How to Create an apps.json for wvw.dev (World Vibe Web) — The Complete Guide
Tags:Developer ToolsJSONApp StoreVibe CodingOpen Source
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title: "How to Create an apps.json for wvw.dev (World Vibe Web) — The Complete Guide"
description: "Learn how to create a valid apps.json file to list your apps on wvw.dev. Step-by-step guide with our free visual builder tool — no JSON knowledge needed."
category: developer
content_type: blog
locale: en
read_time: 8
status: published
author: "codewitholgun"
published_at: 2026-03-15T12:00:00Z
updated_at: 2026-03-15T12:00:00Z
excerpt: "World Vibe Web (wvw.dev) is a distributed app store for vibe-coded projects. To get listed, you need an apps.json file. This guide shows you how to create one — the easy way."
tag_ids: ["developer-tools", "json", "app-store", "vibe-coding", "open-source"]
tags: ["Developer Tools", "JSON", "App Store", "Vibe Coding", "Open Source"]
primary_keyword: "wvw.dev apps.json generator"
secondary_keywords: ["world vibe web", "apps.json format", "appetit store", "vibe coding app store", "list app on wvw.dev", "create apps.json"]
tool_tag: "wvw-apps-json-generator"
related_tool: "wvw-apps-json-generator"
related_tools: ["wvw-apps-json-generator", "json-formatter", "json-schema-validator", "json-schema-generator", "meta-tag-generator"]
--- # How to Create an apps.json for wvw.dev (World Vibe Web) To list your apps on wvw.dev, you need to create an apps.json file in a public GitHub repo and submit a pull request. The fastest way to create a valid apps.json is with FindUtils' WVW Apps.json Generator — a free visual form builder that handles formatting, validation, and all 27 WVW category rules automatically. This guide walks you through everything: what wvw.dev is, how the distributed app store works, the exact JSON schema you need, and how to submit your apps in under 10 minutes. ## What Is World Vibe Web (wvw.dev)? World Vibe Web is a distributed app store that aggregates vibe-coded projects from GitHub repositories. Unlike traditional app stores, WVW doesn't host your apps. Instead, developers maintain their own apps.json file, and WVW's build system pulls them all into a unified catalog every 6 hours. The concept is simple: - You control your listing — update your apps.json anytime, and WVW picks up changes automatically
- No gatekeepers — submit a PR to
stores.json, and after merge, your apps appear on wvw.dev - Live stats — WVW fetches star counts and fork data directly from the GitHub API, so numbers can't be inflated
- Open source — built on Appetit, the standalone app store framework WVW was created by the developer community for the developer community. If you've built something with vibe coding — whether it's a CLI tool, a web app, or a macOS utility — wvw.dev is where you list it. ## The apps.json Schema Explained Every
apps.jsonfile has three main sections: store metadata, categories, and apps. ```json { "$schema": "https://wvw.dev/apps.schema.json", "store": { "name": "My App Store", "developer": "Your Name", "tagline": "A short tagline", "github": "https://github.com/yourname" }, "categories": [ { "id": "web", "name": "Web Apps" }, { "id": "cli", "name": "CLI Apps" } ], "apps": [ { "id": "my-app", "name": "My App", "subtitle": "Short tagline", "description": "One-liner for search and cards", "category": ["web", "developer-tools"], "platform": "Web", "price": "Free", "github": "https://github.com/you/my-app" } ] }
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|-------|------|-------------| | `id` | string | Unique identifier in kebab-case (e.g., `my-cool-app`) | | `name` | string | Display name | | `subtitle` | string | Short tagline shown in list views | | `description` | string | One-liner for search results and cards | | `category` | string[] | Array of WVW category IDs | | `platform` | string | Platform label (Web, CLI, macOS, etc.) | | `price` | string | Price label, typically "Free" | | `github` | string | GitHub repository URL | ### Optional Fields That Make Your Listing Stand Out Beyond the required fields, you can add `longDescription`, `icon`, `iconEmoji`, `homepage`, `language`, `features`, `screenshots`, `brew`, `installCommand`, and `downloadUrl`. Apps with screenshots and feature lists look significantly better on wvw.dev's detail pages. ## Step-by-Step: Create Your apps.json with the Visual Builder ### Step 1: Open the WVW Apps.json Generator Go to FindUtils' [WVW Apps.json Generator](/developers/wvw-apps-json-generator). The tool runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded to any server. ### Step 2: Fill In Your Store Information Enter your store name, developer name, optional tagline, and GitHub profile URL. This metadata appears at the top of your store page on wvw.dev. ### Step 3: Add Your Apps One by One Click "Add App" to open the app form dialog. Fill in the required fields (name, subtitle, description, platform, price, GitHub URL), and select categories from the 27 WVW-recognized options. The app ID is auto-generated from the name in kebab-case. Expand the "Advanced Fields" section to add optional details like programming language, homepage URL, install commands, icon URL, and system requirements. Use the "Features" and "Screenshots" sections to add lists that enhance your detail page. **Pro tip:** If you paste a GitHub URL first, click "Auto-fill from GitHub" to automatically pull the repo name, description, language, and homepage from the GitHub API. ### Step 4: Review the Live JSON Preview As you fill in fields, the JSON preview panel on the right (desktop) or the Preview tab (mobile) updates in real time. The output includes proper formatting, the `$schema` reference, and auto-computed categories based on your apps. ### Step 5: Validate Your JSON The Validation panel checks your `apps.json` against WVW rules: required fields, unique app IDs, valid category IDs, properly formatted URLs. Fix any red errors before exporting. ### Step 6: Export and Download Click "Copy JSON" or "Download apps.json" from the Export section. The tool also shows your `stores.json` entry and step-by-step submission instructions. ## The 27 WVW-Recognized Categories WVW only accepts these category IDs. Apps with unrecognized categories have those categories stripped during the build. Apps with zero valid categories are excluded entirely. | Category ID | Display Name | |-------------|-------------| | `macos` | macOS Apps | | `web` | Web Apps | | `cli` | CLI Apps | | `developer-tools` | Developer Tools | | `productivity` | Productivity | | `utilities` | Utilities | | `education` | Education | | `entertainment` | Entertainment | | `games` | Games | | `music` | Music | | `photo-video` | Photo & Video | | `graphics-design` | Graphics & Design | | `social-networking` | Social Networking | | `finance` | Finance | | `health-fitness` | Health & Fitness | | `lifestyle` | Lifestyle | | `news` | News | | `business` | Business | | `reference` | Reference | | `travel` | Travel | | `food-drink` | Food & Drink | | `navigation` | Navigation | | `sports` | Sports | | `weather` | Weather | | `shopping` | Shopping | | `books` | Books | | `medical` | Medical | The [WVW Apps.json Generator](/developers/wvw-apps-json-generator) only shows these 27 categories, so you can't accidentally use an invalid one. ## How to Submit Your apps.json to wvw.dev Once your `apps.json` is ready: 1. **Commit** the file to the root of a public GitHub repository 2. **Fork** the [f/wvw.dev](https://github.com/f/wvw.dev) repository 3. **Add your repo** to `stores.json` — just add `"yourname/your-repo"` to the array 4. **Open a pull request** — after merge, WVW fetches your apps every 6 hours Your `stores.json` entry can be either a GitHub repo path (`owner/repo`) or a direct URL to your `apps.json` file. ## WVW Guardrails: What You Should Know WVW applies several guardrails during its build process: - **Stars and forks are overwritten** — WVW fetches live counts from the GitHub API. You can't inflate your stats - **Featured apps are curated** — your `featured` array is ignored; WVW maintainers control `featured.json` - **Category enforcement** — only the 27 recognized categories survive the build - **Deduplication** — if two repos use the same app `id`, only the first one is kept - **Owner attribution** — every app gets a badge derived from the GitHub repo path, not from your JSON ## Creating an apps.json by Hand vs. Using the Visual Builder | Aspect | Hand-Writing JSON | FindUtils Visual Builder | |--------|-------------------|------------------------| | Speed | 15-30 minutes | 5-10 minutes | | Error risk | High (typos, missing fields) | Low (inline validation) | | Category validation | Manual reference needed | Built-in (only valid options shown) | | ID generation | Manual kebab-case | Auto-generated from name | | JSON formatting | Manual | Automatic | | Preview | None until deployed | Real-time side-by-side | | Cost | Free | Free | | Privacy | N/A | Client-side, no data uploaded | The [WVW Apps.json Generator](/developers/wvw-apps-json-generator) eliminates the most common mistakes: invalid categories, duplicate IDs, malformed URLs, and missing required fields. It's especially useful if you're listing 3+ apps and don't want to hand-edit nested JSON arrays. ## Common Mistakes When Creating apps.json ### Mistake 1: Using Invalid Category IDs WVW only recognizes 27 specific category IDs. Using `"dev-tools"` instead of `"developer-tools"` or `"videos"` instead of `"photo-video"` will cause your categories to be silently stripped. Use the visual builder to avoid this entirely. ### Mistake 2: Non-Unique App IDs App IDs must be globally unique across all WVW stores. If someone else already has an app called `my-tool`, your app won't appear. Use specific, project-name-based IDs like `janedev-my-tool`. ### Mistake 3: Setting Stars and Forks Manually Any `stars` and `forks` values you declare are ignored — WVW overwrites them with live GitHub API data on every build. Don't waste time maintaining these. ### Mistake 4: Forgetting the $schema Reference Adding `"$schema": "https://wvw.dev/apps.schema.json"` enables editor validation and autocomplete in VS Code and other editors. The visual builder includes this automatically. ### Mistake 5: Not Adding Screenshots Apps with screenshots look dramatically better on the wvw.dev detail page. Host them in your repo's `docs/` folder and use raw.githubusercontent.com URLs. ## Run Your Own Standalone Store You don't have to submit to wvw.dev. You can run your own standalone store using [Appetit](https://github.com/f/appetit): ```bash git clone https://github.com/f/appetit.git my-store cd my-store python3 -m http.server 8080 ``` Deploy to GitHub Pages, Netlify, Vercel, or any static host. It's just HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. ## Tools Used in This Guide - **[WVW Apps.json Generator](/developers/wvw-apps-json-generator)** — Visual form builder to create valid apps.json files for wvw.dev - **[JSON Formatter](/developers/json-formatter)** — Pretty-print and validate any JSON data - **[JSON Schema Validator](/developers/json-schema-validator)** — Validate JSON against a schema definition - **[JSON Schema Generator](/developers/json-schema-generator)** — Generate JSON Schema from sample data - **[Meta Tag Generator](/developers/meta-tag-generator)** — Generate HTML meta tags for your app's homepage ## FAQ **Q1: Is the WVW Apps.json Generator free to use?** A: Yes. FindUtils' [WVW Apps.json Generator](/developers/wvw-apps-json-generator) is available without signup with no signup, no usage limits, . All processing happens in your browser — nothing is uploaded to any server. **Q2: What is wvw.dev?** A: WVW (World Vibe Web) is a distributed app store that aggregates vibe-coded projects from GitHub repositories. Developers maintain their own apps.json file, and WVW's build system pulls them together into a unified catalog at wvw.dev. **Q3: How often does wvw.dev update its catalog?** A: WVW's build system runs every 6 hours, or can be triggered manually. After your PR to stores.json is merged, your apps will appear on the next build cycle. **Q4: Can I edit my apps.json after submitting?** A: Yes. Your GitHub repo is the source of truth. Update your apps.json anytime, and WVW will pick up changes on the next build cycle. You can also use the [WVW Apps.json Generator](/developers/wvw-apps-json-generator) to import and edit your existing file. **Q5: What happens if I use an invalid category?** A: WVW strips unrecognized category IDs during the build. If an app has zero valid categories remaining, it's excluded entirely. The visual builder only shows the 27 allowed categories, so this can't happen if you use it. **Q6: Can I run my own app store without submitting to wvw.dev?** A: Yes. Clone the Appetit project, replace the apps.json with your own, and deploy to any static host. Your store works independently — wvw.dev submission is optional. **Q7: What's the best free apps.json generator for wvw.dev in 2026?** A: FindUtils offers the only dedicated visual builder for wvw.dev apps.json files. It validates against WVW's exact category list, auto-generates kebab-case IDs, supports GitHub auto-fill, and provides real-time JSON preview — all client-side and free. ## Next Steps - **Create your apps.json now** with the [WVW Apps.json Generator](/developers/wvw-apps-json-generator) - **Validate existing JSON** with the [JSON Formatter](/developers/json-formatter) or [JSON Schema Validator](/developers/json-schema-validator) - **Learn about JSON schemas** in our guide on [JSON Schema validation](/developers/json-schema-generator) - **Generate meta tags** for your app's homepage with the [Meta Tag Generator](/developers/meta-tag-generator)