Building your first app
Building an app in Play starts with a conversation. No code, no drag-and-drop editors, no configuration screens. You describe what you need, and Play builds it.
Start a new chat
From anywhere in Play, open a new chat. The input bar at the bottom of your screen is your starting point.
Describe what you want to build. Be as specific or general as you'd like.
Examples:
“Build me a CRM to track deals, contacts, and companies”
“I need an expense tracker where my team can submit receipts and managers can approve them”
“Create a dashboard showing our weekly KPIs from Google Sheets”
Try it: Open a new chat and type “Build me a simple project tracker for my team.”
What happens next
Play analyzes your request, plans the app structure, and builds it. You'll see progress updates as it works. Once ready, the app appears in the right panel of your chat.
This first version is a starting point. Play is designed for iteration.
Iterate
Look at what was built and ask for changes in the same chat. Be specific about what you want different.
Examples:
“Add a status filter to the deals table”
“Change the layout to show cards instead of a list”
“Connect this to our Slack so it posts updates to #sales”
Each change builds on the last. Your chat is the full history of how the app evolved.
Connect your data
Apps can work with two types of data:
Collections - Play's built-in data storage. Tables with structured fields. Created automatically when your app needs them, or connect existing ones.
Integrations - Pull data from tools your team already uses. Tag an integration in your chat with
/(e.g.,/google-sheets,/stripe) to give your app access.
Try it: Type / in any chat to browse available integrations and connect one to your app.
Add an AI co-worker
If your app would benefit from a conversational interface, ask Play to embed an AI co-worker. The co-worker lives inside the app and can answer questions, take actions, or analyze data based on what it's connected to.
Share it
Once your app is ready, click the share icon in the top right to invite team members. You control who gets access and at what level.
When you make changes to your app, those changes stay in your building session until you push them live. Your team keeps using the current version until you upgrade the app.
Tips
Start simple. Get the core right, then layer on complexity. “Build me an expense tracker” is a better first message than a 500-word requirements doc.
Use integrations early. Tag the tools you need in your first message so the app is connected from the start.
Name things. “Build me a deal pipeline for the sales team called Pipeline HQ” gives Play more context to work with.
For more prompting strategies, see Just describe what you want and Be bold with Play.