 for everyone — a more capable assistant that helps with code, design suggestions, and smarter completions so you get better results faster.

Use GPT Image 1, Nano Banana, and Flux Kontext Pro to remix and generate image variations right inside Design Mode and the Assets pages, making visual experimentation quick and seamless.

Purchase credits that never expire — use them whenever you want with no subscription required. Great for occasional users and teams who want predictable, one-time payment flexibility.

Quickly select an element's parent, siblings, or children to find floating items and move through layers with ease. This makes layout debugging and layer navigation much faster and less fiddly.

Copy an entire template including all pages so you can explore the original design and view the source code. Great for learning, rapid iteration, and creating new projects from a complete starting point.

Search and insert from an ever-growing collection of 15,000 high-quality stock images curated by Aura. Quickly find visuals that fit your design and speed up mockups and final layouts.

Upload backgrounds, avatars, logos and more — including images with transparency — directly into your project. Use your branded assets instantly and mix them with Aura's library for maximum flexibility.

Open and edit the full code of a selected element right from Design Mode. Make precise customizations without leaving the visual context, so changes are faster and easier to validate.

Script and Style elements now appear in the Layers panel for better discoverability and control. Manage, hide, or lock these assets alongside your other elements to keep projects organized.

Edit directly on the breakpoint you're in — Aura now detects which Tailwind breakpoints apply so your responsive tweaks happen in context. This removes guesswork and speeds up building layouts for different screen sizes.

See margin, padding, gap and position measurements right in the canvas. Click any overlay to jump straight to its edit input for faster, more precise spacing adjustments.

Design Mode now works on mobile devices so you can preview and edit layouts natively on small screens. Make responsive changes where they matter most and verify touch interactions on the go.

Use Command + Click in Design Mode to interact with buttons and components without leaving editing mode. Test states like hide/unhide menus and toggles to validate behavior during design.

New position options let you switch elements between relative and absolute and set Top/Right/Bottom/Left values directly. This gives more control over layout placement without extra CSS work.

Embed Images, Unicorn / Spline components, and Videos anywhere in your layout — and add Element IDs or Inline CSS from the edit popover. This makes it simple to add rich content and fine-tune styles for handoff and production.

Add motion to your prototypes with seven built-in transitions: instant, fade, slide, scale, blur, push, and wipe. Each transition is easy to apply and helps convey flow and hierarchy so users understand navigation naturally.

Save more when you commit annually — teams can now choose an annual billing option and get a 17% discount. Ideal for teams who want predictable costs and long-term access to Aura’s pro features.

Preview responsive breakpoints directly in Design Mode to speed up layout checks without switching contexts. Copy and paste now works across Pages, letting you reuse components and layouts across your project instantly.

Choose the AI model that best fits your remixing needs from the Remix popover. This gives you more control over generated suggestions and helps tailor automated edits to your style.

You can now manage imported fonts from the Fonts popover — preview, remove, or organize them in one place. Plus, add and edit Unicorn Studio embeds directly, making it easier to integrate rich media and external scenes into your designs.

Work faster with four new shortcuts: Paste After (⌘⇧V), Paste to Replace (⌘⇧R), Publish Code (⌘⇧U), and Select Parent (⌘ Esc). These shortcuts reduce repetitive clicks and help power users move through tasks much more quickly.

Create and organize multiple pages for a single site and convert pages into standalone projects. This lets you build multi‑section sites, manage structure more easily, and reuse pages across projects.

Turn any element (buttons, images, text) into a clickable Link that navigates to another sub‑page on click. Navigation is simple to set up and makes building multi‑page flows fast and intuitive.

Share has been replaced by Publish. Publishing now updates the future live version instead of creating a new share every time, so edits feel seamless and your published site stays current without managing many links.

Published sites now get clean, memorable subdomains that are easier to share and remember. You get a stable URL that persists across updates, making collaboration and public sharing simpler.

Two new plans designed for heavy users who push limits: Ultra and Elite. These plans offer increased capacity so power users can run many more prompts without disruption.

Edit Size, Max Size, Opacity, Blending Mode, Ring, Saturation and Brightness for individual layers. This gives you precise control to mix elements, tweak visuals, and get the exact look you want.

Apply Hue, Blur, Saturation and Brightness to any background to craft more compelling hero images. Subtle or dramatic adjustments help your designs stand out and match brand tone.

Over 100 new logos added to the library to help sites look professional instantly. Use Multiply and Screen blend modes to seamlessly integrate logos with any background color.

View the full structure of your page without opening code. Filter by elements, tags, or specific Tailwind classes to quickly find and navigate parts of your design.

Components are now publicly browsable to anyone on your team or project. Open, edit component code and customize styling directly to speed up collaboration and reuse.

Click Replace on an element and Aura will search for matching components automatically—for example, clicking a button will surface button components first—making swaps faster and more relevant.

Upgrade from Pro to Max immediately when you run out of prompts instead of waiting for the next month. Get back to work without interruption.

Due to a 4× increase in API token costs, we will be increasing the monthly price for Pro to $20/month and Max to $40/month soon. We know price changes are never fun — this helps us keep delivering fast AI-powered features and maintain the high quality you expect.

Carefully crafted templates designed to jumpstart projects and ensure professional results. Premium templates are available exclusively to Pro and Max members and save time on layout, style, and structure.

You can now create components and reuse them across your designs to keep consistency and speed up editing. Components make updates effortless and help teams maintain a unified look without repeating work.

We added over 20 new high-quality backgrounds created with Unicorn Studio and Spline. They deliver a richer, more premium feel and give your designs instant polish.

The bottom bar in shared templates is now a floating control in the bottom-right corner, freeing up canvas space and reducing visual clutter. The change keeps tools accessible while letting your designs breathe.

Browse an initial catalog of 300+ beautiful, customizable components you can use to replace elements in your designs instantly. Components keep styling and layout consistent while speeding up iteration and empowering design reuse.

The context menu now includes Copy/Paste Properties, Paste to Replace, and Copy Code for fast, targeted actions. These options reduce repetitive work and make it simple to transfer styles or replace elements without leaving the canvas.

Icon picker now lets you edit width and height and toggle aspect ratio for pixel-perfect icons. Resize and lock proportions directly from the picker so icons fit your layout exactly as intended.

Fixed an issue where very large SVGs could fail to preview correctly in the icon picker. Previews are now stable and reliable for large and complex SVG assets.

The Aura image library now includes 7,000+ curated images to inspire and populate your designs. More variety means faster mockups and richer visual storytelling.

Output limits are now four times larger so you can generate entire landing pages and multi-section designs in a single run, reducing the need for repeated continuations.

Attach an image and get HTML generated immediately—no long wait. This is a major upgrade powered by GPT-5 that speeds up mock-to-code workflows.

Code generation now shows thinking texts to surface reasoning steps, which is especially helpful with reasoning models like GPT-5, o3, and Gemini 2.5 Pro for clearer, more reliable output.

Standard and Premium prompts are now unified as AI prompts. Since code generations read the full context (now 4X), the old standard prompt model doesn’t make sense anymore—all prompts are now more expensive to run. But you can now one-shot landing pages!

Fonts, Colors and Assets popovers are now draggable, giving you more control over your workspace and making design adjustments smoother and more comfortable.

GPT-5 is now available! This cutting-edge model rivals Claude 4 for UI and offers a faster variant, GPT-5 Mini, for general tasks. Switch between models to discover unique styles and enhance your design workflow.

We've doubled the maximum output tokens, allowing you to generate even longer and more detailed pages. Say goodbye to limitations and hello to expansive creativity!

Aura is now faster for our US users! With our new load-balanced server setup, you can expect improved responsiveness and efficiency in your design tasks.

The Add/Edit Prompt feature now includes model selection, as well as options to attach files and import from Figma, streamlining your design process like never before.

Search through the Aura library more effectively with our new resolution filters and support for multiple keywords. Finding the perfect asset has never been easier!

We've added over 1000 new images and 10 Spline assets to the Aura library, giving you an even richer selection to choose from for your projects.

Dive into our newly launched image library, offering a collection of 1400+ breathtaking, high-resolution images to enhance your web design projects.

Easily request new design components with the new Add Prompt popover, allowing you to ask AI for additional elements right after your selected design item.

Resolved an issue where editing Tailwind classes in Design Mode would reset visual settings. Now, everything stays in sync for a smoother design experience.

Introducing a handy context menu that allows you to copy, duplicate, paste, and delete elements seamlessly with a right-click in Design Mode.

Added new drop shadows and font sizes for greater design flexibility, along with overall stability improvements to enhance your user experience.

New domain for Aura: aura.build. We changed to avoid confusion with another domain with similar name. We try our best to be accommodating to our friends.

You can now incorporate video and spline assets into specific elements, not just backgrounds. This allows for richer, more dynamic designs that engage your audience.

Add a personal touch with hue and blur customization for your backgrounds. This feature gives you the flexibility to create stunning visuals that perfectly match your vision.

We've resolved the issues where updating a design would unintentionally scroll back to the top or misplace labels. Enjoy a seamless editing experience without interruptions!

Introducing a duplicate button that allows you to instantly copy your current selection into a new element. Speed up your workflow and enhance your productivity effortlessly.

Animate your designs with stunning 3D Spline backgrounds, adding depth and a modern touch to your creations.

Now you can enhance your projects with video backgrounds by simply using a video URL, making your designs more dynamic.

Experience new gradient options with Radial and Conic gradients. Customize with presets and adjust angles to create the perfect look.

Easily access a variety of preset color palettes in Selection Colors, streamlining your design process and enhancing visual appeal.

Selecting an Unsplash image now automatically adapts to the appropriate retina resolution, saving you time and effort.

When changing images, the tool now remembers your last search state for Unsplash, allowing for a smoother browsing experience.

You can now effortlessly theme your generated designs with preset font pairings, colors, and images, just like Figma. This feature allows for quick replacements of any fonts, colors, or images, streamlining your design process.

Introducing new previews for desktop, tablet, and mobile in Preview Mode! This enhancement helps you visualize your designs across different devices, ensuring a consistent look and feel.

The new Play/Pause feature allows you to make edits without refreshing animations each time. This means you can iterate more quickly and efficiently, keeping your creative flow uninterrupted.

We've enhanced the Screen Capture feature with a resizing option for better sharing. Now you can easily adjust the size of your captures to fit your needs.

The release includes a new feature for broken image detection and replacement, ensuring that your designs remain polished and professional at all times.

We've improved Pro detection for the Export to Figma feature, now supporting Auto Layout. This ensures a smoother transition of your designs into Figma, making collaboration even easier.

Introducing the Edit Prompt feature, allowing you to swiftly iterate on specific design elements for more efficient workflows.

When your prompt output exceeds the limit, you can now easily Continue Generating the code, ensuring you never lose your creative flow.

Small previews now come with a Play button to showcase animations, enhancing your design presentation. This feature is off by default to optimize performance.

You can now reposition the Design Mode properties window, allowing for a more personalized and accessible workspace.

We've enhanced the prompting process for Create, Iterate, and Remix options, giving you better guidance and results.

The maximum image upload size has been increased from 1MB to 2MB, giving you more flexibility in your design assets.

Fixed the infinite scrolling issue for Chrome browsers, ensuring a smoother user experience.

The o3 model is now the default, enhancing your design process with superior vision and performance. Get ready to experience the future of design!

You can now effortlessly copy your Aura designs from the Editor's Export menu and paste them directly into Figma, saving you valuable time and enhancing your workflow!

Resolved the issue where clicking on 'Attach image or HTML' was unresponsive, ensuring a smoother and more reliable user experience.

New creations now come with improved default prompt engineering, providing clear instructions on fonts, styles, icons, and charts, making it easier to achieve your desired results.

Our improved preview feature now eliminates flashes during generation, especially for Chrome users, ensuring a seamless design experience.

The Icon Picker now displays color, size, and weight in real-time, with added backgrounds for light and dark icons, making it easier to customize your designs.

Discover our brand-new Icons Panel, giving you access to thousands of icons to easily replace and enhance your designs, bringing a fresh perspective to your creative process.

Effortlessly copy (Cmd + C) and paste (Cmd + V) design elements, allowing for a more fluid and intuitive editing experience.

Quickly duplicate elements with Cmd + D and delete them using cmd + backspace, giving you greater control over your design without hassle.

New sidebar button to disable chat history, maximizing your workspace for design and code modes, ensuring a distraction-free environment.

Pro users will benefit from improved Image to HTML conversion using our advanced o3 model, making it easier to create stunning web designs from images.

Never worry about mistakes again! Our new Undo/Redo feature allows you to easily revert changes and experiment freely in your designs.

Enhance your color choices with gradients now available in the color picker, allowing for more vibrant and visually appealing designs.

Expand your typography options with the addition of two new fonts, Instrument Serif and Playfair, perfect for creating unique and stylish text elements.

Transform your images into HTML code effortlessly, streamlining your workflow and enhancing your design capabilities.

Collaborate more effectively by attaching up to two HTML files directly within your design, making sharing and feedback easier than ever.

Easily click on the code to target specific sections for edits, streamlining your workflow and enhancing your visual reference.

Set breakpoints in your code to debug effectively and gain better control over the execution of your programs.

Quickly find any piece of code with the new search functionality (cmd + F), making navigation effortless.

Select all instances of a specific code snippet with a simple command (cmd + D), allowing for faster edits across your entire project.

Introducing a dedicated Transforms section with intuitive controls for Translate, Rotate, Scale, and Skew, allowing for precise manipulations of your design elements.

Enhance your designs with a variety of effects such as blur, backdrop filter, grayscale, and invert. Apply stunning visual effects with just a click!

Experience seamless editing with a contextual menu that intelligently follows the position of the selected element, providing quick access to relevant tools.

Edit Tailwind CSS code directly within the design interface, bridging the gap between visual design and code for a more integrated workflow.

Utilize our new Color Picker specifically designed for Tailwind colors, giving you precise control over your color palettes with ease.