> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.langdock.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create and edit an app > Describe an app in chat, follow the build, review the preview, and request changes to the whole app or a single element. You build an app in a Langdock chat. Describe what the app should do, review the preview, and keep asking for changes until the first version is ready. To create apps, you need access to Apps and the **Create apps** permission. See [Access requirements](https://docs.langdock.com/en/using-langdock/apps/introduction.md#access-requirements). ## Start a new app **1. Open Apps** Click **Apps** in the sidebar. **2. Click Create app** Click **Create app** at the top right. A new chat opens. The message field already contains **Help me create the following app:**. Add your description after this text. ![New chat with the message field prefilled with Help me create the following app:](https://mintcdn.com/langdock-34/LcNG4d-V-wHrGRoV/images/apps/apps-create-start.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=LcNG4d-V-wHrGRoV\&q=85\&s=c5aef391e120838e4f9515dbba148f8e) The new-app chat has the same controls as a regular Langdock chat: attachments, **Plugins**, **Work in a folder**, model selection, and voice input. These controls belong to the builder chat. The integrations that the app itself uses are listed in the app's **Integrations** tab. See [Integrations in apps](https://docs.langdock.com/en/using-langdock/apps/integrations.md). The model selector chooses the model for the builder chat. The models in the list depend on your workspace. ## Describe the first version Say what the app should do, which information it shows, and what can wait until later. You can start with sample data and add a database in a later request. For example: > Build a marketing performance dashboard for an e-commerce brand showing weekly ad spend, return on ad spend, and conversion rate by channel as charts, with a table of the top 10 campaigns. Use realistic sample data. No login or database yet. Click the send button. The builder starts working and opens the app panel next to the chat. ## Follow the build progress The chat shows what the builder is doing. The app panel shows the stages **Plan**, **Build**, and **Finish**. The status text changes from **Planning the app…** to **Building the app…** and **Finishing up…**. Wait for **Preview ready**. If the builder needs more information, it asks you a question in the chat and the status shows "Waiting for your answer". If a build stops with **Build failed**, see [Limits and troubleshooting](https://docs.langdock.com/en/using-langdock/apps/limits-and-troubleshooting.md#a-build-fails). ## Review the preview When the preview is ready, review the app on the right. The builder chat stays on the left, so you can ask for changes while you check the result. ![Builder chat on the left and the Pilot tracker app preview on the right](https://mintcdn.com/langdock-34/LcNG4d-V-wHrGRoV/images/apps/apps-builder-preview.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=LcNG4d-V-wHrGRoV\&q=85\&s=48ec552e151f969d0bc1d7a2ae6a8832) Scroll inside the preview to check the whole app, and try its buttons and forms. Click **Reload preview** in the preview toolbar to load the preview again. The preview is separate from the app you create. You can keep changing the preview before you click **Create**. See [Publish and share an app](https://docs.langdock.com/en/using-langdock/apps/publish-and-share.md). ## Request changes in chat Describe what you want to change in the message field. Name the part of the app and the result you want. For example: > Rename Team progress to Checklist progress. Keep the three team progress bars. Send the request and review the preview once the builder has made the change. When the build is ready, the chat shows a summary of the changes. You can send more requests in the same chat. Smaller, specific requests are easier to review than one large request. ### Example: add a database The first version of the dashboard above uses sample data. A follow-up request adds a way for users to enter and save data: > Now add a database for users to add new data on channel spend. While the builder updates the app, **Building the app…** appears on the app card and in the preview toolbar. The previous version stays visible in the preview until the update is ready. In this example, the builder adds a form for new entries and a table with the saved records. This form is part of the generated app. It is separate from the [Data tab](https://docs.langdock.com/en/using-langdock/apps/data.md), where editors inspect the app's tables. Test the form's inputs and save behavior before you click **Create**. ## Request a change to a specific element Select an element in the preview to attach your instructions to that part of the app. **1. Turn on element selection** In the preview toolbar, click **Select an element**. The banner shows "Click an element to ask for changes to it". **2. Choose the element** Move the pointer over the app. A blue outline shows which element you are about to select. Click the element. **3. Add your comment** Enter your instructions in **Add a comment**, then click the arrow button, **Add to chat**. ![A selected section in the preview with the Add a comment field next to it](https://mintcdn.com/langdock-34/LcNG4d-V-wHrGRoV/images/apps/apps-element-comment.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=LcNG4d-V-wHrGRoV\&q=85\&s=7843e94876456cb49bea5ed608e6ffe0) To leave selection mode without choosing an element, click **Cancel** in the selection banner. To send a picture of the current preview to the chat, click **Add a screenshot to the chat** in the preview toolbar. ## Adjust the layout Drag the divider between the chat and the preview to change their widths. To get more room for a long request, click **Close** on the app card above the message field. This hides the preview. ## Edit an existing app To change an app later, open it and click **Edit in chat**. The builder chat opens on the left and the preview on the right. You need the **Owner** or **Editor** role on the app. ## Rename an app In the editor, open **More actions** (the three-dot menu) in the app panel header, next to **Share**, and click **Rename**. You can also find **Rename** in the three-dot menu on the app card on the Apps page. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.