Generate an Application Plan

From the Plan view, Composer can generate a structured application plan from your business requirements. Composer analyzes your input and produces a plan that you can review and refine across the planning tabs.

You can generate an application plan using one of the following methods:

• Use a natural language description.
• Upload files, such as requirements documents and images.
• Import an Excel app.

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Prerequisites for generating a plan

To generate an application plan in Composer, you need:

• Editor or Administrator permissions on the application.
• A natural language description of your business needs, or requirements documents in a supported format.

If you're uploading documents, make sure your files are in a supported format and within the size limits. For the full list, see Supported file types and limits. If your source materials aren't in a supported format, pre-process them outside of Appian using large language models (LLMs) or other tools to extract key information into supported formats before providing them to Composer.

Use a natural language description

Describe your business needs in your own words and Composer generates a custom application plan based on your input.

To generate a plan from a natural language description:

1. In your application, go to the Plan view.
2. Enter your requirements in the chat field. You can type your business needs or copy and paste them from another source.
3. Click .

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Composer analyzes what you entered and automatically generates a plan based on your business needs. Review the application planning tabs to verify, modify, or further refine the plan to ensure it aligns with your application's goals.

Upload files

Composer can generate an application plan from uploaded files. Upload requirements documents, process diagrams, images, presentations, or legacy system exports, and Composer extracts relevant information to populate your planning tabs. All uploaded files are stored in Application Documentation for future reference and requirements traceability.

To generate an application plan by uploading files:

1. From the Plan view landing screen, click the upload files icon to open the file picker.
2. Select the files you want to upload.

3. Click ADD.

   

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4. Click .

Upload a requirements document

Composer can extract business requirements from structured documents such as process guides, business rules documentation, or system specifications. For the supported formats and size limits, see Supported file types and limits.

If you don't have your requirements documented yet, use Appian's requirements template to capture them in a structured format, then upload the completed template.

For guidance on choosing which source materials to gather, see Provide existing documentation. When you upload, Composer extracts information differently depending on the document type:

• Business requirements documents: High-level descriptions of business needs, objectives, and success criteria that Composer breaks down into stories and personas.
• Solution descriptions: Detailed functional specifications that describe system behavior, inputs, outputs, and processing logic.
• Process diagrams: BPMN or XML exports from process mapping tools that Composer uses to generate structured process definitions and identify automation opportunities.
• Presentations: PPTX files containing mockups, process overviews, or stakeholder decks. Composer extracts text and embedded images to inform the plan.
• Legacy system exports: YML files exported from platforms such as Quickbase, which contain application structure, formulas, and configuration data that Composer maps to a modern schema.
• Discovery and interview notes: Meeting notes, assessment documents, or interview transcripts that capture stakeholder requirements and business context.

Upload media files

Composer can interpret standalone images to enrich your application plan. Upload images in PNG, JPG, GIF, or WEBP format to provide richer context about your existing systems and desired application design. For example, you can upload a screenshot of a legacy UI and Composer will analyze the layout to inform screen design, or upload a whiteboard photo of a workflow to help generate process definitions.

Consider uploading any of the following media files:

• Screenshots of legacy UIs: Capture screens from existing systems you want to modernize. Composer analyzes the layout and fields to inform screen design and data model generation.
• Mockups and wireframes: Upload sketches or design files that show your desired interface layout. Composer uses these to propose screens and navigation flows.
• Workflow diagrams: Photos or exports of whiteboard sessions, flowcharts, or process maps that illustrate how work moves through your organization.

For image counts and size limits, see Supported file types and limits.

File storage in Application Documentation

All the uploaded files are automatically stored in your application's Application Documentation. This links the generated application plan to its original source materials, giving your team easy, centralized access to the files used during plan generation.

To view your stored files:

1. Open your application.

2. Click Settings > Application Documentation.

   

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Import an Excel app

Organizations often rely on complex spreadsheets to manage critical business processes. Composer can extract business requirements from a Microsoft Excel file that functions as a standalone application. These files are also known as end-user computing (EUC) applications.

Composer reads the file's formulas, calculation chains, conditional formatting, and VBA macros. From these inputs, Composer extracts business requirements and generates a full application plan.

The .xlsm format allows Composer to interpret VBA macro logic in addition to formulas and data structures.

When Composer processes an Excel app, the extracted requirements populate the full application plan:

• Stories: Composer converts the spreadsheet's logic and workflows into plain-language stories. Each story references the source tab, formula, or macro behind the requirement.
• Personas: Composer identifies user roles from spreadsheet metadata, audit columns, or specific fields such as "Assigned To" and creates corresponding personas.
• Data model: Spreadsheet tabs are converted into a logical data model representing record types. Composer analyzes shared ID columns and foreign keys to suggest entity relationships.
• Business rules: Complex formulas and conditional formatting rules are interpreted and surfaced as business rules with their original Excel logic documented. For example, if a spreadsheet uses a VLOOKUP formula to calculate asset values from a product master tab, Composer extracts that logic as a business rule and maps the related tabs as entities in the data model.
• Processes: Sequential steps captured in status columns or macro-driven workflows are translated into process diagrams.
• Screens: Composer generates screen mockups based on the identified personas and data model.

To import an Excel app, follow the file upload steps in Upload a requirements document. Composer then analyzes the file's formulas and logic instead of parsing it as a text document.

Supported file types and limits

You can upload the supported file types within the following limits:

• File count: Up to five files per session.
• File size: 4.5 MB maximum per file.
• Image count: Up to 20 images per session. This limit includes both standalone image uploads and images that Composer extracts from other uploaded files.
• Image size: 3.75 MB maximum per standalone image.

Category	Supported formats	Notes
Requirements documents	CSV, DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, XLSM, PDF, HTML, TXT, MD	Images embedded in these files are automatically extracted.
Process diagrams	BPMN, XML	Use files exported from process mapping tools.
Presentations	PPTX	Embedded images are automatically extracted.
Legacy system exports	YML (Quickbase)	Contains application structure, formulas, and configuration data.
Images	PNG, JPG, GIF, WEBP	Screenshots, mockups, wireframes, or workflow diagrams.

Refine your plan

If the generated plan doesn't fully match your vision, you can iterate using AI:

1. Identify what's missing, incorrect, or unclear.
2. Use the Composer chat experience to request specific changes.

3. Provide additional context about requirements.

   Tip:  See AI Assistance for guidance on using AI effectively throughout the planning and building process.

4. Update specific sections rather than starting over.

Next steps

Once you've generated your application plan, the UX Preview tab displays your application's interface. You can refine and expand your plan by working with the different planning tabs:

• UX Preview.
• Stories.
• Personas.
• Process.
• Business Rules.
• Data Model.

As you move between tabs, your conversation with Composer carries over, so you can continue refining your plan without re-explaining context.

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