Installing and Managing Apps

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Overview

Your Apps are yours to manage! You can install, update, and configure your Apps with the appcfg tool, using the apps suite of commands.

Remember to Use the —help Flag and Autocomplete

While you can find information on installing and managing your Apps below in this article, remember that much of this information and more is available in the appcfg tool itself! Use the —help flag or -h after any CLI command to access docs right in your terminal. The autocomplete feature (accessible via appcfg completion -h) can help you out by finishing your commands for you or suggesting available commands with the Tab button. The appcfg tool is designed to make App Platform discoverable on your own!

Before you start

In order to install or manage your Apps, you will need to have the appcfg tool set up. You can find documentation and a link to the latest release here.

Within your terminal’s shell environment, you will have to set the following variables:

  • GLADLY_APP_CFG_HOST: The Gladly environment you wish to run your commands against. For example, export GLADLY_APP_CFG_HOST=”myawesomebusiness.gladly.com”

  • GLADLY_APP_CFG_USER: The email address for the user who created the API token for App management, e.g. export GLADLY_APP_CFG_HOST=”[email protected]

  • GLADLY_APP_CFG_TOKEN: An API token for the Gladly environment you are working with — this can be generated from within the Gladly UI, and must be done by the user listed above

Use Flags for a Single Command

If you are just running a single command, these variables can be specified through flags for expediency, like:

appcfg apps list —gladly business.gladly.com —user [email protected] —token SecretToken

Installing an App

Once you are done writing your App, it’s time to install it to use in Gladly!

  1. Build your App with appcfg build.

    Remember to Make Sure Your App Works First!

    Test your App with appcfg test and appcfg run before building.

  2. Run appcfg apps install <filename.zip> to install your App into the Gladly environment specified by GLADLY_APP_CFG_HOST.

  3. Create a new Configuration for your App with appcfg apps create-config <App name OR App ID>. Add a unique name for your Configuration with -n, and set secrets like —secrets string {“password”: “hunter2”}

  4. Activate your Configuration with appcfg apps update-config <Config name OR Config ID> --activate (or, use the -a flag when creating your Configuration)

Now You Can Use Your App!

Once you have installed and configured your App, you can find any Data Pulls or Actions you have built available to use in the Sidekick Thread builder!

If you need to update your App’s credentials, you can run appcfg apps update-config, or use the options below to manage your installed App.

Managing Installed Apps

Manage your installed Apps with other appcfg apps commands:

  • View your installed Apps and their Configurations with appcfg apps list, or get detailed information about a particular App with appcfg apps info.

    Stay on Top of Partner Integrations!

    Use the list and info commands to stay on top of your partner integrations! You have access to Version and Configuration information for the Apps installed in your Gladly instance. You can use this information to troubleshoot integrations with partners, and update any out-of-date credentials or missing data.

  • Update your Apps by installing a new version, and then running appcfg apps upgrade — You can specify the new version like appcfg apps upgrade gladly.com/shopify/v1.0.0 -n v1.2.0.

  • Use appcfg apps update-config and appcfg apps oauth to keep any secure credentials current.

Additional Resources


FAQ

What is the appcfg tool used for?

The appcfg tool is used to install, update, and configure your Apps.

How can I access help documentation for appcfg commands?

You can access help documentation by using the --help flag or -h after any CLI command.

What environment variables do I need to set before using appcfg?

You need to set GLADLY_APP_CFG_HOST, GLADLY_APP_CFG_USER, and GLADLY_APP_CFG_TOKEN.

Can I install an App without building it first?

No, you should build your App using appcfg build and test it before installation.

How do I update my installed App's configuration?

You can update your App's configuration using the appcfg apps update-config command.

Is there a way to view my installed Apps and their configurations?

Yes, you can view your installed Apps and their configurations using the appcfg apps list command.

Can I use flags to specify environment variables for a single command?

Yes, you can specify these variables through flags for expediency.

Where can I find additional resources for appcfg commands?

You can find in-depth command documentation in the appcfg GitHub repo and tutorials for building your own App.