What is Sutton Studio?
Sutton Studio is an AI app builder inside Sutton. You describe what you want in plain language, and Sutton AI turns it into a working app that runs on your Sutton data. No coding is needed.
You can use Studio to build dashboards, planning calendars, workstation screens, and other tools shaped around how your team works. Apps can also scan barcodes with your device camera, open an item’s details, and link straight to manufacturing orders, work orders, sales orders, and purchase orders.
To see examples of what other teams have built, visit the Sutton Studio page.
ℹ️ Note: Sutton Studio needs to be enabled for your organization. If you don’t see it in your sidebar, contact your Customer Success Manager.
Find Sutton Studio
When Studio is enabled, you’ll find Sutton Studio in the left sidebar. Click it to open a table of all the apps you can access.
This includes apps you built and apps others in your organization have shared with you. The table shows the following columns:
Column | What it shows |
App | The name of the app. |
Status | Whether the app is Draft (not yet published) or Live (published). |
Visibility | Who can see the app: Just me or Entire org. |
Edited | When the app was last updated. |
Created | The date the app was created. |
Create a new app
To create an app, describe what you want to build and let Sutton AI do the work.
In Sutton Studio, click New app in the top right.
In the Let’s build something box, describe the app you want in plain language.
Press Enter or click the send button.
Sutton AI starts building your app. You can follow its progress in the chat on the right as it works through each step.
When the build is done, your app appears in the Preview tab in the middle of the screen.
To make changes, type what you’d like to change in the chat box on the right and send it. Repeat until the app works the way you want.
✅ Best practice: Be specific in your prompts. Name the records you want to see (items, MOs, sales orders), the statuses to include, and how you want the information grouped. Clear prompts get you a useful app in fewer rounds.
ℹ️ Note: Each prompt uses credits. To see how many credits a prompt used, hover over the ⓘ icon at the end of Sutton AI’s reply.
Get to know the app workspace
The workspace has two panels. The middle panel shows your app, and the right panel is where you build and configure it.
Middle panel
Preview: Shows your app as it currently stands. Use it to click through the app and check that it works the way you want.
Console: Lists any errors the app reports. This tab is mainly useful for technical users who want to troubleshoot an issue.
Right panel
Build: The chat where you prompt Sutton AI to create and change your app.
Settings: Where you set the app’s name, icon, visibility, environment variables, and secrets.
Customize your app settings
To name your app, choose who can see it, or store configuration values, open the Settings tab.
In Title, enter a name for your app.
Click the Icon dropdown, search for an icon that represents your app, and select it.
In Visibility, choose Just me to keep the app private or Entire org to share it with your organization.
Add any Environment variables or Secrets your app needs. A new row appears each time you fill one in, so you can keep adding more.
Click Save.
Field | Required? | Value of filling in | Notes |
Title | No | Makes the app easy to find in your sidebar and in Sutton Studio. | Defaults to a name based on your first prompt. |
Icon | No | Helps you and your team spot the app quickly. | Search the icon library to narrow down options. |
Visibility | No | Controls who in your organization can see and use the app. | Just me or Entire org. |
Environment variables | No | Lets you change app settings, like a default warehouse or a threshold value, without rebuilding the app. | Not for sensitive information. Use Secrets instead. |
Secrets | No | Lets your app connect securely to outside services using an API key or password. | Values are hidden as you type. Key names can’t be edited after saving. |
📘 Sutton Tip: Your app’s draft and live versions share the same settings: name, icon, visibility, environment variables, and secrets. You only need to set them once, and any change applies to both versions right away.
⚠️ Heads up: You can’t change a secret’s key name or value after you save it. To rename a secret, click the X next to it to remove it, then add it again with the new name.
How draft and live versions work
Every app starts as a draft. A draft lets you build and test your app before you share the final version. In the workspace, the draft is labeled Preview.
While your app is in draft
Any data your app stores on its own, like custom tables or saved notes, goes into a separate draft copy. This keeps the live version of your app unaffected while you test.
If you change how the app stores its own data (for example, adding a new table or column), that change only applies to the draft copy.
Webhooks and scheduled jobs are turned off, so testing doesn’t trigger real actions.
⛔ Warning: A draft app still works with your real Sutton data. If your draft app reads or changes items, inventory, orders, or other Sutton records, those changes affect your live account. Test carefully, especially with apps that create, edit, or delete records.
When you publish
Your current live version keeps running while the new version is prepared.
Any changes to the app’s own data structure are applied to the live version.
Your team is then switched over to the new version.
After you publish
You can keep improving your app. Any new prompts update the draft only, so your team keeps using the live version until you publish again.
Publish your app
To share the finished version of your app, publish it.
Open your app in Sutton Studio.
Click Publish app in the top right.
Wait for the Success message confirming the version is now live.
Your app now appears in the Custom section of your left sidebar. Draft apps also appear there, so you can open them quickly while you build.
Delete an app
You can delete any draft or published app you no longer need.
Open the app in Sutton Studio.
Click the three dots (…) in the top right.
Click Delete app.
⚠️ Caution: Deleting a published app removes it for everyone who uses it. Deleting an app also does not restore the credits used to build it.
Check your Studio usage
To see your organization’s plan, credit usage, and published apps, open the Studio usage page.
Click Settings in the left sidebar.
In the Account section, click Studio usage.
The top of the page shows three summary cards
Card | What it shows |
Plan | Your organization’s current Sutton Studio plan. |
Credits this period | The total credits your organization has used in the current billing period, and the date your credits reset. |
Published apps | How many apps your organization has published, how many your plan includes, and how many app slots remain. |
Below the cards, the Published apps table lists every published app in your organization, including its name, creator, visibility, and publication date.
To take an app offline, click Unpublish next to it. Admins can unpublish apps they created and shared with the entire organization.
ℹ️ Note: Only people who can manage apps can see the Studio usage page.
Your custom app is ready to use
You now know how to build an app in Sutton Studio, customize its settings, test it safely as a draft, publish it for your team, and track your usage. As your needs change, you can keep refining your app with new prompts and publish updates whenever you’re ready.
FAQ
Do I need coding experience to use Sutton Studio?
Do I need coding experience to use Sutton Studio?
No. You describe what you want in plain language, and Sutton AI builds the app for you. You can refine it the same way, by telling Sutton AI what to change.
Does my draft app use my real Sutton data?
Does my draft app use my real Sutton data?
Yes. Draft apps read and write your live Sutton records, such as items, inventory, and orders. Only the data the app stores on its own is kept separate while in draft. Test carefully before you rely on an app that creates or changes records.
What’s the difference between a draft app and a live app?
What’s the difference between a draft app and a live app?
A draft is the version you’re building and testing. A live app is the published version your team uses. New changes only reach the live app when you click Publish app.
Will webhooks or scheduled jobs run while my app is in draft?
Will webhooks or scheduled jobs run while my app is in draft?
No. Webhooks and scheduled jobs are turned off in draft. They start running once you publish the app.
Can I keep changing my app after I publish it?
Can I keep changing my app after I publish it?
Yes. Keep prompting Sutton AI in the Build tab. Your changes stay in the draft until you publish again, so your team isn’t affected while you work.
Who can see the apps I build?
Who can see the apps I build?
It depends on the app’s Visibility setting. Just me keeps the app private. Entire org shares it with everyone in your organization.
How do I see how many credits a prompt used?
How do I see how many credits a prompt used?
Hover over the ⓘ icon at the end of Sutton AI’s reply in the Build chat.
How do I check how many credits my organization has used?
How do I check how many credits my organization has used?
Go to Settings, then click Studio usage in the Account section. The Credits this period card shows your total usage and when your credits reset.
How do I unpublish an app?
How do I unpublish an app?
Go to Settings > Studio usage and click Unpublish next to the app in the Published apps table. Admins can unpublish apps they created and shared with the entire organization.
Will I get my credits back if I delete an app?
Will I get my credits back if I delete an app?
No. Credits used to build an app are not restored when you delete it.
Why can’t I change a secret’s key name?
Why can’t I change a secret’s key name?
Key names are locked after you save them to keep your app’s connections secure. To rename one, remove the secret and add it again with the new name.
What should I do if my app shows an error?
What should I do if my app shows an error?
Open the Console tab, click the error, and then click Ask AI. Sutton AI reviews the error and works on a fix for you.
Why don’t I see Sutton Studio in my sidebar?
Why don’t I see Sutton Studio in my sidebar?
Studio needs to be enabled for your organization. Contact your Customer Success Manager to get access.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or contact us at [email protected].