diff --git a/pkgs/clan-app/README.md b/pkgs/clan-app/README.md
index fa409803..7d69788b 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-app/README.md
+++ b/pkgs/clan-app/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,35 @@
-# clan app
+Sure, here's an improved version of your README:
+
+# Clan App
+
+A powerful application that allows users to create and manage their own clans.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+Follow the instructions below to set up your development environment and start the application.
+
+
+1. **Navigate to the Webview UI Directory:**
+
+   Go to the `clan-core/pkgs/webview-ui/app` directory and start the web server by executing:
+
+   ```bash
+   vite
+   ```
+
+2. **Start the Clan App:**
+
+   In the `clan-app` directory, execute the following command:
+
+   ```bash
+   clan-app --debug --content-uri http://localhost:3000
+   ```
+
+This will start the application in debug mode and link it to the web server running at `http://localhost:3000`.
+
+
+
+# clan app (old)
 
 Provides users with the simple functionality to manage their locally registered clans.
 
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/app.py b/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/app.py
index ae7da49c..bd433959 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/app.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/app.py
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ from clan_app.singletons.toast import InfoToast, ToastOverlay
 gi.require_version("Gtk", "4.0")
 gi.require_version("Adw", "1")
 
+from pathlib import Path
+
 from clan_cli.custom_logger import setup_logging
 from gi.repository import Adw, Gdk, Gio, Gtk
 
@@ -47,6 +49,19 @@ class MainApplication(Adw.Application):
             None,
         )
 
+        self.add_main_option(
+            "content-uri",
+            GLib.OptionFlags.NONE,
+            GLib.OptionFlags.NONE,
+            GLib.OptionArg.STRING,
+            "set the webview content uri",
+            None,
+        )
+
+        site_index: Path = (
+            Path(__file__).parent.parent / Path("clan_app/.webui/index.html")
+        ).resolve()
+        self.content_uri = f"file://{site_index}"
         self.window: MainWindow | None = None
         self.connect("activate", self.on_activate)
         self.connect("shutdown", self.on_shutdown)
@@ -82,13 +97,21 @@ class MainApplication(Adw.Application):
                 InfoToast("Debug logging enabled").toast, "info.debugging.enabled"
             )
 
+        if "content-uri" in options:
+            self.content_uri = options["content-uri"]
+            log.debug(f"Setting content uri to {self.content_uri}")
+
         args = command_line.get_arguments()
 
         self.activate()
 
+        # Check if there are arguments that are not inside the options
         if len(args) > 1:
-            uri = args[1]
-            self.emit("join_request", uri)
+            non_option_args = [arg for arg in args[1:] if arg not in options.values()]
+            if non_option_args:
+                uri = non_option_args[0]
+                self.emit("join_request", uri)
+
         return 0
 
     def on_window_hide_unhide(self, *_args: Any) -> None:
@@ -106,7 +129,9 @@ class MainApplication(Adw.Application):
     def on_activate(self, source: "MainApplication") -> None:
         if not self.window:
             self.init_style()
-            self.window = MainWindow(config=ClanConfig(initial_view="webview"))
+            self.window = MainWindow(
+                config=ClanConfig(initial_view="webview", content_uri=self.content_uri)
+            )
             self.window.set_application(self)
 
         self.window.show()
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/components/interfaces.py b/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/components/interfaces.py
index 28bd4649..bd4866c3 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/components/interfaces.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/components/interfaces.py
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ gi.require_version("Gtk", "4.0")
 @dataclass
 class ClanConfig:
     initial_view: str
+    content_uri: str
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/views/webview.py b/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/views/webview.py
index 8f0a883b..887742be 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/views/webview.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/views/webview.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import dataclasses
 import json
 import logging
-import sys
 import threading
 from collections.abc import Callable
 from dataclasses import fields, is_dataclass
@@ -18,10 +17,6 @@ gi.require_version("WebKit", "6.0")
 
 from gi.repository import Gio, GLib, Gtk, WebKit
 
-site_index: Path = (
-    Path(sys.argv[0]).absolute() / Path("../..") / Path("clan_app/.webui/index.html")
-).resolve()
-
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
@@ -201,7 +196,7 @@ def from_dict(t: type, data: dict[str, Any] | None) -> Any:
 
 
 class WebView:
-    def __init__(self, methods: dict[str, Callable]) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, content_uri: str, methods: dict[str, Callable]) -> None:
         self.method_registry: dict[str, Callable] = methods
 
         self.webview = WebKit.WebView()
@@ -217,7 +212,7 @@ class WebView:
         self.manager.register_script_message_handler("gtk")
         self.manager.connect("script-message-received", self.on_message_received)
 
-        self.webview.load_uri(f"file://{site_index}")
+        self.webview.load_uri(content_uri)
 
         # global mutex lock to ensure functions run sequentially
         self.mutex_lock = Lock()
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/windows/main_window.py b/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/windows/main_window.py
index 211edacd..718780f5 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/windows/main_window.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-app/clan_app/windows/main_window.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class MainWindow(Adw.ApplicationWindow):
         # Override platform specific functions
         API.register(open_file)
 
-        webview = WebView(methods=API._registry)
+        webview = WebView(methods=API._registry, content_uri=config.content_uri)
 
         stack_view.add_named(webview.get_webview(), "webview")
         stack_view.set_visible_child_name(config.initial_view)
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-app/shell.nix b/pkgs/clan-app/shell.nix
index 667f82e7..f1043fd8 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-app/shell.nix
+++ b/pkgs/clan-app/shell.nix
@@ -61,9 +61,7 @@ mkShell {
     export PYTHONPATH="$GIT_ROOT/pkgs/clan-cli":"$PYTHONPATH"
 
     # Add the webview-ui to the .webui directory
-    rm -rf ./clan_app/.webui/*
-    mkdir -p ./clan_app/.webui
-    cp -a ${webview-ui}/lib/node_modules/@clan/webview-ui/dist/* ./clan_app/.webui
-    chmod -R +w ./clan_app/.webui
+    ln -nsf ${webview-ui}/lib/node_modules/@clan/webview-ui/dist/ ./clan_app/.webui
+
   '';
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/webview-ui/flake-module.nix b/pkgs/webview-ui/flake-module.nix
index 97811fea..69be07bb 100644
--- a/pkgs/webview-ui/flake-module.nix
+++ b/pkgs/webview-ui/flake-module.nix
@@ -32,6 +32,27 @@
           self'.devShells.default
         ];
         shellHook = ''
+          export GIT_ROOT="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
+          export PKG_ROOT="$GIT_ROOT/pkgs/webview-ui"
+          export NODE_PATH="$PKG_ROOT/app/node_modules"
+          export PATH="$NODE_PATH/.bin:$PATH"
+
+          # Define the yellow color code
+          YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+          # Define the reset color code
+          NC='\033[0m'
+
+          # Check if the directory does not exist
+          if [ ! -d "$PKG_ROOT/app/node_modules" ]; then
+            echo -e "$YELLOW The directory $PKG_ROOT/app/node_modules does not exist.$NC"
+            echo -e "$YELLOW Please run 'npm install' in the app directory.$NC"
+            echo -e "$YELLOW This will install the necessary dependencies.$NC"
+            echo -e "$YELLOW To serve the webview run 'vite'.$NC"
+          else
+            echo "The directory $PKG_ROOT/app/node_modules exists."
+          fi
+
+
           mkdir -p ./app/api
           cat ${config.packages.clan-ts-api} > ./app/api/index.ts
         '';