App Assistant
Describe what the app should do; the assistant writes its files, declares its fields and source, and builds the workflows it needs.
The App assistant is the chat panel on the right of the app editor. You describe what the app should do; it writes the app's files into the draft, and you see the result in Preview at once. Visitors see nothing until you publish.
What it can do
- Write and edit files - pages, styles, scripts, data files. Each change appears in the chat as a line ("Writing app.js… 12 KB") and is applied to the draft straight away; there are no cards to accept.
- Declare the app's settings - the fields a form accepts, its submission options, the source workflow of a result page, the external hosts the app may call, and libraries it needs (chart, map and similar libraries are added to the app's own files).
- Update a form's markup after you change its fields in Settings - use Ask assistant to update the form there.
- Build the workflow the app needs. When the app needs your organization's data (for example a list from a connected service), the assistant creates a workflow for it: always a draft, inactive, with an App trigger bound to this app - or, for a result page, a schedule. The workflow appears as a card with its steps, input fields and what it returns; review it, then click Activate on the card (or Open it in the workflow editor first). Nothing runs until you turn it on.
- Check before publishing - run the same checks the publish dialog runs and explain each finding.
The assistant uses only the MCP servers assigned to the app's workspace. If a service you mention is configured in the organization but not assigned to the workspace, it tells you to assign it (Resources > MCP Servers) instead of working around it.
Quick starts and slash commands
An empty chat offers five quick starts. Each is also a slash command - type / in the input to see them.
| Quick start | Command | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Change the look | /look | Puts "Change the look of the app: " in the input for you to finish. |
| Add a field / section | /add | Puts "Add to the app: " in the input for you to finish. |
| Connect a workflow | /connect | Lists the workspace's workflows that fit, says what each would do here, and binds the one you pick. |
| Check before publishing | /check | Runs the publish checks, explains every finding in plain words, and fixes what it can. |
| Explain this app | /explain | What a visitor sees and can do, which workflows the app runs or shows, and what happens with a submission. |
Attachments
Attach files with the paperclip, by pasting, or by dropping them on the chat:
- Images (PNG, JPEG, WebP) - a screenshot or mock-up to copy, or an asset to put into the app ("use this as logo.png" saves it as a file of the app).
- Text files (
.txt,.json,.csv,.tsv,.md,.yaml,.xml) - sample data or a specification; the assistant reads them as context and can save them into the app.
Up to 3 images and 3 text files per message, a text file up to 256 KB. An image is sent with its message and the next two (the strip under the input shows how many more); a text file is read with its own message only. After that the assistant no longer sees it - attach it again if needed.
Stop and Edit & resend
Stop ends the assistant's turn. Files it has already written stay in the draft; the file it was writing at that moment is not saved. The chat shows what was applied ("Stopped. Applied: …"). Edit & resend puts your last message back in the input so you can rephrase it.
If you close the page while the assistant is working, the turn still finishes; reopen the app to read the answer.
What it cannot see
The assistant sees the app's files, settings and bound workflows, and the output shape of a result page's source workflow. It does not see what happens in a visitor's browser - if something fails there, describe what you see (or attach a screenshot).
Limits
Each assistant turn counts toward your plan's monthly allowance for the app's kind - AI Form Generations, AI Page Generations or AI App Generations in Settings > Usage. Building a workflow from the app chat also uses the workflow assistant's daily budget. When an allowance is used up, the chat says so; it resets at the start of the next month.
Tips
- Describe the task, not the files. "Drivers enter a vehicle number and see today's trips" works better than "make an index.html with an input".
- Let the workflow prepare the data. For a result page, ask for the workflow to end with a step that returns exactly what the page shows - the assistant does this when it builds the workflow.
- One large change per message. Big apps are written file by file; let it finish, check the preview, then ask for the next change.
Related
- Creating Apps
- Connecting Apps to Workflows
- AI Chat Assistant - the workflow editor's assistant