---
title: "Create and Configure an App Action"
slug: "create-and-configure-an-app-action"
updated: 2026-03-19T06:25:40Z
published: 2026-03-19T06:25:40Z
canonical: "help.gladly.com/create-and-configure-an-app-action"
stale: true
---

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

# Create and Configure an App Action

| **REQUIRED USER ROLE** Administrator | **PERMISSION OVERVIEW** [View permissions by role](https://help.gladly.com/docs/managing-users-and-roles#roles-and-responsibilities) |
| --- | --- |

Create a new App Action from start to finish using the visual builder.

## Open the Visual Builder

1. Click ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/hamburger-menu-icon(2).svg?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T23%3A54%3A56Z&se=2026-11-08T00%3A54%3A56Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ltk4gp2ikIlIKW5is3VcAEMLVX1cEnXYILQonukv99E%3D) on the top left corner of the screen.
2. Click **Settings**.
3. Under the App Developer Tools category, click **Custom Actions.**
4. Click **Add App Action**.

![Interface showing Custom Actions with an option to add a new app action.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/add%20app%20action.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T23%3A54%3A56Z&se=2026-11-08T00%3A54%3A56Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ltk4gp2ikIlIKW5is3VcAEMLVX1cEnXYILQonukv99E%3D)

## Enter Basic Information

In the first section of the builder, fill in the following:

**Name** — Enter a clear, descriptive name for your App Action. Use a verb + noun format and be specific about what the action does.

- Do: "Look Up Order by Order Number"
- Don't: "adapter1"

**Naming rules:**

- Must be unique within your organization
- Avoid special characters

**Description** — Describe what the action does, what input it needs, and what it returns. Gladly uses this description to understand when and how to trigger the action during a conversation.

![Action name and description for fetching customer data from BigCommerce by order ID.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/order_filter_customaction.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T23%3A54%3A56Z&se=2026-11-08T00%3A54%3A56Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ltk4gp2ikIlIKW5is3VcAEMLVX1cEnXYILQonukv99E%3D)

## Add Inputs

Inputs are the values your App Action needs in order to run. To add an input:

1. In the **Inputs** section, click **+ Add**.
2. Fill in the following fields:
  1. Name – The input name, written in camelCase (e.g., `orderId`, `customerEmail`).
  2. Description – What this input represents and how it should be formatted to help Gladly reason about what value to provide.
  3. Type – The data type of the input value (see Input Types below)

| Type | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `string` | Text value | "ORDER-123" |
| `number` | Numeric value | 42 |
| `boolean` | True/false value | true |
| `object` | Nested data structure | {"name": "value"} |
| `array` | List of values | [1, 2, 3] |
| `string[]` | Array of strings | ["a", "b", "c"] |
  4. Input required – Whether the input must be provided for the action to run

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/add an input.gif?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T23%3A54%3A56Z&se=2026-11-08T00%3A54%3A56Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ltk4gp2ikIlIKW5is3VcAEMLVX1cEnXYILQonukv99E%3D)

## Add Steps

Steps are the operations that run when your App Action is triggered. They execute sequentially, and each step can reference inputs and the results of previous steps.

To add a step, hover your cursor below the Inputs section (or between any added steps), click the **+ icon** that appears, and select a step type. There are four step types available: HTTP Request, Transformation, App Platform, and Secrets. For full details on configuring each type, see [Step Types](/developer-tutorials/docs/step-types). ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/click to create steps in app action.gif?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T23%3A54%3A56Z&se=2026-11-08T00%3A54%3A56Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ltk4gp2ikIlIKW5is3VcAEMLVX1cEnXYILQonukv99E%3D)

Steps can reference the following using JSONPath syntax:

- Inputs via `$.params.inputName`
- Previous step results via `$.stepName.result`
- Built-in customer context via `$.context.*`

## Add Variables

Variables define the outputs of your App Action — the specific values extracted from the final step's results that the AI can use in a conversation.

To add a variable:

1. In the **Variables** section, click **+ Add**. ![A button labeled 'Add' is highlighted in the Variables section of a user interface.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/add_variables.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T23%3A54%3A56Z&se=2026-11-08T00%3A54%3A56Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ltk4gp2ikIlIKW5is3VcAEMLVX1cEnXYILQonukv99E%3D)
2. Fill in the following fields:
  1. Name – The variable name, written in camelCase (e.g., `orderStatus`)
  2. Description – What this variable represents and its purpose
  3. JSONPath – The path to the value within the final step's output
  4. Type – The data type of the value being extracted

**Variable Types:**

| Type | Use For |
| --- | --- |
| `string` | Text, IDs, statuses |
| `number` | Counts, amounts |
| `boolean` | Flags, yes/no values |
| `date` | Date values |
| `time` | Time values |
| `array_of_string` | Lists of text items |
| `array_of_number` | Lists of numbers |

## Save and Activate

1. Click **Save** to save your App Action.
2. Locate the newly created App Action in the Inactive list, and click the **More actions** **⋮** icon.
3. Select **Set to active**. ![Menu options for activating business hours and chat throttling in a software interface.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/set to active.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-07T23%3A54%3A56Z&se=2026-11-08T00%3A54%3A56Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=ltk4gp2ikIlIKW5is3VcAEMLVX1cEnXYILQonukv99E%3D)

> [!NOTE]
> Active App Actions
> 
> An App Action must be set to Active before it can be used in an AI guide.