What is an app
Package a product on Groundfloor — a Shell app with built-in sign-in and data, or a standalone app built from your own Coderunners.
An app packages one product in a workspace: what your users open, its address and who can launch it. There are two kinds:
| Kind | What it is | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| Shell app | A web front end that runs inside your workspace's Shell site, with sign-in, users, data, files and feature flags already built in | You want a web app quickly, without building sign-in and the plumbing yourself |
| Standalone app | A product made from your own Coderunners: usually a Service, plus helper Functions or Jobs | You have your own front end or API and want it packaged with its own domain |
When you don't need an app
To run code — a Function, Job, Schedule or Service — just deploy a Coderunner. It doesn't need an app. Create an app only when you're packaging a product for people to use.
Create an app
Go to Build → Apps and register a new app. Give it a name and a slug — the short, URL-safe name used in its address, such as customer-portal — and choose Shell or Standalone.
gf apps create --name "Customer Portal" --slug customer-portal --kind shell_federatedYou need the Writer, Admin or Owner role in the workspace. You don't need to set up App authentication first.
Who can open an app
On the app's page, choose who can launch it:
- Everyone in the workspace — every signed-in user of your workspace's site can open it.
- Restricted — only the roles you grant, on the app's Access card or on the Site access page.
Environments
An app is bound to an environment, such as dev or prod, and reads that environment's feature flags and settings. Promoting a Shell app's release to prod makes the prod copy use prod's settings, with no code changes.
Next steps
- Shell apps — build a web app with sign-in and data built in.
- Standalone apps — package your own Coderunners as one product.