> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.riff.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.riff.ai/reference/app-builder/app-settings.md).

# App Settings

App Settings control how each individual app is configured. Access them by clicking the app name in the top left of the App builder, then selecting **Settings**.

***

## App Design

Set the visual rules the Riff agent follows when it generates or updates your app's UI. The agent reads these guidelines before making any interface change.

| Setting           | What it controls                                                           |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Design Guidelines | Summary of your app's visual purpose — edit to match your brand            |
| Design Approach   | Overall philosophy (e.g. "minimal and data-dense", "clear and accessible") |
| Key Features      | Elements to emphasise (e.g. "tables over charts", "mobile-friendly")       |
| Shapes            | Preferred geometry (e.g. "rounded corners", "sharp rectangles")            |
| Typography        | Font and text hierarchy guidance                                           |
| Favicon           | The icon shown in browser tabs                                             |

App Design is a guide for the Riff agent, not a hard constraint. For specific components, give the agent more detailed instructions in chat. Design guidelines are auto-generated when you first create the app — they are often generic by default, so review and edit them early.

Changes to App Design affect future generations. Existing UI components are not automatically updated.

***

## App Management

Tell the Riff agent what your app is for. The more context you provide here, the better its decisions about structure, naming, and logic.

| Setting         | What it does                                                               |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Name            | Display name of your app. Changing this does NOT change the deployed URL.  |
| Pitch           | One-sentence description — the Riff agent uses this as its primary framing |
| App Description | Full description of features, integrations, and key workflows              |
| Target Audience | Who will use this app (e.g. "procurement team, 20 users, internal")        |

**Examples for procurement and operations apps:**

| Field           | Example                                                                                                                                                                   |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Pitch           | "Monitors open POs and chases supplier confirmations automatically"                                                                                                       |
| App Description | "Connects to Infor LN via the ION API, pulls open POs daily, and sends confirmation requests to suppliers. Escalates overdue items to the procurement manager via email." |
| Target Audience | "Procurement team — 5 buyers and 1 procurement manager. Internal use only."                                                                                               |

App Management context is read by the Riff agent on every request. Keep it accurate as the app evolves. A clear pitch and description reduce the number of clarifying questions the agent asks.

***

## Custom Instructions

Give the Riff agent rules that apply specifically to this app. Custom Instructions take priority over the agent's default behaviour and over global preferences.

**When to use them:**

* Your app handles regulated data and you want the agent to always add data handling notes to code comments
* Your team follows a specific naming convention for database tables or API endpoints
* Your procurement workflow has an escalation rule the agent must always respect
* You want consistent date formats, currency conventions, or language standards throughout

**Examples:**

> "This app integrates with SAP S/4HANA. All API calls must include the X-CSRF-Token header. Never cache authentication tokens."

> "PO values above €50,000 must always require a second approver flag in the database. Never remove this check."

> "Use ISO 8601 date formatting (YYYY-MM-DD) throughout. Supplier IDs are always six digits, zero-padded."

Keep instructions concise — 50 to 500 characters is the recommended range. Longer instructions slow the agent down. If the agent ignores an instruction, check whether it conflicts with a platform constraint.

***

## Automations

Schedule work inside your app to run automatically — at a set time, on a repeating pattern, or triggered by a time-based rule. Once configured, the job runs without anyone pressing a button.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Automations are a feature, not a build type.** On Riff you build Apps and Agents. Automations are something you add to them — the mechanism that tells your app *when* to run a job without manual input.
{% endhint %}

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/I4bswn6Lwk0>" %}
Riff Automations — overview and walkthrough
{% endembed %}

**When to add an Automation:**

* The job repeats on a fixed schedule — daily, weekly, end-of-month, or any recurring pattern
* No one should have to remember to kick it off — supplier chasing, exception digests, overnight syncs
* The trigger is time, not a human action

**Common examples for procurement and manufacturing teams:**

* Chase open supplier confirmations every morning at 6am before buyers arrive at their desks
* Push a weekly open-PO summary to the team every Friday at 4pm
* Trigger an overnight ERP data reconciliation at 2am when systems are quiet
* Send a procurement exception digest each day at 7am so buyers start with a clear picture

**Actions available:**

| Action                   | What it does                                              |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Add a cron schedule      | Set a time-based rule to trigger a workflow automatically |
| Target an API endpoint   | Point an automation at an endpoint inside your app        |
| Pause / resume           | Suspend a schedule without deleting it                    |
| Run multiple automations | Each fires independently                                  |

**Common cron patterns:**

| Pattern        | Runs…                   |
| -------------- | ----------------------- |
| `0 7 * * 1-5`  | Every weekday at 7:00am |
| `0 6 * * *`    | Every day at 6:00am     |
| `0 2 * * *`    | Every night at 2:00am   |
| `0 16 * * 5`   | Every Friday at 4:00pm  |
| `*/30 * * * *` | Every 30 minutes        |

If cron syntax is unfamiliar, describe the schedule in plain language in chat and the Riff agent will suggest the right expression.

***

## Workspace Management

Control the runtime state of your app — from routine maintenance to taking a live app offline.

| Control               | What it does                                                        | When to use it                                                       |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Upgrade**           | Moves your workspace to the latest Riff runtime                     | When new features or fixes are available                             |
| **Restart workspace** | Restarts app services — clears in-memory state, reloads environment | After changing secrets, after an upgrade, or when a process is stuck |
| **Undeploy**          | Removes the app from the public internet — workspace stays editable | To take a live app offline without deleting it                       |
| **Hibernate**         | Pauses the workspace to reduce resource usage                       | For apps that are built but not yet in active use                    |

**Notes:**

* **Restart** clears in-memory state only — your database, files, and secrets are not affected
* **Undeploy** is reversible — you can redeploy at any time
* **Upgrade** may require a restart to take full effect — the Riff agent will prompt you if needed
* **Hibernate** pauses the workspace — scheduled automations will not run while hibernated


---

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