> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lightdash.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Data apps

> Configure a self-hosted Lightdash instance to run data apps

<Info>
  <Badge icon="building-plus" color="blue" size="sm" shape="pill">Enterprise</Badge> Data apps need a valid `LIGHTDASH_LICENSE_KEY` set on your instance before any of the configuration below takes effect. See [enterprise features](/self-host/enterprise-features) for applying the key.
</Info>

[Data apps](/data-apps) are AI-generated React code, built inside an isolated sandbox and stored in an S3-compatible bucket. To enable the feature on a self-hosted instance you need a sandbox provider, a model provider, and a bucket Lightdash can write to. Claude is the default coding agent, and you can run data apps with OpenAI Codex instead.

Sandbox providers are configured separately and cover several runtimes — E2B, AWS Lambda MicroVMs, Azure Container Apps, and Google Cloud Run. See [sandboxes](/self-host/customize-deployment/sandboxes) for the full provider setup; this page covers everything else data apps need.

## Prerequisites

* **Enterprise license** - `LIGHTDASH_LICENSE_KEY` must be set on your instance.
* **S3-compatible storage** - a bucket Lightdash can write to for app source and built artifacts. If your instance isn't already using S3, [set that up first](/self-host/customize-deployment/configure-lightdash-to-use-external-object-storage).
* **A configured sandbox provider** - see [sandboxes](/self-host/customize-deployment/sandboxes).
* **A coding-agent provider** - Anthropic, OpenAI, or an [AWS Bedrock](https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/) account with access to the model used by your selected agent.

## Configuration

Add the following environment variables to your Lightdash deployment:

| Variable               | Example          | Purpose                                                                                                                                      |
| ---------------------- | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `APPS_RUNTIME_ENABLED` | `true`           | Main switch for the feature.                                                                                                                 |
| `APPS_CODING_AGENT`    | `claude`         | Coding agent used to generate apps. Supports `claude` (default) or `codex`.                                                                  |
| `APPS_S3_BUCKET`       | `lightdash-apps` | Bucket Lightdash will write app source and built artifacts to. Falls back to `S3_BUCKET` if unset - set this if you want a dedicated bucket. |

Choose one of the coding-agent and provider combinations below.

### Claude through Anthropic (default)

Leave `APPS_CODING_AGENT` unset or set it to `claude`, then provide an Anthropic API key.

| Variable             | Example                                     | Purpose                                                                                                                                   |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `APPS_CODING_AGENT`  | `claude`                                    | Optional. Claude is used when this variable is unset.                                                                                     |
| `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`  | `<your-anthropic-api-key>`                  | Your [Anthropic](https://console.anthropic.com/) API key. Used for Data apps when `AI_DEFAULT_PROVIDER` is not `bedrock`.                 |
| `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` | `https://llm-gateway.example.com/anthropic` | Optional. Routes Claude and Anthropic-backed AI Analyst traffic through an Anthropic-compatible gateway. Configure the base before `/v1`. |

Users can choose Sonnet, Opus, or Haiku for each generation. Sonnet is the default.

With `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`, Lightdash uses `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` as a bearer token and allows the gateway hostname through the sandbox firewall. The gateway must implement Anthropic Messages. See [Corporate LLM gateways](/self-host/enterprise-features/ai-agents#corporate-llm-gateways) for authentication and API-path requirements.

### Codex through OpenAI

Set `APPS_CODING_AGENT=codex` and provide an OpenAI API key. Codex uses OpenAI directly whenever `AI_DEFAULT_PROVIDER` is not `bedrock`. You do not need an Anthropic API key for Data app generation in this mode.

| Variable            | Example                     | Purpose                                                                                                                      |
| ------------------- | --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `APPS_CODING_AGENT` | `codex`                     | Runs Data app generation with OpenAI Codex.                                                                                  |
| `OPENAI_API_KEY`    | `<your-openai-api-key>`     | Your [OpenAI API key](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys).                                                                 |
| `OPENAI_BASE_URL`   | `https://api.openai.com/v1` | Optional. Override this for an OpenAI-compatible gateway that supports the Responses API and the configured Codex model IDs. |

Users can choose GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, or Luna for each generation. Terra is the default.

### Claude or Codex through Bedrock

Set `AI_DEFAULT_PROVIDER=bedrock` to route the selected coding agent through AWS Bedrock or a Bedrock-compatible gateway. Set `APPS_CODING_AGENT` to `claude` or `codex`, then configure the region and credentials used by the selected route.

| Variable                        | Example                                   | Purpose                                                                                                                                       |
| ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `APPS_CODING_AGENT`             | `claude`                                  | Selects `claude` or `codex`. Defaults to `claude`.                                                                                            |
| `AI_DEFAULT_PROVIDER`           | `bedrock`                                 | Switches both AI Analyst and Data apps to Bedrock.                                                                                            |
| `BEDROCK_REGION`                | `us-east-2`                               | **(Required)** AWS region where the selected model is available.                                                                              |
| `BEDROCK_API_KEY`               | `<your-bedrock-api-key>`                  | Bedrock API key (bearer token). Simplest option - use this *or* the IAM keys below, not both.                                                 |
| `BEDROCK_ACCESS_KEY_ID`         | `<aws-access-key-id>`                     | AWS access key ID. Use with `BEDROCK_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` as an alternative to `BEDROCK_API_KEY`.                                               |
| `BEDROCK_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`     | `<aws-secret-access-key>`                 | AWS secret access key paired with `BEDROCK_ACCESS_KEY_ID`.                                                                                    |
| `BEDROCK_SESSION_TOKEN`         | `<aws-session-token>`                     | Optional. AWS session token for temporary IAM credentials.                                                                                    |
| `BEDROCK_BASE_URL`              | `https://llm-gateway.example.com/bedrock` | Optional. Routes backend Bedrock calls and the selected Data app coding agent through a corporate gateway.                                    |
| `CLAUDE_CODE_SKIP_BEDROCK_AUTH` | `true`                                    | Optional. For Claude only, omit AWS authentication when the configured gateway performs upstream authentication. Requires `BEDROCK_BASE_URL`. |

For Claude, enable the Claude models you want to use in the selected region. For Codex, enable the corresponding OpenAI model IDs, such as `openai.gpt-5.6-terra`, through the Amazon Bedrock Mantle path. See [OpenAI's Amazon Bedrock guide](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/amazon-bedrock) for supported models and authentication requirements.

The Bedrock credentials are the same ones used by AI Analyst - see [AWS Bedrock configuration](/self-host/customize-deployment/environment-variables#aws-bedrock-configuration) for the full reference. The sandbox firewall automatically allows only the provider endpoints required for the selected agent and region.

When `BEDROCK_BASE_URL` is set, the gateway must support the protocol used by each selected consumer. Claude uses Bedrock's streaming Invoke API, while Codex uses the OpenAI Responses API through a custom gateway provider. Codex requires `BEDROCK_API_KEY` in gateway mode and sends model IDs with the `openai.` prefix, such as `openai.gpt-5.6-terra`; the gateway must register or translate those names. See the [required gateway APIs](/self-host/enterprise-features/ai-agents#required-gateway-apis) matrix.

<Warning>
  `AI_DEFAULT_PROVIDER` is an instance-wide setting. Setting it to `bedrock` also routes AI Analyst through Bedrock. `APPS_CODING_AGENT` changes only the coding agent used by Data apps.
</Warning>

### Gateway networking

The Lightdash backend and the Data app sandbox make separate connections to the gateway. E2B and Azure Sandboxes receive the configured gateway hostname in their dynamic egress allowlist. AWS Lambda MicroVMs use a pre-provisioned egress connector instead, so `LAMBDA_MICROVM_EGRESS_CONNECTOR_ARN` must permit the gateway hostname. Docker and Cloud Run follow their existing runtime network policy. See [LLM gateway egress](/self-host/customize-deployment/sandboxes#llm-gateway-egress).

Restart the backend. The "Data apps" entry will appear in the **New** menu for users with the appropriate permission scope.

### Optional configuration

| Variable | Default | Purpose |
| -------- | ------- | ------- |

## Costs

Self-hosting data apps means you pay your sandbox provider and your selected model provider directly:

* **Your sandbox provider** bills for sandbox runtime. A typical build runs for 1–15 minutes; sandboxes are paused between iterations and resumed on follow-up prompts.
* **Anthropic, OpenAI, or AWS Bedrock** bills per token. Each generation sends the project's dbt catalog and the user's prompt to the selected coding agent, plus any attached charts, dashboards, or images.

Both your sandbox provider and your model provider expose usage dashboards. We recommend setting spend limits on both before rolling the feature out to your users.

## Permissions

Data apps follow the same space-based permission model as charts and dashboards. The relevant scopes (`view:DataApp`, `create:DataApp`, `manage:DataApp`) are bundled into the default system roles - but on enterprise instances using custom roles, you'll need to grant them explicitly. See [Custom roles](/workspace-admin/custom-roles) for details.

## Troubleshooting

**The "Data apps" entry doesn't appear in the New menu.**
Check that `APPS_RUNTIME_ENABLED=true`, `LIGHTDASH_LICENSE_KEY` is set, and the signed-in user has the `create:DataApp` scope.

**Builds fail immediately with a sandbox creation error.**
Check your sandbox provider's credentials and template configuration — see [sandboxes](/self-host/customize-deployment/sandboxes).

**Builds fail mid-generation with an Anthropic error.**
For direct Anthropic, check account usage limits and confirm `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` is valid. With `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`, confirm the sandbox can reach the gateway and that it accepts bearer authentication at `/v1/messages`.

**Codex builds fail with an OpenAI authentication or model error.**
Confirm `APPS_CODING_AGENT=codex`. For OpenAI, verify `OPENAI_API_KEY`; if `OPENAI_BASE_URL` is set, the gateway must support the Responses API and the model IDs shown in the Data app model picker. For a Bedrock gateway, verify `BEDROCK_API_KEY`, `/responses` support, and the `openai.`-prefixed model ID.

**Builds fail mid-generation with a Bedrock error.**
Confirm `BEDROCK_REGION` is set to a region where the selected agent's model is available, and that either `BEDROCK_API_KEY` or the `BEDROCK_ACCESS_KEY_ID` / `BEDROCK_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` pair is valid. If you use IAM credentials, the principal must have permission to invoke the selected model. With `BEDROCK_BASE_URL`, also confirm the gateway and sandbox allowlist support the selected agent's API wire. Codex requires an exact OpenAI Bedrock model ID such as `openai.gpt-5.6-terra`.