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Build your first app

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Describe your idea, build a first version, and refine it in Preview.

5 min readUpdated Nov 1, 2026

Step-by-step guidance.

Before you start

  • A Rumata account with an active subscription. Follow Set up Rumata if you have not signed in yet.
  • A project you can build in. Your private project normally appears in the Home project picker.

Start with your idea

Follow four steps: describe the intended user and main task, review the plan, test the main task, and request one improvement. Use the same process for any application.

Each step includes a short example. Treat it as an illustration, not a template or requirement. Replace its users, tasks, data, and constraints with your own. For a complete worked example, follow Tutorial: Build a feedback board.

1. Describe your app

Explain who it is for, what they should accomplish, and the essential features for a first version.

  1. Open Home (opens in a new tab) and select your project below the prompt box.
  2. Keep Plan selected. Write your request in your own words, or replace the brackets in the structure below with your requirements.
  3. Choose Send once. Wait for the factory workspace to open and confirm your request appears in the conversation.
text
Build an app for [audience] to [main task].
Start with [essential features].
It should [important behavior or constraints].
Plan the first version before building it. Ask about anything unclear.
Do not publish it yet.
Example: Salon booking app

“Build an app for local salon customers to book an appointment. Start with a service list, available times, and booking confirmation. Plan the first version before building it.”

2. Review the plan and build

Check that Rumata understood your requirements, answer questions, and approve the plan.

  1. Compare the proposed audience, main task, and features with your request. Ask for corrections where the plan differs from your intent.
  2. Answer any questions in chat. Make sure the first version includes what you need to try the main task.
  3. Approve the plan using the offered chat controls or explicitly ask Rumata to build it. Wait for the build to finish, then open Preview Mode.
Example: Salon booking app

Check that the plan includes a service list, available times, booking confirmation, and saved appointments. Ask for any missing requirement before approving.

3. Try your app

Complete its main task in Preview. Check the result, saved information where applicable, and mobile usability.

  1. Use Preview as your intended user would. Start at the beginning of the task and continue to its expected result.
  2. Confirm that the result matches your requirements. If the app saves information, reload or reopen it and check that the information remains correct.
  3. Switch the preview size to Mobile and repeat the main task. Check that text is readable and controls remain usable.
  4. If something fails, tell Rumata what you did, what happened, and what you expected. After the fix, repeat the failed steps.
Example: Salon booking app

Choose a service and time, complete the booking, and check the confirmation. If bookings should be saved, reopen the booking list and check that yours appears.

4. Make a change

Describe what should change and the expected behavior. Test the change and confirm existing functionality still works.

  1. In the same factory’s chat, describe one change: where it belongs, what should happen, and what should stay the same.
  2. Answer questions or review a plan if Rumata requests it. Wait for the change to finish.
  3. Try the changed behavior in Preview, then repeat the original main task to confirm it still works.
Example: Salon booking app

“In the salon booking app, let customers choose a preferred stylist before they select a time. Show only that stylist’s available times, and keep the original booking and confirmation flow working.”

Next: get ready to share

Decide which parts of your application should be public and which should require sign-in. If people have different roles or private information, define who can view or change it. Ask Rumata to implement those rules and test the relevant access paths.

When the app is ready, follow Publish your app. Publishing has its own review and verification steps; a working preview is not yet a live release.

Continue with the guides relevant to your app: understand the architecture, connect a backend, inspect stored data, or build an automation.