# Draftship Documentation

> Draftship is an AI app builder: describe an app and it designs, codes, builds and hosts it, with a managed backend (database with security rules, user accounts, AI and file integrations, backend functions and automations). These docs cover the app editor, the backend, the SDK and the API.

## Apps: Getting started

- [Build apps and websites with Draftship](https://draftship.dev/docs/index.md): What Draftship is, what every app comes with, and where to go next in these docs.
- [Building an app](https://draftship.dev/docs/getting-started/quick-start.md): Build and publish your first Draftship app in five steps, then learn your way around the editor.
- [Building a website](https://draftship.dev/docs/getting-started/building-a-website.md): Use Draftship for landing pages, portfolios and business sites that look designed rather than generated.
- [Starting from your first prompt](https://draftship.dev/docs/getting-started/starting-from-your-first-prompt.md): How your first prompt shapes the app, and what to include so the first version is close to what you picture.

## Apps: Building your app

- [Getting to know the app editor](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/app-editor-overview.md): A tour of the editor: the chat, Preview, Code, Data, Users and Domains tabs, and the actions in the header.
- [Using the AI chat and choosing a model](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/ai-chat-and-models.md): How messages are processed, how edits work, and which models you can choose on each plan.
- [What the AI can and can't build](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/what-the-ai-can-do.md): What you can ask for in the chat, what needs you to step in, and what isn't possible on Draftship.
- [Chat modes](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/chat-modes.md): Build changes your app. Plan and Discuss let you think it through first without changing anything.
- [Writing effective prompts](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/writing-effective-prompts.md): Practical techniques for getting the app you picture: be concrete, build in steps, describe the look, and fix things precisely.
- [Comment and edit on the preview](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/comment-and-edit-on-the-preview.md): Point at what you want changed, or change text and styles yourself, right on your app's preview.
- [Using community apps in Explore](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/using-app-templates.md): Browse apps others published, open a live preview, and clone one to start from it.
- [Draft and publish](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/publishing.md): Change your app in a private draft, then choose when visitors get it.
- [Testing agent](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/testing-agent.md): Let the AI write browser tests for your app and run them after every change.
- [Skills and AI instructions](https://draftship.dev/docs/building/skills-and-instructions.md): Teach the AI how you like things done, once, instead of repeating yourself.

## Apps: Managing app data

- [Managing your app data](https://draftship.dev/docs/data/managing-your-app-data.md): View, add, edit, import and export your app's records in the dashboard's Data section.
- [Version history](https://draftship.dev/docs/data/version-history.md): Every successful version of your app is saved. Restore any of them in one click.
- [Branches](https://draftship.dev/docs/data/branches.md): Try bigger changes on a copy of your app, then merge them into the live version.
- [Backups and trash](https://draftship.dev/docs/data/backups-and-trash.md): Restore deleted records from the trash, download earlier copies of your data, or roll a table back to an earlier point.
- [Test data](https://draftship.dev/docs/data/test-data.md): Try your app with data that's separate from your live data.

## Apps: Adding logic to your app

- [Adding AI to your app](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/ai-in-your-app.md): Let your app call AI for text, structured data and images, and understand how these calls count against your limits.
- [Sending emails from your app](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/sending-emails.md): Send transactional emails such as confirmations and notifications from your app.
- [Backend functions](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/backend-functions.md): Run your own server code for secrets, privileged changes, third-party APIs and webhooks.
- [Workflows](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/workflows.md): Automate multi-step backend work that runs on a schedule, when data changes, when people sign up, or when another service calls it.
- [Automations](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/automations.md): Run a backend function on a schedule or whenever records are created, updated or deleted.
- [Secrets](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/secrets.md): Store API keys and other private values for your backend functions.
- [Analytics and logs](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/analytics-and-logs.md): See who visits your app, track custom events, and review what happens behind the scenes.
- [Setting up an AI agent for your app](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/ai-agents.md): Add a chat assistant to your app that can look up and change data for each user.
- [Connectors](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/connectors.md): Link your Google, Slack, Notion, GitHub, HubSpot or Linear account so your app can use it.
- [API and webhooks](https://draftship.dev/docs/logic/api-and-webhooks.md): Call your app from other servers and tools with API keys, download its OpenAPI spec, and get record changes pushed to your URL.

## Apps: Domains

- [Your app's address](https://draftship.dev/docs/domains/your-app-url.md): Every app is published at its own address on the Draftship apps domain as soon as it builds.
- [Connecting a custom domain](https://draftship.dev/docs/domains/connecting-a-custom-domain.md): Serve your app from a domain you own. Available on paid plans.
- [SEO and social sharing](https://draftship.dev/docs/domains/seo.md): Control how your app appears in Google and when its link is shared, and check every page for SEO problems.
- [Tracking, redirects and installing your app](https://draftship.dev/docs/domains/site-settings.md): Add Google Analytics, the Meta Pixel or other scripts, set up 301 redirects, and let visitors install your app on their phone.

## Apps: Securing your app

- [Managing login and registration](https://draftship.dev/docs/security/managing-login-and-registration.md): Choose who can open your app, how people sign in, confirm emails, reset passwords, invite people and approve access requests.
- [Managing data permissions](https://draftship.dev/docs/security/managing-data-permissions.md): Control who can create, read, update and delete records in each table.
- [Running a security scan](https://draftship.dev/docs/security/running-a-security-scan.md): Find permission gaps, exposed keys and risky code in your app, and fix them in one click.

## Developers: Backend

- [Backend introduction](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/backend/introduction.md): The managed backend behind every Draftship app: data, users, integrations, functions and hosting.
- [Entities overview](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/backend/entities.md): How tables are declared, stored and queried.
- [Entity schemas](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/backend/entity-schemas.md): The JSON format for declaring tables, fields, types and defaults.
- [Security rules](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/backend/security.md): Row-level security for entities: the rule format, templates, user conditions and operators.
- [Auth](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/backend/auth.md): How app users, sessions and roles work at the API level.
- [Backend functions reference](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/backend/functions.md): Write, call and secure server functions with the server SDK.
- [Agents reference](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/backend/agents.md): Define agents, their data tools and the SDK for conversations.

## Developers: SDK

- [SDK overview](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/sdk/overview.md): The browser SDK every app ships with, and how to import it.
- [Work with data](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/sdk/work-with-data.md): Create, read, update, delete and subscribe to records with ds.entities.
- [Common SDK uses](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/sdk/common-uses.md): Authentication, integrations, functions, analytics and error handling.
- [SDK quick reference](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/sdk/quick-reference.md): Every method signature in one place.

## Developers: APIs

- [Apps API](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/api/apps-api.md): The REST API behind the SDK, for exported apps and other clients.
- [Use your app from AI tools (MCP)](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/api/app-mcp.md): Connect Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients to your app's data.

## Developers: Code

- [Code tab](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/code/code-tab.md): Browse every file, and watch code being written live. Paid plans.
- [GitHub and Vercel](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/code/github-and-vercel.md): On Pro+, push your app's code to GitHub and deploy it automatically to your own Vercel account.

## Developers: AI tools

- [Docs for AI assistants](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/ai/llms-txt.md): Machine-readable docs: llms.txt and Markdown versions of every page.
- [Build from AI tools (MCP)](https://draftship.dev/docs/developers/ai/platform-mcp.md): Create and change Draftship apps from Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients.

## Account & billing

- [Billing and plans](https://draftship.dev/docs/account/billing-and-plans.md): Compare Free, Pro and Pro+, upgrade, and manage your subscription.
- [Limits and usage](https://draftship.dev/docs/account/limits-and-usage.md): How messages and limits are counted, what doesn't count, and where to see your usage.
- [Account settings](https://draftship.dev/docs/account/account-settings.md): Profile, default model, integrations, security and deleting your account.