> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://studio.assembly.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build your first app

This is the fastest way to understand what the Assembly Studio app builder does. Pick something small — a contact form, a simple tracker, a checklist. You'll get a working app and a feel for the build flow, and you can throw it away after.

<Tip>
  Don't overthink your first prompt. You can iterate on the app after it's built, and you can always start a new one. The goal here is to get through the loop once.
</Tip>

## Before you start

* An Assembly Studio workspace with admin access. If you're not an admin, ask your workspace owner to invite you with admin rights.
* A test client email you control (a personal Gmail works). You'll use it to see what your clients see.

## Walkthrough

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the app builder">
    From your Assembly Studio Dashboard, click **Add App** in the left sidebar. You'll land on the app builder, which has two tabs: **Build** (where you create a new app from a prompt) and **Explore** (where you add existing built-in apps and embeds). Stay on the **Build** tab — you'll see a prompt box and a row of templates.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Describe your app">
    Type what you want in plain English. Be specific about the outcome, vague about the implementation.

    Good: "A weekly check-in app where each client fills out a short form on Monday, and our team sees everyone's responses in a dashboard with red flags surfaced at the top."

    Less good: "A form."

    If you'd rather start from a template, pick one from the row below the prompt box. Templates are starting points — you'll still get a chance to shape them.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Answer a few questions">
    The app builder runs a short interview before building. Expect one to three questions about how your team works, what counts as a trigger event, or which audience the app is really for.

    Answer with your real workflow. The questions are how the app builder tailors the app to your firm instead of a generic version.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the plan">
    The app builder returns a one-page plan: what the app does, who uses it, the core flows, the notifications. Read it. If something is wrong, say so in the chat and the plan will update.

    Don't try to make the plan perfect. It's a starting point. You'll be able to change anything after the app is built.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start building">
    Click Start Building. The build takes a few minutes. You'll see tasks complete in real time and a live preview that updates as the app comes together.

    Some apps will pause partway through to ask for an API key or your approval on a sensitive task. If yours does, follow the prompt; the build resumes automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open your app">
    When the build finishes, your app installs into your workspace and appears in the Dashboard sidebar. Click into it to use it as an internal user.

    If you built a client-facing app, you'll see two views: a global view (what your team sees in the sidebar) and a per-client view (what your team sees inside a client's record).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Try it as a client">
    Don't skip this step. The client view is half the app. Head to [Try the client experience](/docs/getting-started/try-the-contact-experience) and see what your clients will see.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What just happened

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The app builder interviewed you, then built a plan">
    The product agent asked the minimum number of questions needed to scope the app. A separate build agent took the plan and generated the actual code — with knowledge of Assembly Studio's CRM, auth, and notification system baked in.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Your app got a real database">
    Apps that need to store data get their own database, provisioned during the build. Your data is yours, scoped to your workspace.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Your app inherited your workspace">
    Branding, clients, companies, internal roles, notifications — none of that needed to be configured. The app picked it up from your Assembly Studio workspace.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Your app installed itself">
    Apps you build install into your workspace the same way built-in apps do. You can configure visibility, hide it from clients while you test, or uninstall it like any other app.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Try the client experience" icon="user" href="/docs/getting-started/try-the-contact-experience">
    See your app from the client's side. Essential before showing it to a real client.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Iterate on your app" icon="arrows-rotate" href="/docs/building-new-apps/iterating-on-apps">
    Refine, add features, fix what's wrong. Same chat, same flow.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>