> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Your first live app

> An example: a weekly competitor dashboard, from the idea to day-to-day operation, step by step.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **In short:** This page walks you through an example, from the first idea to a dashboard that refreshes itself every week. The quoted texts are examples. How long each step takes depends on how complex the dashboard is.

## The starting point

Say you work in marketing at a mid-sized company. Every Monday, you collect news about three competitors by hand. You paste it into a slide and email it to the team. That takes your whole morning. You want a link your team can open at any time, with the latest figures.

That is exactly what a [live app](https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/en/live-apps/overview.md) is for.

```mermaid theme={"dark"}
%%{init: {'theme':'base', 'themeVariables': {'primaryColor':'#FFF5F5','primaryBorderColor':'#FF4B4F','primaryTextColor':'#141414','lineColor':'#FF4B4F','tertiaryColor':'#ffffff','fontSize':'14px'}}}%%
flowchart LR
    A["1. You make a request"] --> B["2. Preview"]
    B --> C["3. Approve,<br/>put live"]
    C --> D["4. Weekly<br/>refresh"]
    D --> E["5. A proposal"]
    E --> F["6. An alert,<br/>a button"]
```

## Step 1: You make a request

You open the Console, go to **Builds** and click **Ask for a live app**. You fill in the dialog in your own words:

> **What should it be called?** Competitor radar
>
> **What is it for?** Every Monday my team wants to see what our three main competitors did last week: news, product launches, campaigns. We use it to decide what to respond to.

You choose **Standard**, check the cost estimate and click **Start the build**.

> [!TIP]
>
> You don't say "feed" or "schedule". You say what you want to know and who looks at it. That is all Alex needs. Alex defines the data areas, the cadence and the delivering coworker.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Screenshot needed:** the "Ask for a live app" dialog, filled in with the example text.

## Step 2: The preview

Alex builds the dashboard. Meanwhile, you see your request on the **Builds** page. When it shows **Ready for you**, you click **Open preview**.

There is no real data yet. The preview therefore shows sample figures. A notice at the top says that some figures are placeholders. You like the layout. Only the campaigns section is too small. You click **Reject** and write:

> Please make the campaigns section as large as the news section.

With **Order another round**, Alex rebuilds the dashboard and fixes the point. You open the new preview and are happy with it.

## Step 3: Approve and put live

You click **Approve and put live**. The Console points out that from now on, the weekly refreshes run through your account and consume credits on every run. You confirm.

The Console first opens the dashboard the way readers see it. Every section shows its data. The dashboard goes live and now has its fixed link. In the **Access** tab, you click **Copy viewer link** and copy the password. You send both to your team in two separate messages. See [Access: link and password](https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/en/live-apps/password-and-sharing.md).

## Step 4: The first weekly refresh

On Monday, Hannah collects the week's news about the three competitors and delivers it. You do nothing. Your team opens the same link and sees the new week next to the last one.

Hannah follows the written rules of the data area. This keeps the data comparable from week to week. See [Rules, method and lists](https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/en/live-apps/feed-guides.md).

## Step 5: A proposal

After a run, you receive an email as the person responsible (owner) with a new proposal. In the **Setup** tab, you open **Open proposals** and read:

> **Hannah proposes:** add another trade magazine of the industry as a source. Two competitors announced product launches there first this month.

You click **Accept**. From the next run, Hannah also reads this magazine.

## Step 6: A display error

One morning, you receive this email:

> **Subject:** Incident: dashboard "Competitor radar" is not fully displayed
>
> During today's daily check, a program error occurred in the dashboard. At least one section is not displayed. The data itself is fine.

The email tells you that the data is fine and what to do. You open the dashboard's page. Under **Needs your attention**, you see the alert with the button **Order a fix**. You click it, check the cost estimate and confirm. Alex builds the fix as a preview. You approve it, and the section is back. Same link, no new message to your team. See [When something goes wrong](https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/en/live-apps/disruption-mails.md).

## Step 7: A small change

A month later, you want a fourth competitor. You click **Ask for a change** and write:

> Please add Contoso as a fourth competitor.

Alex builds the change as a preview. The current dashboard keeps running for your team until you approve. Then the same link shows the new version.

## What to take away

> [card] Say the goal, not the tool
>
> Describe what you want to know and who looks at it.

> [card] You stay in control
>
> Nothing goes live and no rule changes without your approval.

> [card] One link for everyone
>
> The link stays the same through refreshes and changes.

> [card] Problems come to you
>
> You get a clear alert and a button for the next step.

## What you can do next

> [card] [Requesting a live app](https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/en/live-apps/ordering.md)
>
> Every field and option in detail.

> [card] [Frequently asked questions](https://docs.serviceplan-agents.com/en/live-apps/what-if.md)
>
> Short answers to common situations.


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