Create apps using the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app

Gemini, an AI-powered collaborator in AppSheet, lets you create an app by describing your idea using natural language. 

For example, you might give Gemini a description for an app that manages facility inspections. Gemini returns an app card that you can use to design the final inspection app, as the following diagram shows:

Create apps in AppSheet using Gemini assistance as described in the following sections: 

• Install the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app.
• Create an app using the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app.
• What's next?

Note: The Gemini in AppSheet Chat app is available only to Google Workspace customers. Initially, the product is being deployed to only a subset of customers; we will expand availability to all eligible customers over time. To request access, contact your AppSheet Sales representative. 

Install the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app

Before you can create an app using the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app, you need to install it.

If you can't install the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app, reach out to your Google Workspace admin to enable access to your organization. For more information, Workspace admins can refer to Manage access to the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app.

To install the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app, perform the following steps:

1. Open Google Chat.
2. Next to Chat, click Start a chat . 

   

   Note: You can't install the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app as a Chat space.
3. In the list, click Find apps.
   
4. In the search field, enter Gemini in AppSheet, and click the Chat app card when its found.
5. Click Chat.

Create an app using the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app

Create an app in three steps using the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app:

• Step 1: Describe your business process.
• Step 2: Review the app structure and add email notifications.
• Step 3: Create and customize your app.

At any time, you can do the following:

• To get help, click or enter Help.
• If you want to start over from scratch, enter start over.
  You'll be prompted to confirm this action because the existing app will be discarded.
• To provide feedback on your experience using the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app, click .

Step 1: Describe your business process

 At the Gemini in AppSheet chat prompt, describe what you want your app to do. In your description (also called a prompt), provide as much detail as you can.

Here are some examples:

Facility inspections "Manage my inspection team's appointments. Our team conducts facility inspections, and every week we need to check that everything is operating correctly and submit reports."

Inventory tracker "I want to track sales of our products in a log, and update and monitor the incoming and outgoing inventory."

Project time tracker "I need to track employees' time. There are projects, and employees log the start and end times for their shift, and there's a timesheet that shows all of the weekly entries for the company."

 

Gemini in AppSheet responds with an app card summarizing data that will be managed by your app, including the tables and their associated columns.

Let's use the facility inspections example:

Enter: Manage my inspection team's appointments. Our team conducts facility inspections, and every week we need to check that everything is operating correctly and submit reports.

 

Gemini in AppSheet responds with an app card:

In this example, Gemini in AppSheet performed the following:

• Created the following tables to keep track of your data (similar to tabs in a spreadsheet): Inspection Type, Inspection, and Facility.
• Created the columns, listed after each table, which are the attributes that describe each row in a table. For example, the Inspection table includes the following columns: Facility Id, Inspection Type Id, Date, and Notes.
• Added links between tables. For example, in the Inspection table, the Facility Id column links to the Name column in the Facility table, and the Inspection Type ID column links to the Name column in the Inspection Type table, as the following diagram shows:
  
  

The following diagram provides an example of how your app might display and manage the records in the Inspection table. Notice that the Inspection table includes two additional columns: Status and Image. In the next step, you'll learn how to add these columns

Step 2: Review the app structure and add email notifications

Next, do the following as required:

• Review and change the app structure.
• Add email notifications that will be sent to you when the app data is added, updated, or deleted. 

Review and change the app structure

Review the app structure and decide if there is other information that you would like to track using your app.

If you're satisfied with the app structure, go to Add email notifications.

To make changes to the tables or columns in your app using the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app, you have two options:

• Click Edit   associated with the table and columns that you want to edit to open a dialog.
• At the prompt, describe the app structure changes that you want to make. When changing columns at the prompt, you must specify the associated table in the request. For a list of changes that you can make to your app structure, as well as examples of prompts, see the following table. 

 To get help, click or enter Help.

Structure	Change	Example
Column	Add a column to track additional information (for example, the status of an inspection).	"Track status for an inspection."
	Change a column name.	"Change Facility ID to Facility Name in the Inspection table."
	Change a column type (for example, you might want a date to include both date and time).	"Change the inspection date to include both date and time."
	Create a drop-down list to constrain a column to a limited set of options.	"For inspection status, allow users to select in progress and complete."
	Add options to a drop-down list.	"For inspection status, allow users to select Incomplete."
	Delete a column.	"Delete Country from the Facility table."
Table	Add a table to track a new set of information (for example, the facility location including address and phone number). Note: After adding a table using the Gemini in AppSheet Chat app, you can't make any further table property changes using the Chat app. You can change its name and properties later using the AppSheet editor.	"Track facility location."
	Link two tables by describing the association between them.	"Allow inspector to choose the facility location when completing an inspection."
	Delete a table.	"Delete the Inspection Type table."

Examples

The following examples demonstrate how to add columns and change the column type.

Add a column that's named Status:

Enter: Track status for an inspection in the inspection table

 

Gemini in AppSheet responds with a summary of your change:

Change the Status column to a list:

Enter: For inspection status, allow users to select in progress and complete

Gemini in AppSheet responds with a summary of your change:

Add a column that's named Image:

Enter: Add an image to the inspection table

 

Gemini in AppSheet responds with a summary of your change:

Add email notifications

Optionally, you can add email notifications that are sent to you (the app creator), when app data is added, changed, or deleted. In the AppSheet app editor, you can update the list of recipients later.

To add email notifications, follow these steps:

1. Click Show app structure to redisplay the app card.
2. In the app card, click Next: Add notifications.
3. Select the tables for which you want to receive an email notification when a record is added, updated, or deleted.
   
   
4. Click Save.

The app card is refreshed to show the email notifications that you added.

Step 3: Create and customize your app

When you're ready to create your app, click Create App.

Gemini in AppSheet creates your app and opens it in the AppSheet app editor, where you can preview, customize, and share your app.

Try out your live app in the welcome screen, and then click Customize with AppSheet to go to the AppSheet app editor.

Gemini in AppSheet creates your app using an AppSheet database and includes sample data to get you started. Before you share your app, you might want to edit or delete the sample data.

What's next?

• Explore the app editor.
• Explore the app preview.
• Share your app with users.