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

# Apps & automations

> Surfaice Apps (punch walk, document abstraction) and On Watch automations — structured workflows beyond chat skills.

<Note>
  **New here?** Read [What is Surfaice?](/concepts/what-is-surfaice) and [Skills](/guides/skills) first so the Apps vs skills distinction is clear.
</Note>

Some high-stakes workflows use **Apps** and **automations** in addition to skills. Skills tell Hugo how to start and orchestrate work; Apps provide guided UIs for human validation.

A **punch walk** is a field walkthrough that logs incomplete construction items (the “punch list”) before a store opens. The punch-walk App helps capture those items section by section on a phone or tablet.

## Apps vs skills

|                 | Skill                                 | App                                       |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| **Purpose**     | Repeatable playbook Hugo follows      | Structured UI with validation states      |
| **Output**      | Tables, drafts, exports, chat answers | Panel-based review, checklists, writeback |
| **Examples**    | `permits`, `bid-tracking`             | `document-abstraction`, `punch_walk`      |
| **When to use** | Query, summarize, draft               | Field-by-field review before save         |

<Note>
  Behavioral routing rules live in App guidance, not skill bodies. If a workflow has a dedicated App, Hugo should route you into that App instead of improvising the full workflow in chat.
</Note>

## Document abstraction App

Used for lease abstraction, bid package review, and other **field-by-field document extraction** workflows.

| Entry skill                  | Flow                                                                                                                |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `lease-abstraction`          | User selects PDFs → Hugo starts `document-abstraction` job → validation UI for review → optional Lucernex writeback |
| `bid-package-review`         | Bid docs → abstraction job → subcontractor scope checklist + estimator scope sheet export                           |
| `storage-agreement-abstract` | Storage/license agreements through the same App pattern                                                             |

**User experience:**

1. Attach or point Hugo at source PDFs
2. Confirm files and start the abstraction job
3. Review extracted fields with citations in the App panel
4. Accept corrections and save or write back to your system of record

See [Lease abstraction guide](/guides/lease-abstraction).

## Punch walk App

**Punch walk** is an App for field closeout — not a catalog skill file. Retail construction teams use it to:

* Start a structured punch walk for a store or project
* Capture checklist and ad-hoc deficiency items
* Track vendor assignment and completion status
* Generate punch reports for opening readiness

### Punch walk contract

|                      |                                                                                                                |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Triggers**         | *"Start punch walk for store 1842"*, open punch walk App from workspace                                        |
| **Required inputs**  | Store number; walk mode (free vs inspect-in-order); verified contacts on start card                            |
| **Expected output**  | Section-by-section checklist, deficiency log, exportable punch report                                          |
| **Review checklist** | Correct section/trade for each item; compliance answers via checklist widgets; contacts match system of record |

**Field tips:**

* On iPad, use checklist widgets for compliance — not long typed answers
* If you chose **inspect in order**, Hugo should advance sections without asking every time
* Large sites may take several minutes per step — normal for heavy field workflows

Ask Hugo to start a punch walk for a store, or open the punch walk App from your workspace if enabled.

Related skills: `punch-list-status`, `opening`, `closeout`.

## On Watch automations

**On Watch** runs proactive checks on a schedule — daily briefs, inbox scans, milestone monitors, site-survey queue reviews.

| Skill                | What it does                                                                                                 |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `Automation Creator` | Guided flow to create/update automations from natural language — "pull my daily brief every weekday at 7 AM" |
| `site-survey`        | Notes that recurring survey queue management is a good On Watch candidate                                    |

**Typical automation pattern:**

1. User describes what to check and how often
2. Hugo drafts title, data source, evaluator prompt, and cadence
3. User confirms in the Automations panel
4. Hugo runs checks on schedule and surfaces results

Example requests:

```
Create an automation to run key-dates-digest every Monday morning.

Schedule portfolio-focus every weekday at 7 AM.

On Watch: alert when permits-delayed stores block construction starts.
```

## Franchise development automations

Franchise templates often combine skills with scheduled monitors:

* `critical-dates-portfolio` — lease portfolio date scan
* `pipeline-status` — development pipeline rollup
* `closeout-check` — TI allowance and closeout audit

## Related

* [Skills library](/skills)
* [Lease & portfolio skills](/skills/lease-and-portfolio)
* [Reporting skills](/skills/reporting)
* [Workspace admin](/skills/workspace-admin) — `Automation Creator` setup