Build and share internal tools in minutes. No coding required.
PDI Brew is a platform that lets anyone at PDI create internal web tools using plain English. You describe what you need, an AI assistant (Claude) builds it, and PDI Brew deploys it instantly with a shareable link.
Every app gets its own web address (like my-tool.pdi-brew.dev.platform.pditechnologies.com) and is protected by your PDI Microsoft sign-in. Access is controlled via Microsoft 365 groups — only group members can use the app.
Team KPI dashboards, project status boards, initiative trackers with charts and filters — shared with your team in seconds.
Expense approvals, leave requests, equipment inspection checklists, training completion tracking — with data that persists between sessions.
Survey and feedback forms, event registration, team assessments, compliance audits — collect responses and view summaries in a shared dashboard.
Creating an app takes about 5 minutes. Follow these steps in order:
The pdi-brew-app-builder skill works in three places. PDI deploys it centrally, so most users don't need to install anything — just confirm the version matches the PDI Marketplace listing.
Subscription: pre-loaded at the org level — verify at Customize → Skills. Max: install manually (see Setup).
Install the plugin from PDI Marketplace. Verify with /plugin list in the Claude Code CLI.
Pushed to the PDI Technologies workspace by admins — nothing to install. Verify in Profile menu → Skills → PDI Technologies tab.
Pick the path for your tool. All three lead to the same builder — the only difference is how you start the conversation.
Open claude.ai/new, type /pdi-brew-app-builder, hit enter.
In the CLI, type /pdi-brew-app-builder in the slash menu and hit enter. (Install the plugin from the PDI Marketplace first if you haven't.)
Start your message with "use pdi-brew skill" followed by what you want to build. Example:
"use pdi-brew skill to create an expense tracker with approval workflow"
+ / / menu. It inserts an @pdi-brew-app-builder chip that the model treats as a tool call — the skill never runs and you'll see "I don't see a callable tool." The phrase "use pdi-brew skill" is the most reliable way to activate it.
Once the skill activates, it will immediately ask you two setup questions:
expense-tracker (letters, numbers, hyphens only). This becomes your app's URL.Claude presents three options. Pick one by typing the letter:
PDI Brew creates a new M365 group automatically when you deploy. The group is named pdibrew-{your-app-name}.
pdibrew-expense-tracker@pditechnologies.com)Use an M365 group you already own. Type the group name or email (e.g., pdibrew-my-app or pdibrew-my-app@pditechnologies.com).
Use this if you previously deployed this app. Claude will use your saved group settings.
Tell Claude what you want to build. Be specific! For example:
Claude builds a live preview. Ask for changes until you're happy with it — "Make the header blue", "Add a filter by department", etc.
Click the "Share this app" button in Claude's preview. A new tab opens with the deploy page.
If you chose Option A (new group), the deploy page will:
This takes about 30-60 seconds. Your app is then live at its own URL!
The skill is centrally deployed for most surfaces — most users won't need to do anything to install it. Pick the section that matches the tool you use:
If your app needs custom backend capabilities — for example sending email, calling external HTTPS services, scheduled jobs, dedicated file storage, or secondary data tables — the deploy is routed to admin approval before going live. Approval typically takes ~24 hours on business days. You'll see the submission status on your Manage Apps page, and the platform emails you when the request is approved or rejected. Once approved, your app deploys automatically — no second click needed. There's nothing to install or configure — the skill detects when custom capabilities are required and submits the request on your behalf.
Heads-up about external HTTPS. If your app calls an external API (e.g. a weather service, a webhook), the list of allowed hostnames is fixed at deploy time. Trying to call any other hostname at runtime will fail with a clear error — this protects against typos and accidental data exfiltration. If you need to add a new hostname later, just redeploy the app with the new host included.
Step 1: Download the skill file from the PDI Marketplace:
.skill fileStep 2: Upload to Claude.ai:
.skill fileStep 3: Verify the version:
pdi-brew-app-builder listing and follow the on-screen prompts (run the two slash commands shown)./plugin reload to refresh./pdi-brew-app-builder — the skill should appear in the slash menu.Workspace admins deploy the skill to the PDI Technologies ChatGPT Business workspace, so you don't install it yourself. Just verify it's available:
+ / / menu — it inserts an @pdi-brew-app-builder chip that the model treats as a tool call, and you'll see "I don't see a callable pdi-brew-app-builder action."
The PDI Brew Data custom connector lets you query and edit your apps' data conversationally in Claude. It's a one-time setup per Claude.ai account.
https://mcp.pdi-brew.dev.platform.pditechnologies.com/mcp/pdi-brew-dataEvery PDI Brew app requires users to sign in with their PDI Microsoft account. Access is controlled by M365 group membership:
pdibrew-expense-tracker)pdibrew-{app-name}@pditechnologies.com. Share this with colleagues so they can request to join.
You can use the same M365 group for multiple apps — useful when the same audience needs access to a related set of tools.
To change your app after it's deployed:
/pdi-brew-app-builderGo to PDI Brew and click "Manage Apps" to:
Go to Manage Apps, select your app, and click "Delete App". This permanently removes:
The M365 group is not deleted — you can keep using it for other apps or remove it manually from Outlook/Teams.
When you build an app that saves data (trackers, forms, lists), PDI Brew uses DynamoDB as the data store with a dedicated backend for each app. This is fully automatic — just tell Claude what data you need to track.
The platform provides two reliable paths to view and edit your app's data. Both are owner-scoped — only the person who deployed the app can manage it (PDI Brew Admins can override for support).
Read-only viewer on the deploy page. Sign in to the deploy page → Manage Apps → pick your app → click View Data. Best for inspecting records without opening the app.
Conversational, in Claude.ai. One-time setup. Then ask Claude "Show me records in expense-tracker" or "Import this CSV". Best for queries, bulk imports, and analysis. See the Setup Instructions tab.
Why two paths? Each fits a different workflow: the deploy-page viewer is fastest for one-off inspection, and the Claude connector unlocks conversational queries, bulk imports, and analysis across all your apps in one chat.
Once connected, you can ask Claude things like:
Each tool call respects ownership — you can only act on apps you deployed. Claude will tell you if you ask about an app you don't own.
Members of the PDI Brew Admins Microsoft 365 group have access to additional management features via the Admin tab on the PDI Brew directory.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | Live and accessed within the last 90 days |
| Stale | Not accessed in 90+ days, or no access data |
| Disabled | Temporarily blocked by an administrator |
PDI Brew tracks usage via CloudWatch metrics and structured logs. Admins can view analytics in two ways:
No. If you can describe what you want in plain English, you can build an app.
It's an AI skill that teaches the assistant how to build and deploy apps to PDI Brew. The same skill works in Claude.ai, Claude Code, and ChatGPT. Activate it at the start of every new conversation — without it, the assistant won't include the "Share this app" deploy button.
/pdi-brew-app-builder at the start of a new conversation./pdi-brew-app-builder in the slash menu (after installing the plugin once via /plugin install).+ / / menu — that inserts an @-chip and the model falls back to "I don't see a callable tool."The skill didn't activate. On Claude.ai or Claude Code, start a new conversation and type /pdi-brew-app-builder first. On ChatGPT, start your message with "use pdi-brew skill" instead of picking it from the menu.
You picked the skill from ChatGPT's + / / menu, which inserts an @pdi-brew-app-builder chip at the start of your message. The model interprets that as a tool call (not a skill activation), can't find a callable function by that name, and falls back to improvising. Fix: start your message with "use pdi-brew skill" — e.g. "use pdi-brew skill to create an expense tracker". The phrase reliably activates the skill via its description.
PDI Brew is free for all PDI employees. The platform is managed by the Platform Engineering team.
Yes. Activate the skill on any of the three platforms (Claude.ai, Claude Code, or ChatGPT) and use the same project name. The updated version replaces the existing app at the same URL.
Most apps run on PDI Brew's shared application backend, so a deploy only has to publish your app's HTML and create its data table — no per-app server, role, or API to spin up. That typically takes a few seconds instead of the previous 30-60 seconds. Apps that need custom backend capabilities (email, external HTTPS, scheduled jobs, dedicated file storage, or secondary data tables) go through admin approval — see the next FAQ for details.
Admin approval is a one-time review step that runs only when your app needs custom backend capabilities beyond standard data storage — for example sending email, calling external HTTPS services, running scheduled jobs, storing uploaded files, or using a second database table. The skill detects these and submits the request automatically when you click "Share this app." A platform admin reviews the request (typically within ~24 hours on business days), and you'll be notified when it's approved or rejected. Once approved, your app deploys automatically — no second click needed. Until approval lands, the app stays in a pending state and isn't live. Plain data-storage apps and read-only viewers do not need approval and deploy immediately on the shared backend.
Yes. Once your email-enabled app is approved, it can send transactional email (notifications, decision emails, daily summaries) to internal PDI recipients. Email arrives from a platform-managed sender — production apps send from noreply@pditechnologies.com, while test/staging apps send from pdibrew-staging-noreply@pditechnologies.com so recipients can tell them apart at a glance.
Yes — both are supported as custom capabilities (after admin approval). For external APIs, you tell Claude which hostnames the app needs to reach, and the platform locks them in at deploy time (calls to anything else fail at runtime — protects against typos and unexpected data exfiltration). For scheduled jobs, the platform creates a recurring trigger (e.g. nightly summaries, weekly cleanups) that fires your app's backend on the schedule you describe.
No. Once you deploy with a project name, it's yours. Only you can update or delete it. If a teammate wants to build on top of your idea, they'll need to pick a different project name (e.g. expense-approvals-jane or expense-approvals-team-b) — the platform will tell them the original name is taken when they try to deploy.
PDI Brew creates an M365 group called pdibrew-{your-app-name}. You're automatically the owner. Add team members via Outlook or Teams using the group email.
Yes. Choose Option B (existing group) and enter the same group name. All apps sharing the group will be accessible to the same members. Each app's data is stored in a separate DynamoDB table.
Only members of the app's M365 group. Everyone must also sign in with their PDI Microsoft account.
Only you (the app owner) — and PDI Brew Admins for support purposes. Group members can use the app (which reads/writes data through the app's UI) but they can't access the Manage Apps → View Data panel or the MCP connector for your app.
This happens when the app can't connect to its data source. Try signing out and signing back in. If it persists, the app may need to be re-deployed with the latest skill version.
Your app is still live. Download the source from Manage Apps and start a new Claude conversation with the same project name.
Go to Manage Apps on the PDI Brew directory, select your app, and click "Delete App." This permanently removes the app, its data, and its URL. The M365 group is not deleted.
An administrator has disabled the app. Contact the app owner or raise a DevOps case to find out why.
Use the PDI Brew Data MCP connector in Claude.ai. Paste your CSV or list and ask Claude to import it. The connector handles batches up to 500 records per call. See the Data Management tab for setup.
Visit the PDI Brew directory. After signing in, you'll see all the apps you have access to (apps whose group you're a member of).
Raise a DevOps case with the Platform Engineering team.