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

# App Builder

> Describe a mini-app in plain English; Nova generates a governed spec (inputs, data bindings, formulas, layout) with a live preview on real platform data, then saves it to the gallery.

App Builder is a conversational tool that turns a plain-language description into a working mini-app. You describe what you want - "a calculator that shows the fully loaded cost of adding headcount in three different countries" - and Nova drafts the spec, wires the data bindings, and shows you a live preview against real Novaplan data. Adjust the result conversationally, then save it to the [Apps gallery](/apps) for your team.

## What this screen is for

App Builder removes the gap between "I wish we had a tool for this" and "here it is." Finance teams often need purpose-built views - a department scorecard, a sensitivity table, a hiring cost comparison - that do not fit neatly into the standard planning screens. App Builder lets you create those tools without code and without leaving Novaplan. Every app it generates is governed: it reads from Novaplan's permitted data only and respects role-based masking automatically.

## How to use it

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a tab (or use the one already open)">
    Builder opens with one tab. To work on a second app at the same time, click **+ New app** in the tab strip. Each tab holds its own draft independently, up to eight open at once. A dot on a tab means the draft there has unsaved conversation; close it and Builder will ask you to confirm before discarding.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Describe what you want">
    Type a description of the tool you need in the composer panel on the left. Be specific about the question it should answer and the inputs a user should be able to change. For example: "A hiring cost calculator with department and country selectors, showing base salary, fringe, and total loaded cost side by side."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the live preview">
    Nova generates a spec and renders it in the preview panel on the right, connected to your real data. Check whether the layout, the inputs, and the numbers make sense. If something is off, describe the change conversationally ("use a bar chart instead" or "add a date range filter").
  </Step>

  <Step title="Refine visually or with Nova">
    Click any block in the preview to select it, then edit its title, format, icon, or emphasis in the panel on the right - no AI round-trip needed for cosmetic changes. For structural changes (adding a new metric, changing a data source, reordering sections), describe them to Nova.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save to the gallery">
    When the app is right, click Save. A dialog asks for a name and optional description. The app then appears in the [Apps gallery](/apps) immediately. You can control who can see it (private to you, visible to the whole org) from the gallery settings.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What Nova can generate

Nova can wire any read-accessible Novaplan data source into an app - headcount metrics, ARR movements, GL actuals, budget comparisons, and more. It builds KPI tiles, tables, charts (line, bar, waterfall), and comparison grids. It chooses a visual theme to match the purpose, and you can refine the accent color, card style, and density conversationally ("make it more compact" or "use a teal accent").

**Rollup (grouped-aggregate) tables** are now supported. Ask Nova for a table grouped by a dimension - "show me headcount cost grouped by department, with a sum and a count per group" - and it generates a table where rows are grouped under a collapsible header, measures are aggregated per group (sum, average, or count), and a totals row appears at the bottom. Groups and aggregation methods are defined in the spec and visible in the preview; you can ask Nova to change them conversationally.

## Tips

* Start with a clear question ("what does this app answer?") rather than a layout. Nova will choose a sensible layout; you can reshape it afterward.
* Use Discuss mode (the toggle on the composer) to talk through the design with Nova before generating. Discuss does not create or change the app - it is a planning step.
* Each saved version is stored, so you can roll back to an earlier iteration from the Versions panel if a round of edits goes in the wrong direction.
* Apps are read-only views over Novaplan data. They cannot change your plans, run a forecast, or lock a version.
* Use multiple tabs to compare two approaches side by side. Build two drafts in separate tabs, then save the one that answers the question better.

<Tip>
  Already have something close? Open an existing app and click "Edit in Builder" to fork it into a new draft rather than starting from scratch.
</Tip>