@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - A page template declared in the theme's `config/templates.php` is rendered by its Blade view: WordPress puts the template slug first in the page hierarchy without extension (`landing`), which Pollora looked up as a file named `landing` instead of `landing.blade.php`, so `page.blade.php` answered (pollora#159)
 - Before the database is configured, the WordPress fallback route answers 503 instead of 500 (`Call to undefined function wp_using_themes()`): with `APP_DEBUG`, a "Pollora is not set up yet" page names the missing settings (`DB_CONNECTION=mysql`, `DB_HOST`, `DB_DATABASE`, `DB_USERNAME`, `DB_PASSWORD`) and the commands to run (`pollora:env:setup`, `pollora:install`, `pollora:doctor`); without it, the application's or Laravel's 503 page. Laravel routes keep working (pollora#78)
 - `composer create-project pollora/pollora` without a database no longer ends with a failing script ("Database name is required"): Composer runs `pollora:env:setup` without a terminal, which the command now treats as non-interactive, printing the settings to fill and the commands to run (pollora#78)
+- A theme, plugin or module whose Vite build is missing (npm absent, a failed build, `public/build` deleted) no longer takes the whole site down: every request, `wp-login.php` and wp-admin included, answered 500 `Vite manifest not found` because blocks resolve their scripts while WordPress boots. A container with neither a hot file nor a manifest now gives no asset URLs (blocks register without scripts, `Asset::url()` gives an empty string), the missing build is logged once per request and an admin notice names the manifest and the commands to run (`npm run build`, `pollora:doctor`) (pollora#79)
 
 ## [v13.35.4](https://github.com/Pollora/framework/compare/v13.35.3...v13.35.4) - 2026-10-09
 
 
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Pollora\Asset\Application\Services;
+
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
+
+/**
+ * The asset containers asked for assets this request whose Vite build is missing.
+ *
+ * A theme, plugin or module that was never built (npm missing, a failed
+ * build, `public/build` deleted) has neither a hot file nor a manifest. Its
+ * assets then resolve to nothing instead of throwing, and the site stays
+ * reachable: each missing build is logged once per request and listed in
+ * wp-admin by `MissingBuildNotice`.
+ */
+class MissingBuilds
+{
+    /**
+     * Manifest path of each container whose build is missing, by container name.
+     *
+     * @var array<string, string>
+     */
+    private array $missing = [];
+
+    public function record(string $container, string $manifest): void
+    {
+        if (isset($this->missing[$container])) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $this->missing[$container] = $manifest;
+
+        Log::warning(sprintf('Pollora: the "%s" assets are not built, no Vite manifest at %s. Its scripts and styles are left out until you run npm run build.', $container, $manifest), [
+            'container' => $container,
+            'manifest' => $manifest,
+        ]);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return array<string, string> Manifest path by container name
+     */
+    public function all(): array
+    {
+        return $this->missing;
+    }
+}
@@ -8,10 +8,13 @@
 use Illuminate\Support\ServiceProvider;
 use Pollora\Asset\Application\Services\AssetManager;
 use Pollora\Asset\Application\Services\AssetRetrievalService;
+use Pollora\Asset\Application\Services\MissingBuilds;
 use Pollora\Asset\Domain\Contracts\AssetRepositoryInterface;
 use Pollora\Asset\Infrastructure\Repositories\InMemoryAssetRepository;
 use Pollora\Asset\Infrastructure\Services\AssetEnqueuer;
 use Pollora\Asset\Infrastructure\Services\RootAssetManager;
+use Pollora\Asset\UI\Http\MissingBuildNotice;
+use Pollora\Hook\Domain\Contract\Action;
 
 /**
  * Laravel service provider for asset management services and bindings.
@@ -33,6 +36,7 @@ public function register(): void
             $app->make(AssetRetrievalService::class)
         ));
         $this->app->bind(AssetEnqueuer::class, fn (Application $app): AssetEnqueuer => new AssetEnqueuer($app));
+        $this->app->singleton(MissingBuilds::class);
         $this->app->singleton(RootAssetManager::class, fn (Application $app): RootAssetManager => new RootAssetManager(
             $app->make(AssetManager::class)
         ));
@@ -44,5 +48,7 @@ public function register(): void
     public function boot(): void
     {
         $this->app->make(RootAssetManager::class)->registerRootAssets();
+
+        $this->app->make(Action::class)->add('admin_notices', [$this->app->make(MissingBuildNotice::class), 'render']);
     }
 }
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Vite;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Vite as ViteFacade;
+use Pollora\Asset\Application\Services\MissingBuilds;
 use Pollora\Asset\Domain\Contracts\ViteManagerInterface;
 use Pollora\Asset\Domain\Exceptions\AssetException;
 use Pollora\Asset\Infrastructure\Repositories\AssetContainer;
@@ -53,13 +54,7 @@ public function container(): AssetContainer
     /**
      * Gets the URLs for the specified entry points.
      *
-     * @param  array  $entrypoints  List of entry points to process
-     * @return array Array of asset URLs grouped by type (js/css)
-     *
-     * @throws AssetException When entrypoints array is empty
-     */
-    /**
-     * Gets the URLs for the specified entry points.
+     * Without a build, there are none: see isMissingBuild().
      *
      * @param  array  $entrypoints  List of entry points to process
      * @return array Array of asset URLs grouped by type (js/css)
@@ -72,6 +67,10 @@ public function getAssetUrls(array $entrypoints): array
             throw new AssetException('Entry points array cannot be empty.');
         }
 
+        if ($this->isMissingBuild()) {
+            return ['js' => [], 'css' => []];
+        }
+
         $basePath = $this->container()->getBasePath();
 
         // If basePath is empty or null, no additional processing is needed
@@ -91,14 +90,46 @@ public function getAssetUrls(array $entrypoints): array
     /**
      * Gets the URL for a specific asset path.
      *
+     * Without a build, an empty string: see isMissingBuild().
+     *
      * @param  string  $path  The asset path
      * @return string The complete asset URL
      */
     public function asset(string $path): string
     {
+        if ($this->isMissingBuild()) {
+            return '';
+        }
+
         return $this->getViteInstance()->asset($this->container()->getBasePath().$path);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Whether the container has neither a running dev server nor a manifest.
+     *
+     * Laravel's Vite throws on a missing manifest, and assets are resolved
+     * while WordPress boots (blocks register on `init`): one unbuilt theme
+     * used to answer 500 everywhere, wp-admin and wp-login.php included
+     * (Pollora/pollora#79). The missing build is recorded instead, logged
+     * once and named in wp-admin.
+     */
+    public function isMissingBuild(): bool
+    {
+        if ($this->isRunningHot()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        $manifest = public_path($this->container->getBuildDirectory().'/'.$this->container->getManifestPath());
+
+        if (is_file($manifest)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        resolve(MissingBuilds::class)->record($this->container->getName(), $manifest);
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * The URL of the Vite client on the dev server, or an empty string when Vite is not running hot.
      */
 
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Pollora\Asset\UI\Http;
+
+use Pollora\Asset\Application\Services\MissingBuilds;
+
+/**
+ * Says in wp-admin which Vite builds are missing, and how to build them.
+ *
+ * Without a build the site renders unstyled and its blocks have no editor
+ * scripts, with nothing else to say why.
+ */
+final readonly class MissingBuildNotice
+{
+    public function __construct(private MissingBuilds $missingBuilds) {}
+
+    public function render(): void
+    {
+        $missing = $this->missingBuilds->all();
+
+        if ($missing === [] || ! current_user_can('manage_options')) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $ddev = getenv('IS_DDEV_PROJECT') === 'true';
+        $build = $ddev ? 'ddev npm install && ddev npm run build' : 'npm install && npm run build';
+        $doctor = ($ddev ? 'ddev exec ' : '').'php artisan pollora:doctor';
+
+        // A theme's blocks share its build: one line per manifest
+        $containersByManifest = [];
+        foreach ($missing as $container => $manifest) {
+            $containersByManifest[$manifest][] = $container;
+        }
+
+        $items = '';
+        foreach ($containersByManifest as $manifest => $containers) {
+            $items .= sprintf(
+                '<li><code>%s</code> — %s <code>%s</code></li>',
+                esc_html(implode(', ', $containers)),
+                esc_html__('no manifest at', 'pollora'),
+                esc_html($this->relative($manifest))
+            );
+        }
+
+        printf(
+            '<div class="notice notice-warning"><p><strong>%s</strong></p><p>%s</p><ul>%s</ul><p>%s<br><code>%s</code></p><p>%s<br><code>%s</code></p></div>',
+            esc_html__('Pollora: assets not built', 'pollora'),
+            esc_html__('These Vite builds are missing, so their scripts and styles are left out: the site renders unstyled and blocks have no editor scripts.', 'pollora'),
+            $items,
+            esc_html__('Build them from the folder of the theme, plugin or module:', 'pollora'),
+            esc_html($build),
+            esc_html__('Not sure which folder? The builds check names it:', 'pollora'),
+            esc_html($doctor)
+        );
+    }
+
+    private function relative(string $path): string
+    {
+        $base = rtrim(base_path(), '/').'/';
+
+        return str_starts_with($path, $base) ? substr($path, strlen($base)) : $path;
+    }
+}
@@ -2,11 +2,18 @@
 
 declare(strict_types=1);
 
+use Brain\Monkey\Functions;
 use Illuminate\Filesystem\Filesystem;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log;
+use Pollora\Asset\Application\Services\MissingBuilds;
 use Pollora\Asset\Infrastructure\Repositories\AssetContainer;
 use Pollora\Asset\Infrastructure\Services\ViteManager;
+use Pollora\Asset\UI\Http\MissingBuildNotice;
 
 beforeEach(function (): void {
+    // AssetServiceProvider's binding: one record of missing builds per request
+    app()->singleton(MissingBuilds::class);
+
     $this->buildRoot = 'build/vite-manager-test-'.uniqid();
     $this->hotFile = sys_get_temp_dir().'/vite-manager-test-'.uniqid().'.hot';
 
@@ -69,3 +76,88 @@
         expect($theme->getViteClientHtml())->toContain('https://example.test:5173/@vite/client');
     });
 });
+
+/**
+ * A container with neither a dev server nor a manifest: the build was never
+ * run, failed, or public/build was deleted. Laravel's Vite threw while
+ * WordPress booted and every request answered 500 (Pollora/pollora#79).
+ */
+describe('ViteManager without a build', function (): void {
+    beforeEach(function (): void {
+        $this->unbuilt = new ViteManager(new AssetContainer('theme', [
+            'hot_file' => sys_get_temp_dir().'/missing-'.uniqid().'.hot',
+            'build_directory' => $this->buildRoot.'/theme',
+            'manifest_path' => 'manifest.json',
+            'base_path' => 'resources/assets/',
+        ]));
+    });
+
+    it('gives no asset URLs instead of throwing', function (): void {
+        expect($this->unbuilt->getAssetUrls(['app.js']))->toBe(['js' => [], 'css' => []])
+            ->and($this->unbuilt->asset('images/logo.svg'))->toBe('')
+            ->and($this->unbuilt->isMissingBuild())->toBeTrue();
+    });
+
+    it('records the missing build once, with its manifest', function (): void {
+        Log::spy();
+
+        $this->unbuilt->getAssetUrls(['app.js']);
+        $this->unbuilt->getAssetUrls(['editor.js']);
+        $this->unbuilt->asset('images/logo.svg');
+
+        expect(resolve(MissingBuilds::class)->all())->toBe([
+            'theme' => public_path($this->buildRoot.'/theme/manifest.json'),
+        ]);
+
+        Log::shouldHaveReceived('warning')->once();
+    });
+
+    it('records nothing for a built container or one served by the dev server', function (): void {
+        $built = new ViteManager(new AssetContainer('plugin.demo', [
+            'hot_file' => sys_get_temp_dir().'/missing-'.uniqid().'.hot',
+            'build_directory' => $this->buildRoot.'/plugin',
+            'manifest_path' => 'manifest.json',
+        ]));
+        $hot = new ViteManager(new AssetContainer('theme.hot', [
+            'hot_file' => $this->hotFile,
+            'build_directory' => $this->buildRoot.'/missing',
+            'manifest_path' => 'manifest.json',
+        ]));
+
+        expect($built->isMissingBuild())->toBeFalse()
+            ->and($hot->isMissingBuild())->toBeFalse()
+            ->and(resolve(MissingBuilds::class)->all())->toBe([]);
+    });
+});
+
+describe('MissingBuildNotice', function (): void {
+    beforeEach(function (): void {
+        Functions\when('current_user_can')->justReturn(true);
+        Functions\when('esc_html')->returnArg();
+        Functions\when('esc_html__')->returnArg();
+    });
+
+    it('names the missing build and the commands to run', function (): void {
+        resolve(MissingBuilds::class)->record('theme', base_path('public/build/theme/default/manifest.json'));
+        resolve(MissingBuilds::class)->record('theme.blocks', base_path('public/build/theme/default/manifest.json'));
+
+        ob_start();
+        resolve(MissingBuildNotice::class)->render();
+        $notice = (string) ob_get_clean();
+
+        expect($notice)
+            ->toContain('Pollora: assets not built')
+            ->toContain('theme, theme.blocks')
+            ->and(substr_count($notice, 'public/build/theme/default/manifest.json'))->toBe(1)
+            ->and($notice)
+            ->toContain('npm install && npm run build')
+            ->toContain('php artisan pollora:doctor');
+    });
+
+    it('stays silent when every build is there', function (): void {
+        ob_start();
+        resolve(MissingBuildNotice::class)->render();
+
+        expect(ob_get_clean())->toBe('');
+    });
+});