#Connecting an existing repository to the Forge
To get started with the Forge, you connect the GitHub repository you want maintained. This works the same way as connecting GitHub anywhere else in OCNexus: you approve access, and you can see exactly what you are approving (see "Connecting your GitHub account").
Once connected, the Forge takes an initial look at your repository to understand its structure and the languages it is written in. This first pass is just to build a picture of your code — it does not change anything yet.
You choose which repository to connect, and you can disconnect at any time. Connecting a repository never means giving up control of it — your code stays yours, and every change is still approved by you.
#Connecting your GitHub account
OCNexus works through GitHub. GitHub is where your app's code lives and how you sign in, so connecting your GitHub account is what lets OCNexus build and update your app for you.
The first time you connect, GitHub asks you to approve access. Approve it so OCNexus can create your app's code and save changes as it works. You are always shown what you are approving.
If a build cannot save its changes, or you see a permissions or access error, your GitHub connection has usually expired or access was removed. Reconnecting and re-approving access fixes this in almost every case.
You stay in control: you can review or remove OCNexus's access to GitHub at any time from your GitHub account settings. If reconnecting does not clear the problem, contact support with your app name.
#Finding your live app and using your own domain
When your app goes live, OCNexus gives you a link you can open and share right away — your app is on the internet and ready to use.
You can come back to your dashboard any time to find your apps and their links. If you build more than one, they are all listed there so you can open, review, or keep working on any of them.
Want your app to live at your own web address — something like app.yourbusiness.com instead of a default link? OCNexus supports using your own domain. Reach out and we will walk you through pointing your domain at your app so it feels fully like yours.
And because your app belongs to you, you keep its address and its code even if you ever decide to take it elsewhere.
#How OCNexus makes sure your app works
OCNexus does not just build your app and hope for the best — it checks its own work before handing it to you. As it builds, it tests the app and reviews the result, catching and fixing problems along the way.
The goal is that what you get is something that actually works, not a rough draft you have to debug yourself. If OCNexus finds an issue it cannot resolve on its own, it tells you plainly instead of shipping something broken.
Of course, you are the final check. Try your app, and if anything is not working the way you expect, just say so — OCNexus will look into it and put it right.
#How the Forge keeps your code safe
The Forge never pushes changes directly to your main branch. Every change it makes happens on its own separate branch first, exactly the way a careful engineer on your team would work.
Once a fix is ready, the Forge opens it as a pull request so you can see exactly what would change before it goes anywhere near your live code. Your main branch stays untouched until you decide to merge.
Because nothing lands without your review, you are always able to say no, ask for changes, or simply leave a pull request unmerged. Your production code is never at risk of an unreviewed change slipping in.
#Improving or fixing an app you already have
OCNexus does not only build new apps from scratch — it can also work on an app you already have. Connect your project, and OCNexus can review it for bugs, security issues, and rough edges, then fix what it finds.
This is useful when something is not working right, when you want a health-check on an existing app, or when you just want it improved. OCNexus looks through the app, tells you in plain language what it found, and can go ahead and fix the issues for you.
You stay in control of what gets changed. Review the findings, decide what you want fixed, and OCNexus handles the work — the same way it does for a brand new build.
#My app is not loading or seems down
If your live app is not loading, try a few quick things first. Refresh the page, and try opening the link in a different browser or on your phone — that rules out a local glitch or a cached old version.
Double-check you are using the correct link for your app; you can always find it again from your dashboard. If you made a change just before the problem started, that change may be the cause — you can ask OCNexus to undo it and get back to a working version (see "Undoing changes").
If your app still will not load after that, contact support with your app name and what you are seeing, and we will dig in and get it back up for you.
#Reviewing and approving Forge fixes
The Forge never pushes a fix straight into your live code. Every fix it proposes is presented to you first, in plain language, so you can decide whether it should go in.
You see what changed and why before anything merges. If it looks right, you approve it and it goes in. If something does not look right, or you want a different approach, you say so and it is adjusted or set aside — nothing merges without your go-ahead.
This is the same principle behind everything OCNexus builds for you: you stay in the driver's seat (see "Autonomy and trust: the four stages"). The Forge finds and proposes; you decide.
#Reviewing and approving what OCNexus builds
You decide how much you want to review. OCNexus can show you each change and wait for your approval, or it can handle the work and report back — and you can switch between those any time (see "Autonomy and trust").
When you are reviewing, OCNexus explains what it did in plain language, so you are approving outcomes you understand, not walls of code. If something is not what you pictured, you say so and OCNexus adjusts.
You are always the one who decides when something goes live. Want more oversight? Just say "let me approve changes". Want OCNexus to move faster on the small stuff? Say "just build it". The level of control is yours to set, and to change whenever you like.
#Signing in and fixing sign-in problems
OCNexus uses your GitHub account to sign in. That means there is no separate OCNexus password to create, remember, or reset — you log in with GitHub, and GitHub handles the password.
If you cannot sign in, work through these in order: - Make sure you are signed in to GitHub in the same browser. - Confirm you are using the same GitHub account you originally signed up with. If you have more than one GitHub account, it is easy to land on the wrong one. - If you forgot your GitHub password, reset it on GitHub directly — OCNexus cannot reset it for you because it is not an OCNexus password. - If you signed in before and it suddenly stops working, OCNexus may need you to re-approve access to GitHub. See "Connecting your GitHub account".
If you have tried these and still cannot get in, contact support and we will help you get back into your account.
#What the Forge looks for in your code
Think of the Forge as a careful second pair of eyes on your codebase, watching for the kinds of problems that tend to cause trouble later if nobody catches them early.
In plain terms, it looks for things like: reliability risks — code that could break under real-world use; security issues, such as a secret key accidentally left in the code or a spot where bad input could sneak through and cause harm; files that have grown so large they are hard to safely change; error handling that quietly hides a problem instead of surfacing it; and dependencies that are not pinned to a specific, tested version, which can cause your app to behave differently without warning.
Today the Forge understands JavaScript/TypeScript and Python codebases, with more languages planned over time (see "Which repositories can I connect to the Forge?"). Whatever it finds, it explains in plain language — you decide what matters and what gets fixed.
#When a build hits a problem or gets stuck
Sometimes a build runs into something it cannot resolve on the first try. When that happens, OCNexus tells you plainly what went wrong instead of leaving you staring at a spinner or guessing.
More often than not, the fix is simple. Adding a little more detail to what you asked for, or rephrasing it, gives OCNexus what it needs — then you can ask it to try again.
OCNexus checks its own work and retries the things it can recover from on its own. It only brings a problem to you when it genuinely needs a decision or more information, so you are not pulled in for every small bump.
If a build stays stuck, keeps failing, or you are not sure why it stopped, contact support with your app name and a quick note about what you were trying to do, and we will help you get it moving.
#When a Forge fix needs your input
The Forge is designed to help you make confident improvements without taking decisions away from you. Many findings have a clear, safe next step that it can explain and propose.
When a change depends on your product or business, the Forge pauses and asks for your input instead of guessing. It describes the choices in plain language, so you can choose the approach that fits your goals.
After you answer, the Forge prepares the proposed fix for your review. Nothing merges without your approval. You stay in control of what changes, while the Forge handles the detailed engineering work behind the scenes.
#Which repositories can I connect to the Forge?
The Forge works with a GitHub repository you already have. It does not need to be an app OCNexus originally built for you — an existing codebase from anywhere is a valid starting point.
Today, the Forge understands JavaScript/TypeScript and Python codebases, so it can find and fix issues in projects written in those languages. Support for additional languages is planned over time (see "What the Forge looks for in your code").
Not sure if your particular repository is a good fit? Contact support and describe your project, and we will let you know plainly whether the Forge is ready for it today.