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

# Create a project

> Create a project from scratch or clone an existing one to reuse its whole configuration.

A project is the space where your workflows, channels, variables, and configuration live. When you create a new one, you can start from scratch or begin from a copy of a project you already have.

## Create the project

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the project creator">
    Go to **Projects** and click **Create project**. You can also create one from the project selector at the top.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose how you want to start">
    The modal gives you two options:

    * **From scratch** — a new project, with no inherited configuration.
    * **Clone existing** — copies the configuration of a project you already have.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a name and description">
    The **name** accepts between 3 and 50 characters and the **description** up to 120. Both fields show a counter so you know how much room you have left.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete the option you picked">
    If you choose **Clone existing**, pick the source project in **Project to clone**. If you choose **From scratch**, you can open **Advanced settings** to write a **Default error**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Click **Create project** or **Clone project**. Once it finishes, Jelou takes you straight into the new project.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## From scratch

This is the option to start clean. Jelou creates the project and leaves it ready to work on:

* A first workflow with a single **Start** node, the entry point you build from.
* A WhatsApp test channel named after your project — if the project is `My project`, so is the channel — so you can try your flows without connecting your own number.

Under **Advanced settings** you can define the **Default error**: the message someone receives if a node in the flow fails and no other error is configured. It's optional, and you can change it later from the project settings.

<Tip>
  If you're not sure what to build yet, start from scratch and follow the [your first workflow](/en/guides/getting-started/tu-primer-workflow) guide.
</Tip>

## Clone existing

Cloning copies a project's **structure**, not its data. It's the right option for creating a testing environment, replicating an implementation for another brand, or starting from a flow that already works without touching the original.

The **Project to clone** field only lists projects from your own company. The source project is never modified.

### What gets copied

| Item                               | How it arrives in the new project                                                                                                                        |
| ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Workflows and nodes                | Every canvas in each workflow is copied, with its nodes, connections, and positions                                                                      |
| Channels                           | The original project's channels aren't replicated. The new project gets a WhatsApp test channel named after the project, just like starting from scratch |
| AI Routing routes                  | Recreated pointing at the copied workflows, with the same name and status                                                                                |
| Training questions                 | Copied as-is into each workflow                                                                                                                          |
| Project settings                   | General and e-commerce settings are inherited from the original                                                                                          |
| Installed integrations             | Stay available in the new project                                                                                                                        |
| Marketplace app and database nodes | Preserved, and they keep using the same resources in your company                                                                                        |
| Human agent handoffs               | Keep their assignment configuration                                                                                                                      |
| Variables                          | Copied with their definition                                                                                                                             |
| Secrets                            | Copied by name only, without their value                                                                                                                 |

### What to review before publishing

Some things are intentionally left blank because they're tied to the original project or they're sensitive information:

| Item                            | What you need to do                                                                                                                       |
| ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Secret values                   | Secrets are copied by name only, without their value. Fill them in again.                                                                 |
| AI Agent knowledge              | Knowledge sources and files aren't copied. Upload them again.                                                                             |
| Nodes that send a WhatsApp Flow | The node and its connections are preserved, but no flow is selected.                                                                      |
| HSM template nodes              | They keep their exits and connections, but you need to pick the template again.                                                           |
| Channels                        | No channel from the original project carries over, not even the WhatsApp number. Connect your own or test with the WhatsApp test channel. |
| Conversations and history       | Each project has its own history. The clone starts empty.                                                                                 |

<Warning>
  Secrets are copied by name only, without their value. If you publish the clone without filling them in, any node that depends on them will fail at runtime.
</Warning>

<Note>
  Once cloning finishes, Jelou automatically publishes a first version of the new project so you can test it right away. See [publishing versions](/en/guides/getting-started/publicar-versiones) to understand how version history works.
</Note>

## Spot cloned projects

Every project created by cloning is flagged with a **Cloned** tag, so you can tell a copy apart from a project built from scratch without opening its settings. Hover over the tag to see the detail: *This project was created as a copy of another project*.

| Where you see it   | How it looks                                                               |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Projects** table | **Cloned** tag next to the project name                                    |
| Project selector   | Icon next to each project in the list                                      |
| Studio top bar     | Icon next to the project you have open and on every option in the dropdown |
| Project settings   | **Cloned** tag in the information card                                     |

### Clone origin

In the project settings, the information card adds two rows when the project is a clone:

| Row             | What it shows                                                  |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Origin**      | The **Cloned** tag                                             |
| **Cloned from** | The source project's name and its ID, with a button to copy it |

<Note>
  If the source project was deleted, **Cloned from** shows the ID alone. The trail stays intact even when the original no longer exists.
</Note>

## After creating the project

<Steps>
  <Step title="Fill in the secrets">
    Go to the project settings and enter the value of every secret that was copied by name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reselect flows and templates">
    Open the nodes flagged as pending and pick the matching WhatsApp Flow or HSM template.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test the flow">
    Use the WhatsApp test channel or the [tester](/en/guides/getting-started/tester) to check that everything responds the way you expect.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect your real channel">
    When the project is ready, [connect your WhatsApp number](/en/guides/channels/whatsapp) to go live.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I clone a project from another company?">
    No. The **Project to clone** list only shows projects from your own company, and cloning is rejected if the project doesn't belong to you.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does the original project change?">
    No. Cloning only reads the source project. Its name, workflows, and channels stay untouched.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if cloning fails halfway through?">
    Jelou rolls back everything it had created up to that point. You won't be left with a half-finished project in the list — you can simply try again.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I change the name or description later?">
    Yes. From **Projects**, open the project menu and choose **Edit** to change the name, the description, and the default error.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I remove the Cloned tag?">
    No. The tag reflects how the project was created, so it stays even if you change its name or its settings.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are databases duplicated?">
    No. The clone's database nodes keep pointing at the same databases in your company. If you want separate data, create a new database and switch it in the node.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Your first workflow" icon="diagram-project" href="/en/guides/getting-started/tu-primer-workflow">
    Build a simple question-and-answer flow in your new project.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI Routing" icon="route" href="/en/guides/getting-started/ai-routing">
    Understand how Jelou decides which workflow handles each message.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Publish versions" icon="rocket" href="/en/guides/getting-started/publicar-versiones">
    Learn how to publish changes and roll back to an earlier version.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connect WhatsApp" icon="whatsapp" href="/en/guides/channels/whatsapp">
    Take your project to production with your own number.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>