---
title: "Frappe Apps"
space: "Framework"
url: "https://docs.frappe.io/framework/user/en/guides/basics/apps"
updated: "2026-02-17"
---


Frappe Apps are Python packages which use the Frappe platform. They can live
anywhere on the [Python
path](https://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/modules.html#the-module-search-path)
and must have an entry in the `apps.txt` file.


### Creating an app

Frappe ships with a boiler plate for a new app. The command `bench new-app
app-name` helps you start a new app by starting an interactive shell.

```
 % bench new-app sample_app
 App Name: sample_app
 App Title: Sample App
 App Description: This is a sample app.
 App Publisher: Acme Inc.
 App Icon: icon-linux
 App Color: #6DAFC9
 App Email: info@example.com
 App URL: http://example.com
 App License: MIT
```
The above command would create an app with the following directory structure.
```
 sample_app
 ├── license.txt
 ├── MANIFEST.in
 ├── README.md
 ├── sample_app
 │   ├── __init__.py
 │   ├── sample_app
 │   │   └── __init__.py
 │   ├── config
 │   │   ├── desktop.py
 │   │   └── __init__.py
 │   ├── hooks.py
 │   ├── modules.txt
 │   ├── patches.txt
 │   └── templates
 │   ├── generators
 │   │   └── __init__.py
 │   ├── __init__.py
 │   ├── pages
 │   │   └── __init__.py
 │   └── statics
 └── setup.py
```

The boiler plate contains just enough files to show your app icon on the [Desk].

### Files in the app

#### `hooks.py`

The `hooks.py` file defines the metadata of your app and integration points
with other parts of Frappe or Frappe apps. Examples of such parts include task
scheduling or listening to updates to different documents in the system. For
now, it just contains the details you entered during app creation.

```
 app_name = "sample-app"
 app_title = "Sample App"
 app_publisher = "Acme Inc."
 app_description = "This is a sample app."
 app_icon = "fa-linux"
 app_color = "black"
 app_email = "info@example.com"
 app_url = "http://example.com"
 app_version = 0.0.1
```
#### `modules.txt`

Modules in Frappe help you organize Documents in Frappe and they are defined in
the `modules.txt` file in your app. It is necessary for every [DocType] to be
attached to a module. By default a module by the name of your app is added.
Also, each module gets an icon on the [Desk]. For example, the [ERPNext] app is
organized in the following modules.

 accounts
 buying
 home
 hr
 manufacturing
 projects
 selling
 setup
 stock
 support
 utilities
 contacts

### Adding app to a site

Once you have an app, whether it's the one you just created or any other you
downloaded, you are required to do the following things.

Download the app via git

` bench get-app https://github.com/org/app_name`

Install the app to your site

` bench --site site_name install-app app_name`