---
title: 'Core concepts'
description: 'Understand how Dashboard, Studio, schema, API, and AI fit together.'
---

# Core concepts

A Flexkit application combines a managed project with a Studio application configured in code. The project holds data and service configuration; Studio supplies the interface people use.



## An agentic operating system for e-commerce

Flexkit connects three parts of your commerce operations: structured data, the workspace your team uses, and agents that work with that data through configured capabilities. Your schema models the business, Studio makes it accessible to people, and AI uses instructions, skills, and tools to carry out tasks.

For example, you can model products and categories, maintain descriptions and images in Studio, and configure an automation to review catalog records for missing information. The task instructions, available tools, access permissions, and mutation policy determine what an agent can do. Start with a [read-only catalog review](/docs/automations/create) before enabling changes.

## Where each task happens

| Surface          | Responsibilities                                                                                 |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Dashboard        | Teams, projects, memberships, credentials, integrations, usage, billing, and lifecycle controls. |
| Studio           | Browse and edit data, organize assets, explore GraphQL, and use installed AI features.           |
| Application code | Schema, extension registration, custom interfaces, server handler, skills, and tools.            |
| CLI              | Authenticate, select projects, deploy schemas, and transfer supported data/assets.               |

## Two deployments

```mermaid
flowchart TD
  Dashboard[Dashboard] --> Configuration[Project access and settings]
  Schema[Schema in application code] -->|CLI schema deployment| Project[Flexkit project data and API]
  Configuration --> Project
  App[Application deployment] --> Studio[Hosted Studio]
  Studio -->|Signed-in session| Handler[Application API handler]
  Handler -->|Authenticated request| Project
  AI[AI execution] -->|Signed tool request| Tools[Application server tools]
```

A schema deployment changes the backend data model. An application deployment publishes Studio, its API handler, and any custom tools. Neither replaces the other. Reverting application code does not restore deleted data.

## Model your data

An **entity type** describes a class of records, such as Product. An **attribute** describes a field. A **relationship** links records, such as a product's category. The generated GraphQL schema reflects this configuration. Expect to refine that model after people and agents start asking questions; see [iterating your schema](/docs/schema/iterating-your-schema).

A **scope** selects a data variant, such as a locale. A **space** controls access to resources. Selecting a different scope does not grant membership in a space. See [scopes](/docs/schema/scopes) and [spaces](/docs/schema/spaces).

## Extend the application

An extension contributes Studio UI. A skill provides instructions to AI. A custom tool executes server-side application code. These are different extension mechanisms with different access boundaries.

The bundled extensions are [Desk](/docs/studio/desk), [Asset Manager](/docs/studio/asset-manager), [Explorer](/docs/studio/explorer), and [AI](/docs/studio/ai). Your developer chooses which are installed in each project.

## Hosting responsibilities

You deploy and maintain your Studio application and its server handler. Configure production routing, dependencies, and secrets there. Flexkit project administration remains in Dashboard. The ability to host Studio does not imply that every backend service is part of that deployment.

Next: [create a project](/docs/getting-started/create-project) or [join your team's app](/docs/getting-started/join-project).


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