Thanks to everyone who joined us live (or async!) for our final day, Day 4, of AI Build Week 2.
Here’s a recap of the top questions from the session 
Setup and Access
Q: I didn’t get the Retool invite or can’t join the shared workspace — what should I do?
The build-along used a shared event workspace. If you didn’t receive the invite or encountered access issues, no problem — you can recreate the same flow in your own org using (coming soon!) . Just connect your own Snowflake resource and follow the same prompts.
Q: I’m getting a “folderId must be unique / name must be unique” error. What does that mean?
That happens when multiple attendees create the same app name in a shared org. Rename your app (for example, “License Manager – Sarah”) and try again.
Q: I can’t find the Assist panel — where is it located?
Assist appears as the blue button in the bottom-left corner of the Retool editor. If you don’t see it, confirm you’re on Edge 3.283+ or Stable 3.284+ and that Assist is toggled on under Settings → AI.
Q: Is there a specific Retool version we need for Assist/AppGen?
If you’re on Cloud, Assist is available in public beta today. If you’re self-hosted, make sure you’re on Edge 3.283+ or Stable 3.284+, then turn on Assist under Settings → AI and enable the AI connectors.
Working with Data
Q: How did the demo connect to Snowflake without showing credentials?
The host configured a shared Snowflake resource inside Retool. Assist can reference this resource via @resource-name in prompts — securely using your existing connection without ever exposing credentials.
Q: Can Assist scan my database and understand joins or relationships automatically?
Yes. When you connect a resource, Assist performs a schema scan so it can generate accurate queries based on your tables, columns, and foreign keys — all within your existing permissions.
Q: Can Assist use stored procedures or complex SQL logic?
Not automatically yet, but you can call stored procedures or custom SQL from a query step inside Retool.
Q: Can Assist accidentally run destructive queries on my database?
No. Assist never runs anything automatically. Every query must be manually approved before execution. Admins can also set stricter rules (like requiring approval for all write queries).
App Generation and Customization
Q: How is AppGen different from other AI app builders like Lovable or Bolt?
Retool’s AppGen generates apps that are production-grade from the start — connected to your real data, inheriting your organization’s security, and deployable immediately.
Unlike other tools that stop at a prototype, Retool apps live within your governed environment and can be used in production safely.
Q: Can I use AppGen to work with my production database directly?
Yes, but it’s recommended to use a staging environment while prompting or iterating. You can connect to production data once your app is tested and ready to deploy.
Q: Can Assist edit existing apps, or only create new ones?
Both. You can tag queries or components (for example @getCustomers) and ask Assist to update or refactor them. All changes are previewed first — nothing updates without your review.
Q: Can Assist import designs from Figma or a doc file?
Not yet. The best results come from describing layouts directly in your prompt (e.g., “Add a left-hand sidebar with filters and a main results table”).
Authentication and Governance
Q: How does Assist interact with authentication like Okta or SSO?
Assist focuses on app logic. Authentication, RBAC, and SSO are still managed through Retool’s platform, so your existing governance and audit controls stay in place.
Q: How is AI usage monitored and logged?
Retool provides audit logging for AI-related actions, including inputs, outputs, and timestamps for all Assist queries. This ensures full traceability for security and compliance.
Q: Can I use private or foundation models, like Bedrock?
Not yet. Assist currently integrates with OpenAI and Anthropic (via managed or user-provided API keys). Bedrock-hosted Anthropic or OpenAI models are supported for some Enterprise customers — reach out to your AE for details.
Prompting and Workflow
Q: Can you define your own best practices to apply to the agent?
Partly, yes. Today you can add your “rules” directly in the prompt (naming, which query type to use, how to structure CRUD, etc.), and Assist already follows Retool’s own conventions. A true org-level/shared style guide is something the team is working on, but it’s not generally available yet.
Q: What’s the best way to get consistent results when prompting Assist?
Be explicit and structured in your requests.
Teams often create an internal “Assist style guide” with preferences such as:
“Use Query JSON with SQL,” “Apply consistent column naming,” or “Use modals for edit forms.”
You can paste these standards at the start of each new build to guide the agent.
Q: Can I build workflows or agents with Assist yet?
Not yet — Assist is currently scoped to app building. Support for Workflows and Agents is in development.
Recordings and Resources
Q: Will the session recording be available?
Yes — you can watch it anytime in the AI Build Week playlist.
Have a tip, prompt, or fun fail to share?
Add it to the Prompt Pro Challenge thread to help other builders learn (and laugh).
If we missed your question or you’re watching async, drop it in the comments below — we’ll follow up there!
