# How to build your first flow

> Published: 2026-07-07
> Updated: 2026-07-09
> Category: Build
> Canonical: https://finalpos.com/help/build-your-first-flow

To build your first flow, open Build, describe the checkout experience you want, and click Start. Build names your flow and starts building it right away, showing a live preview as it goes. Refine it by chatting, then click Deploy to run a pre-flight review, set a version, and publish it to your stations.

## Key takeaways

- Start a flow from the Build home by describing the checkout experience you want, then clicking Start.
- Clicking Start kicks off the build automatically — there's no separate approval step — and a live preview appears as your flow is generated.
- Refine your flow by chatting in Build mode; Plan and Ask modes are read-only.
- Click Deploy when ready — Build runs a pre-flight review, you set a version, and the flow goes live on your stations.
- Log in to save and deploy; every change is saved as a restorable checkpoint you can roll back to.

This quickstart walks you through how to build your first flow in Build — from describing what you want to deploying it live on your stations. A flow is a checkout experience that runs on your Final POS stations, and Build creates it for you from a plain-language description.

## Before you start

Log in to your Final account. You can experiment while logged out, but you'll need to be signed in to save your flow and deploy it. New to Final? Enter your email to create an account — you'll get a one-time code by email (no password to set), then complete a short setup (your name, company, country and currency, and business type) before you land in Build.

## Step 1: Describe the flow you want

On the Build home — the "What will you build?" screen — describe the checkout experience you want in the prompt box. To give Build more to work with, you can also:

- Choose your **hardware**, **industry**, and **style**.
- Add your **logo** and brand **colors**.
- Drop in a **screenshot** as a design reference to reproduce.

## Step 2: Click Start

Select **Start**. Build names your flow and **starts building it right away** — clicking Start kicks off the build, so there's no separate approval step. You'll see a summary of what Build is creating (your request, plus any branding you added). (If you'd rather build with your own AI tool, choose **Connect your own AI (MCP)** instead.)

## Step 3: Watch the live preview

Build generates your flow and opens the workspace, with your chat on one side and a **live, interactive preview** on the other. The preview appears as soon as your flow is serving — click through it to try your flow as it comes together.

## Step 4: Refine by chatting

Building is a conversation. In the composer at the bottom of the chat, pick a mode:

- **Build** — writes and edits the code to ship your changes (the default).
- **Plan** — proposes an approach for review and waits for you to click **Approve & Build** before making any changes.
- **Ask** — answers questions about your flow, read-only.

You can switch modes with **Shift + Tab**. Describe what you want changed — add a screen, adjust the design, wire up a feature — and the preview updates.

> **Tip:** Every change is saved as a restorable checkpoint, so you can always roll back if a change isn't what you wanted.

## Step 5: Deploy your flow

When your flow is ready, click **Deploy** in the top bar. (Deploy becomes available once the flow has finished building.) Build then:

1. Runs a quick **pre-flight review** of your flow. If it finds anything, you can **Fix** the issues or choose **Deploy anyway**.
2. Lets you set a **version** number and an optional **changelog** (or **Draft with AI** to generate one from your conversation).
3. **Builds, uploads, and activates** your flow — when it's live you'll see "You're live!"

## What's next

Once your flow is deployed, head to **Manage** in the Merchant Hub to set up your store, add products, and start taking orders. You can come back to Build anytime to keep refining your flow and deploy a new version.

## FAQ

**Q: Do I need to know how to code to build a flow?**
A: No. You describe the checkout experience you want in plain language and Build creates it. You refine it by chatting — no coding required.

**Q: Why is the Deploy button unavailable?**
A: Deploy turns on once your flow has finished building. Until then it shows "Build your app first" or "Hang tight" while the flow is still generating.

**Q: Can I change my flow after Build creates it?**
A: Yes. Keep chatting in Build mode to change it. Plan mode drafts an approach without touching anything, and Ask mode answers questions read-only.

**Q: What happens when I deploy?**
A: Build runs a pre-flight review of your flow, then you set a version number and an optional changelog. Build compiles, uploads, and activates it so it goes live on your stations.

**Q: Can I undo a change?**
A: Yes. Every change is saved as a restorable checkpoint, and deploys are versioned, so you can roll back to an earlier point.