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Troubleshooting

Answers to the most common App Builder questions, organised by category.

FAQ​

How do I make my first app?

Add resources (workflows or tables), write a prompt describing the app, review the preview, save, and publish. See Create a New App for a full walkthrough.

How do I write a better prompt?

Start simply, describe the business outcome you want, name your resources by their alias, and specify the key fields to display. See Prompting for templates and examples.

Can I change a published app without taking it offline?

Yes. Create a new version — the current published version stays live while you build the next one. When the new version is ready, publish it to replace the previous one.

Why can't I use my new workflow yet?

Workflows must be run at least once with realistic inputs before App Builder can infer their input and output structure. Workflows created with the M3 Workflow Builder are the exception: they can be used straight away. See Workflows — The 1-run requirement.

What's the easiest resource to start with?

Tables. Their schema is immediately visible to App Builder — no warmup runs needed. Start with a table-backed app to learn the builder, then move to workflow-backed apps.

How do users access a published app?

Published apps appear in the Concept Catalog for any user with at least Run permission. You can also share a direct link.

Can I duplicate an app?

Yes. Use Copy app in the actions menu of the Apps list. See Manage your apps.

Can I export an app's code and run it somewhere else?

The generated code can be exported. Apps run inside Vince Platform, though, and every data call in the code goes to Vince Platform APIs — your workflows and tables. To run an exported app outside the platform, those calls must be replaced with calls to your own backend.

Does the AI see our business data during a build session?

No, not by default. The AI only receives resource metadata (schema and field names) needed to generate code — it never receives actual workflow results or table contents unless a user explicitly pastes or screenshots that data into a prompt. See Concepts & Architecture for details.

Access and sign-in issues​

A user can see App Builder but can't open an app to edit it.

The user likely has Run permission rather than Write or Deploy. Update their role in Vince Platform → Administration → Access Management → Roles.

A user can't see App Builder at all.

The user's role does not include any App Builder permission, or no role has been assigned. Add the App – App Builder permission at the appropriate level.

The build session chat is locked and won't respond.

Build sessions time out after 8 hours. Save your work, end the session, and start a new one.

Someone else is in a build session and I can't edit the app.

Only one user can be in a build session per app at a time. Wait for the other user to save and exit, or ask them to end the session.

App issues​

The preview isn't loading.

Check that all resources connected to the app are still accessible and that the workflows have been run at least once. Open the App Bridge logs in the editor to see the specific error.

I can't edit an app I built.

Another user may be in an active build session. Alternatively, check that your role still includes Write or Deploy access.

Changes I made are gone.

Changes made during a build session are only persisted when you click Save. Long idle sessions can expire — save regularly to avoid losing work.

Deleting a resource broke the app.

If a resource that a published app depends on is deleted, the app fails at runtime. Recreate or replace the resource, re-prompt the app to update its bindings, and republish.

caution

Removing a resource from App Builder while it is still bound to a published app causes runtime errors for every user who tries to run that app. Always update the app before removing its resources.

Workflow issues​

App Builder doesn't seem to know what my workflow returns.

The workflow has not been run yet — see Workflows — The 1-run requirement. Run it, confirm the output in the execution logs, then re-add it as a resource.

I updated a workflow but the app still shows the old output.

Re-run the workflow at least once after the change, then open the app, start a new build session, tell the AI what changed, and republish.

A new workflow isn't appearing as a resource option.

Workflows must exist in Vince Platform and have at least one execution before they appear in the resource list. Build and run the workflow first.

Data issues​

A field I know exists isn't showing in the app.

The field may have been added to the table after the app was last prompted. Re-prompt the app to tell the AI about the new field — see Prompting.

Search isn't finding records I expect.

For large datasets, search may require server-side filtering via a parameterised workflow. Prompt the app to use a workflow that accepts a search parameter rather than filtering the full dataset client-side.

My app can't connect data from two separate resources.

App Builder can display data from multiple resources in the same app, but cross-resource joins must be handled in a workflow — create a workflow that combines the data before exposing it to the app.

Further reading​

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