Overview

18 min

https://www.youtube.com/embed/e8vx53IvIqI

What is the Back4app Agent?

The Back4app Agent is an AI builder for web applications. You describe what you want in plain language, and the Agent builds a working project: interface, database, user sign-in and integrations, all running on Back4app.

What makes it different is what happens after the first version. Every project has two environments. The Agent works in Draft, and your users see Production. You publish when you are ready, you can roll back any release, and your project runs on its own server with its own database, logs and domain.

You can use it to build:

Internal tools, dashboards and admin panels

Client portals, booking and scheduling systems

Online stores and order management

AI-powered apps that call a language model, send emails or message customers on WhatsApp

Landing pages and websites with a real backend behind them

Projects are web applications, and they can also be installed on any phone from the browser, like a mobile app.

Key concepts

Concept	What it means
Project	One web application. Each project has its own code, database, users and settings.
Draft	The environment where the Agent builds and you test. Private to you. Has its own test data.
Production	The live version your users open. It only changes when you publish. Has its own real data.
Publish	Promotes what is in Draft to Production. Before it runs, you see what will change in the database.
Credits	What the Agent spends to work. Each message uses credits based on the model and the size of the task.
Connections	External services your project uses, such as an AI model, an email provider or WhatsApp.

"My link shows an old version." The public address always shows Production. Changes the Agent makes stay in Draft until you publish them.

How it works

1. Describe your project

Start from the home screen with a short description of what you want to build. For example: "A booking system for my barbershop, where clients pick a time and I see the schedule for the day."

The Agent may ask a few questions before it starts, such as who will use the project or which features matter most. Answer them, or skip and let the Agent decide.

2. Build and refine in Draft

The Agent writes the code, creates the database and sets up sign-in. You follow the work in the chat and see the result in the Preview.

Keep refining by sending messages: add a page, change a flow, fix something that doesn't look right. For small visual changes, click the element in the preview and edit text, colors and fonts yourself, without spending credits.

3. Publish to Production

When the project is ready, click Publish. You'll see:

The database changes that will be applied to Production

Any change that could delete data, which needs your approval before it runs

The secrets and connections Production needs

After publishing, your project is live at its own address on b4a.run. You can add your own domain in the Domains tab.

4. Keep improving

Go back to Draft, ask for changes, and publish again. Every release is saved in Version history. If something goes wrong, roll back to a previous version.

Your workspace

Each project has a workspace with two sides: Draft and Production. Switch between them at the top of the screen.

In Draft

Tab	What you do there
Preview	See and test the project. Click any element to edit it visually.
Code	Browse the files the Agent wrote.
Database	See the tables and the test data.
Users	See the accounts created in Draft.
Logs	Check what the project is doing and find errors.
Connections	Add AI, email and messaging services, and the keys they need.

In Production

Tab	What you do there
Overview	Status of the live project.
Database	The real data your users created.
Users	The people who signed up to your project.
Logs	Live logs of the published project.
Version history	Every release, with one-click rollback.
Connections	The keys and services used in Production.
Domains	Your b4a.run address and your custom domain.

Features

Choose your model

Keep Auto and the Agent picks a model for each request, or choose one yourself: GPT-6 Luna, GPT-6 Sol or GPT-5.6 Terra. GPT-6 Astra is available on the Starter plan. The choice is saved per project.

Visual editing

Click any element in the preview to change its text, colors and fonts directly. You can also select an element and ask the AI to change it.

Connections

Connect external services and the Agent wires them into your project:

Service	Use it for
OpenRouter	Add AI features with the language model of your choice
Resend	Send emails: confirmations, notifications, newsletters
Twilio	Send SMS and WhatsApp messages

Keys are stored as secrets, and Draft and Production can use different keys.

Every project comes with a managed database and user accounts, with no setup. Draft and Production keep separate data, so testing never touches your real users.

Install on phones

Ask the Agent to make your project installable. Users can then add it to their home screen from the browser and open it like an app. This is a web app, not an App Store or Google Play build.

Safe publishing

Before each publish, you see exactly what will change in the Production database. Changes that could remove data wait for your approval. Every release can be rolled back, including its data changes.

Plans and credits

	Free	Starter
Price	$0	$9.99 / month
AI credits	10 per day	10 per day, plus 50 per month
Build in Draft	Unlimited projects	Unlimited projects
Publish to Production	—	1 project included
Custom domain	—	✓
Download the code	—	✓
GPT-6 Astra	—	✓

Add-ons for Starter

Credit pack: +100 credits every month for $10/month. Monthly credits reset on renewal and don't roll over.

Extra project: publish one more project for $20/month (1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 5 GB database).

How credits work

Daily credits reset every day at 00:00 UTC.

Each message costs credits based on the model used and how much work the task needs. A simple question costs less than building a new page.

A task that is already running always finishes, even if it goes past your remaining credits.

Which Back4app product do I need?

Back4app has three products. The Agent is one of them.

If you want to...	Use
Describe an app and have AI build and host it	Back4app Agents
Deploy code you already have, from GitHub or Docker Hub	Back4app Web Deployment
Use a managed Parse Server backend for your own frontend or mobile app	Back4appBackend (BaaS)

Next steps

Build your first project: open the Agent and describe what you want.