How a build works

A build starts when you send a message and ends with crisp's final reply. You can watch every step in the chat.

Setting up a new project#

The first time, crisp prepares a fresh project for your app. A card titled Setting up your project shows the progress. This usually takes under a minute, and the build starts on its own when it is ready.

The plan#

crisp's first message is a short plan you can read in a few seconds: the pages, the data, the look, and any assumption it made. crisp does not stop to ask you questions during a build. When something is not clear, it makes a sensible choice and tells you what it chose in the plan. If you do not like a choice, ask for a change when the build is done.

crisp also keeps a list of every feature you have asked for in this project. It uses the list on later requests, so a new change does not break an earlier feature.

The build#

crisp builds in an order that makes the preview useful early:

1. 1 The data your app saves, with realistic sample records.
2. 2 The layout, the colours and the main page, showing real records.
3. 3 Forms and other things you click or fill in.
4. 4 The other pages.
5. 5 Sign-in and connections to other services, when you asked for them.

Each line in the chat shows one step, such as Created a file, Edited a file or Ran a command. Click a line to see the change or the output. The preview reloads when files change, so you can watch the app grow.

What every new app includes#

• Several pages with a navigation bar.
• A database, filled with realistic sample records so the pages are not empty.
• Colours chosen for your app, with a light and a dark theme.
• A layout that works on phones first, then on larger screens.
• Helpful empty states, checks on form fields, and a question before anything is deleted.

The checks#

Before crisp says a build is done, it checks the app:

• The code passes the framework's checks, and every page loads.
• A separate tester opens the app in a real browser and uses it like a person: it follows the main paths, saves records and checks that they are still there, and tries unusual input.
• The tester also looks at every page at phone width and in the dark theme, and reviews screenshots for layout problems.

For a very small change, such as new wording on one page, crisp checks only the page it changed.

When something fails#

• crisp fixes the problem and tests again, up to three rounds in one build.
• If the same error comes back three times, crisp stops. It explains the error in plain words, says what it tried, and gives you two or three options.
• crisp never fakes or removes a feature you asked for to make an error go away. If something is blocked, for example because it needs a key from another service, it keeps the rest working and tells you exactly what is missing.

The final reply#

The build ends with one short paragraph: what crisp built or changed, what to try first in the preview, and anything that is not working or waits on you. Under it you see how long the build took.

Limits#

• One build runs at a time in each project. Messages you send during a build wait in a queue, or replace the build if you choose Send now. See Change your app.
• You can stop a build at any time with the Stop button. See Change your app.
• Each request has a spending limit. When it is reached, crisp pauses and you choose whether to continue. See How AI usage is charged.
• A very long build stops on its own. If that happens, see A build stopped or failed.