Referencing Other Apps

Point the App Builder at another app so it can reuse the code, layout, or logic you already built

While you are building an app in the App Builder, you can point the agent at another app you have access to. It will read that app's files and use them as a starting point for the app you're editing now — so you don't have to describe from scratch something you already got right somewhere else.

How to use it

Type @ in the App Builder chat input. A popover lists every app you can reference.
Only apps shared with you at Clone level or higher show up, and the app you're currently editing is excluded.
Pick one — the editor inserts an @app:<slug> mention into your message.
Send the message. The agent can now list and read the referenced app's files and copy or adapt them into the current app.
Writes always go to the current app. The referenced app is treated as read-only, regardless of your permission level on it.

You can mention more than one app in a single message, but the clearest results come from referencing one at a time unless you're intentionally blending patterns from two apps.

When to use it — examples

The examples below are the whole point of this page. Copy them, adapt the app slug and the specifics, and you're done.

Replicating similar UI (the most common reason)

"Build a customers list page with the same layout, filters, and column styling as @app:sales-overview's opportunities page."
"Copy the dashboard header and sidebar from @app:ops-console and adapt the nav items to this app's routes."
"Match the card + detail-drawer pattern used in @app:crm-lite for showing tickets."
"Use the same login screen and empty-state illustrations as @app:field-service so the two apps feel like one product."

Replicating business logic

"Reuse the VAT-and-discount calculation from @app:invoicing for this quote builder."
"Port the CSV import + validation pipeline from @app:bulk-import and adapt the column mapping to Products."
"Use the same approval-workflow state machine as @app:expense-approvals — draft → submitted → approved → paid."
"Copy the pricing-tier logic from @app:subscriptions and apply it to the plan picker on this page."

Reusing integrations and SDK wiring

"Copy the mail-send setup from @app:notifications-hub and wire it into the 'Send quote' button here."
"Adopt the file-upload + preview component pattern from @app:document-vault."
"Reuse the ERP customer-lookup autocomplete from @app:sales-overview instead of building a new one."

Cross-app consistency

"Align the typography, spacing, and button styles with @app:sales-overview so both apps feel like one product."
"Use the same date-range picker component and formatting as @app:reporting-hub."

Learning from a working example

"Look at how @app:reporting-hub structures its chart components, then build something similar for this app's KPI page."
"Read @app:crm-lite's routing setup and use the same pattern here."

What the agent can and can't do with a referenced app

Can:

List and read the app's files.
Copy or adapt code, layout, styling, and conventions into the current app.
Learn from how the referenced app is structured.

Can't:

Modify, delete, or publish anything in the referenced app.
Trigger the referenced app's automations.
Read data the referenced app stores on behalf of its users.

Tips

Be specific about what to copy. "Copy the header layout", "reuse the discount formula", "port the CSV parser" — much better than "make it like @app:x".
One reference at a time unless you're deliberately blending two apps.
Don't see an app in the popover? It has to be shared with you at Clone level or higher. See Managing Apps for sharing levels.
The referenced app can change. If you copied code from it and the original later evolves, your app doesn't automatically follow — mention it again to pick up the newer version.

Not the same as opening another app at runtime. Referencing is a build-time tool — it lets the agent read another app's code. If you want your finished app to navigate the user into another app, see API Access in Apps.