Build Octonode apps
Choose an extension-only or self-hosted app, then build, test, publish, and install it.
An Octonode app is a versioned set of contributions installed into a workspace. A
workspace.block appears on workspace home. An app.page opens from Apps. You can
ship either without a backend, or connect a page and backend hosted on your own HTTPS
origin. An app never needs a dashboard merely to supply a block.
| Goal | Start here | Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace notice, formatter UI, or other block | Create your first app | Octonode stores the published bundle |
| Page inside Apps, with no backend | Add a contribution | Octonode stores the published bundle |
| Connected page or backend, such as inventory labels | Host a full app | You deploy its Node output and assets |
| Reusable workflow node | Nodes and plugins | Plugin runtime, separate from apps |
Follow the app path
- Create and preview an app with
octonodes app create. - Configure the project: one
octonode.app.jsondescriptor and optionalworkspace.block,app.page, or backend. - Use the app SDK for UI, installed-project actions, and verified
backend sessions. The general
@octonodes/sdkclient is for separately authorized integrations, not an installed app's session. - Choose hosting and deploy if the app has a web backend.
- Publish, install, and update through Partner and Studio.
These guides apply to deployments with Apps enabled and the required app migrations applied. The feature branch does not itself migrate an installation.
The supported private app path has consent, pinned releases, publisher analytics, settings, and lifecycle controls. Public app review/moderation, billing, background app identities, webhook delivery, automatic installation updates, and managed backend hosting are separate capabilities. A development tunnel previews your local app; it is not a production host.
Shopify's app structure and extension-only app guide informed this sequence. Octonode's targets, permissions, configuration file, release semantics, and hosting contract below are its own; use these guides for Octonode commands.
App developer guides
- Quickstart: create a full app or a static contribution.
- Configuration: source descriptor and build artifacts.
- Permissions: declared actions and selected-project consent.
- Development: sample data and temporary real-data access.
- Routing: deep links, browser history and Studio sessions.
- SDK: browser contributions and backend access.
- Hosting: HTTPS, embedding and production runtime.
- Publishing: private releases and installation updates.
- Troubleshooting: common failures and verification.