Building a UI Bundle App

Overview

Build a complete, deployable Salesforce React UI bundle application from a natural language description by orchestrating specialized UI bundle skills in correct dependency order. Each skill MUST be explicitly loaded before executing its phase.

When to Use This Skill

Use when:

• User requests a "React app", "UI bundle", "web app", or "full-stack app" on Salesforce
• User says "build an app", "create an application" and the context implies a non-LWC based frontend (e.g. React)
• The work produces a complete UI bundle with scaffolding, features, data access, and UI -- not a single component in isolation

Examples that should trigger this skill:

• "Build a React app for managing customer cases with Salesforce data"
• "Create a UI bundle for an employee directory with search and navigation"
• "I need a full-stack React app with authentication, data tables, and file uploads"
• "Build a coffee shop ordering app on Salesforce"

Do NOT use when:

• Creating a single page or component (use building-ui-bundle-frontend)
• Only installing a feature (use generating-ui-bundle-features)
• Only setting up data access (use using-ui-bundle-salesforce-data)
• Only deploying an existing app (use deploying-ui-bundle)
• Building a Lightning Experience app with custom objects and metadata (use generating-lightning-app)
• Troubleshooting or debugging an existing UI bundle

Dependency Graph & Build Order

Phase 1: Scaffolding (Foundation)

UI Bundle scaffold (sf template generate ui-bundle)
    v
Install dependencies (npm install)
    v
Bundle metadata (uibundle-meta.xml, ui-bundle.json)
    v
CSP Trusted Sites (if external domains needed)

Creates the UI bundle directory structure, meta XML, and optional routing/headers config. All subsequent phases require the scaffold to exist.

Phase 2: Features (Optional)

Search project code (src/) for existing implementations
    v
Install dependencies (npm install)
    v
Search, describe, and install features (auth, shadcn, search, navigation, GraphQL)
    v
Resolve conflicts (two-pass: --on-conflict error, then --conflict-resolution)
    v
Integrate __example__ files into target files, then delete them

Installs pre-built, tested feature packages. Skip if the app requires no pre-built features. Always check for an existing feature before building from scratch. Features provide the foundation that UI components build on top of.

Phase 3: Data Access (Backend Wiring)

Acquire schema (npm run graphql:schema)
    v
Look up entity schema (graphql-search.sh, max 2 runs)
    v
Generate queries/mutations (use verified field names, @optional on all record fields)
    v
Validate and test (npx eslint, ask user before testing mutations)

Sets up the data layer using @salesforce/sdk-data. GraphQL is preferred for record operations; REST for Connect, Apex, or UI API endpoints.

Phase 4: UI (Frontend)

Layout, navigation, header, and footer (appLayout.tsx)
    v
Pages (routed views)
    v
Components (widgets, forms, tables)

Builds the React UI. References the data layer from Phase 3 and the features from Phase 2. Must replace all boilerplate and placeholder content.

Phase 5: Integrations (Optional)

Agentforce chat widget (if requested)
File upload API (if requested)

These are independent and can be executed in parallel if both are needed.

Phase 6: Deployment

Org authentication
    v
Pre-deploy UI bundle build (npm install + npm run build)
    v
Deploy metadata
    v
Post-deploy configuration (permissions, profiles, named credentials, connected apps, custom settings, flow activation)
    v
Import data (if data plan exists)
    v
Fetch GraphQL schema and run codegen
*(Re-fetches schema from the deployed org -- required because the remote schema may differ from the local one used in Phase 3)*
    v
Final UI bundle build (rebuilds with the deployed schema)

Follows the canonical 7-step deployment sequence. Must deploy metadata before fetching schema. Must assign permissions before schema fetch.

Phase 7: Hosting Target

Choose one of the following based on the app's audience:

Phase 7a: Experience Site (External)

Resolve site properties (siteName, appDevName, etc.)
    v
Generate site metadata (Network, CustomSite, DigitalExperience)
    v
Deploy site infrastructure

Creates the Digital Experience site that hosts the UI bundle. Use when the user wants a public-facing or authenticated site URL for external users.

Phase 7b: Custom Application (Internal)

Resolve app properties (appName, appNamespace, appLabel)
    v
Generate CustomApplication metadata (applications/*.app-meta.xml)
    v
Add <target>CustomApplication</target> to .uibundle-meta.xml
    v
Deploy custom application

Creates a Custom Application entry in the Lightning App Launcher. Use when the app is for internal users accessing it within Lightning Experience.

Execution Workflow

STEP 1: Requirements Analysis & Planning

Actions:

1. Parse the user's natural language request
2. Identify the app name and purpose
3. Extract pages and navigation structure
4. Identify data entities and Salesforce objects needed
5. Detect feature requirements (authentication, search, file upload, chat)
6. Determine if an Experience Site is needed
7. Identify external domains for CSP registration

Output: Build Plan

UI Bundle App Build Plan: [App Name]

SCAFFOLDING:
- App name: [PascalCase name]
- Routing: [SPA rewrites, trailing slash config]
- External domains: [domains needing CSP registration]

FEATURES:
- [list of features to install: auth, shadcn, search, navigation, etc.]

DATA ACCESS:
- Objects: [Salesforce objects to query/mutate]
- Queries: [list of GraphQL queries needed]
- REST endpoints: [Apex REST or Connect API calls, if any]

UI:
- Layout: [description of app shell/navigation]
- Pages: [list of pages with routes]
- Components: [key components per page]
- Design direction: [aesthetic/style intent]

INTEGRATIONS (if applicable):
- Agentforce chat: [yes/no, agent ID if known]
- File upload: [yes/no, record linking pattern]

DEPLOYMENT:
- Target org: [org alias if known]
- Hosting target: [Experience Site / Custom Application / none]

SKILL LOAD ORDER:
1. generating-ui-bundle-metadata
2. generating-ui-bundle-features (if features needed)
3. using-ui-bundle-salesforce-data (if data access needed)
4. building-ui-bundle-frontend
5a. implementing-ui-bundle-agentforce-conversation-client (if chat requested)
5b. implementing-ui-bundle-file-upload (if file upload requested)
6. deploying-ui-bundle
7a. generating-ui-bundle-site (if Experience Site requested -- external users)
7b. generating-ui-bundle-custom-app (if Custom Application requested -- internal users)

STEP 2: Per-Phase Execution

Execute each phase sequentially. Complete all steps within a phase before moving to the next. For each phase:

Do NOT skip step 1 (loading the skill). Even if you remember the skill's content, skills evolve. Always load the current version.

Phase 1 -- Scaffolding

• 1. Load skill: Invoke generating-ui-bundle-metadata
• 2. Execute: Run sf template generate ui-bundle, install dependencies (npm install), configure meta XML, ui-bundle.json, and CSP trusted sites
• 3. Verify: Confirm directory structure and metadata files exist
• 4. Checkpoint: UI bundle scaffold is ready -- proceed to Phase 2

Phase 2 -- Features (skip if no pre-built features needed)

• 1. Load skill: Invoke generating-ui-bundle-features
• 2. Execute: Install dependencies, search and install features, integrate example files
• 3. Verify: Run npm run build to confirm features integrate cleanly
• 4. Checkpoint: Features installed -- proceed to Phase 3

Phase 3 -- Data Access (skip if no Salesforce data needed)

• 1. Load skill: Invoke using-ui-bundle-salesforce-data
• 2. Execute: Fetch schema, look up entities, generate queries/mutations, wire into components
• 3. Verify: Run npx eslint on files with GraphQL queries
• 4. Checkpoint: Data layer ready -- proceed to Phase 4

Phase 4 -- UI

• 1. Load skill: Invoke building-ui-bundle-frontend
• 2. Execute: Build layout, pages, components, navigation. Replace all boilerplate.
• 3. Verify: Run lint and build -- 0 errors required
• 4. Checkpoint: UI complete -- proceed to Phase 5

Phase 5 -- Integrations (skip if not requested)

• 1. Load skill(s): Invoke implementing-ui-bundle-agentforce-conversation-client (5a) and/or implementing-ui-bundle-file-upload (5b). If both are needed, they are independent and can be executed in parallel.
• 2. Execute: Follow each skill's workflow to add the integration
• 3. Verify: Run lint and build
• 4. Checkpoint: Integrations complete -- proceed to Phase 6

Phase 6 -- Deployment

• 1. Load skill: Invoke deploying-ui-bundle
• 2. Execute: Follow the 7-step deployment sequence (auth, build, deploy, permissions, data, schema, final build)
• 3. Verify: Confirm deployment succeeds and app is accessible
• 4. Checkpoint: App deployed -- proceed to Phase 7 if needed

Phase 7a -- Experience Site (skip if not requested or if Custom Application chosen)

• 1. Load skill: Invoke generating-ui-bundle-site
• 2. Execute: Resolve properties, generate site metadata, deploy
• 3. Verify: Confirm site URL is accessible
• 4. Checkpoint: Site live -- build complete

Phase 7b -- Custom Application (skip if not requested or if Experience Site chosen)

• 1. Load skill: Invoke generating-ui-bundle-custom-app
• 2. Execute: Resolve app properties, generate CustomApplication metadata, add CustomApplication target to meta XML
• 3. Verify: Confirm app appears in App Launcher
• 4. Checkpoint: App registered -- build complete

STEP 3: Final Summary

After all phases complete, present a build summary:

UI Bundle App Build Complete: [App Name]

PHASES COMPLETED:
[x] Phase 1: Scaffolding -- [app name] UI bundle created
[x] Phase 2: Features -- [list of features installed, or "skipped"]
[x] Phase 3: Data Access -- [list of entities wired up]
[x] Phase 4: UI -- [count] pages, [count] components
[x] Phase 5: Integrations -- [list or "none"]
[x] Phase 6: Deployment -- deployed to [org]
[x] Phase 7: Hosting Target -- [Experience Site URL / Custom Application name / "skipped"]

FILES GENERATED:
[list key files and their paths]

NEXT STEPS:
[any manual steps the user should take]

Validation

Before presenting the build as complete, verify:

• Scaffold exists: UI bundle directory with valid meta XML and ui-bundle.json
• Dependencies installed: node_modules/ exists and package.json has expected packages
• Build passes: npm run build produces dist/ with no errors
• Lint passes: npx eslint src/ reports 0 errors
• No boilerplate: All placeholder text, default titles, and template content has been replaced
• Navigation works: appLayout.tsx has real nav items matching created pages
• Data layer wired: Components use @salesforce/sdk-data (if data access phase was executed)
• CSP registered: All external domains have CSP Trusted Site metadata (if applicable)

Error Handling

Category 1: Stop and Ask User

• App purpose is too vague to determine pages or data needs
• User wants features that conflict (e.g., "no authentication" + "show user-specific data")
• Target org is unknown and deployment is requested

Category 2: Log Warning, Continue

• A feature install has minor conflicts (resolve and continue)
• Optional integration setup encounters non-blocking issues
• Build has non-error warnings

Best Practices

1. Always Follow Phase Order

Never build UI before installing features. Never deploy before building. Dependencies are strict.

2. Replace All Boilerplate

Every generated app must feel purpose-built. Replace "React App" titles, "Vite + React" placeholders, and all default content with real app-specific text and branding.

3. Design with Intent

Follow the design thinking and frontend aesthetics guidance from building-ui-bundle-frontend. Every app should have a clear visual direction -- not generic defaults.