Finch user guide#

Introduction#

One of the best parts of running your app with Finch is that it does not use AI tokens. Once Finch puts your app on your PC, you can use it day to day without spending AI credits.

Your app also runs much faster. It works directly on your computer, without waiting for round trips through the cloud or relying on the limited CPU cycles that cloud virtual machines allow.

Finch turns the web app you built with AI into a Windows installer. Your app opens in its own window, and its data stays on your machine.

You pay once. There is no monthly Finch fee. You do not need a command line, and you do not need to write code.

Many Finch owners begin with vibe coding. Describe the app to an AI builder, guide the AI as it creates the app, then use Finch to turn the project into a Windows installer. If you still need the finished files, start with the ready-to-copy AI prompt.

Before you start#

Have these four things ready before you begin the Finch walkthrough.

• A Windows PC. Finch is made for Windows.
• The Finch installer. This is the Finch setup file you received after buying Finch.
• Your license key. This is the license code in your purchase email.
• Your finished app folder. Know where you saved the finished version of your app. The folder should contain the index.html created from the AI-builder prompt later in this guide.

Installation#

• Unzip the Finch package. Open the downloaded package and extract all of its files before you begin.
• Open the Finch setup program. Select or double-click the Finch setup program in the unzipped folder.
• Enter your license key. Copy the license key from your purchase email and enter it when Finch asks for it.
• Finish setup. Follow the short instructions on the screen until setup is complete.

How to recognize the right app folder#

Open the folder in File Explorer and use this checklist before you give it to Finch.

• index.html is directly inside the folder. This is the page your app opens first.
• The supporting files stay with it. Keep any folders for images, styles, or scripts inside the same app folder.
• Open the folder’s index.html file in your web browser. Your app should appear with its main controls visible.
• Finch builds your AI builder's project files automatically. If your project comes in a different format, ask your AI builder for the finished files.

Run the Hello World demo#

Use the Hello World folder to learn the complete Finch process before you use your own app.

1. Pick the Hello World folder.

   Use Finch's app-folder control and manually select the Hello World folder provided with Finch.

   If Finch will not accept it, see The Hello World folder will not load.

2. Name it.

   Enter a short name for the demo app.

3. Click “Package.”

   Wait until Finch says the installer is ready.

4. Download and open the installer.

   Open the finished installer after it downloads.

5. When you run the demo, be aware the following will take place.

   Windows SmartScreen or Microsoft Defender may show “Windows protected your PC.” This is Windows checking an unsigned program. The warning is expected for the Hello World demo you selected through Finch. Click More info, then Run anyway.

   Expected result: the Hello World app opens in its own window.

Ready for your own app? Go to How to use Finch for yourself.

What the demo shows#

The demo uses a prepared app folder so you can learn the Finch steps without wondering whether your own app folder is ready.

When the Hello World app opens, you know Finch can package and install an app on your machine.

Next: package your own app.

How to use Finch for yourself#

This section takes you from installing Finch to opening your own app. Every step tells you what to click and what you should see next.

If you haven’t checked your finished app folder, start with the app-folder checklist. If you want to practice before using your app, see the Hello World demo.

The three Finch steps#

Complete these from top to bottom.

1. Name your app.

2. Pick your app folder.

3. Click “Package.”

What happens after you click Package#

The progress bar shows how far the package has progressed and reads “✓ done” at completion. Keep Finch open until it finishes.

When the package is ready, you see a checkmark and these messages: “Your installer is ready.” and “Nicely done — ready to fly.”

1. Click “Download installer.”

   Choose where to save the installer if Windows asks. Downloads is fine if you are not sure.

   Expected result: the installer file appears in the place you chose.

2. Choose what to do next.

   Install your app now. Or click Package another app to return to the first step.

   Expected result: you either open your new installer or start a new package. If the download is missing, check the Downloads folder. Then see I cannot find the installer.

Install your app#

Your new installer puts your packaged app on the computer. The first run also downloads what the app needs.

1. Find and open your new installer.

   Open File Explorer. Go to the folder where you saved the download, then open the installer with the name you gave your app.

   If the Finch notice about signing appears, read it and click Got it. If Windows SmartScreen appears, follow the steps in Windows SmartScreen.

   Expected result: installation begins.

2. Wait for the app to open.

   The first run downloads what the app needs. Be patient. Do not close any windows until the app opens.

   Expected result: your app opens in its own window. You only wait through this first-time setup once. If it seems stuck, go to The first run seems stuck.

The “not signed” notice#

Finch shows this notice before you install a program you built yourself:

“Your program is ready. It's not signed — that's normal for a program you built yourself. If this is your own, this is just Windows protecting you, and it's expected. See the documentation if you want to distribute this.”

This is normal for a program you built yourself. Click Got it, and carry on.

What does signing mean?#

A software signature proves that a file came from its named publisher and was not changed after it was signed. You may see Signed by Scott Pincus. That is the name carried by the Finch signature.

Windows may still show a warning. Windows is careful with software from publishers it has not seen much of yet. A new signing identity can take time to become familiar to Windows.

Windows SmartScreen#

Windows may show a message that says “Windows protected your PC.” This is a SmartScreen warning for a program Windows does not know well yet.“Windows protected your PC.” This is a SmartScreen warning for a program Windows does not know well yet.

1. Click “More info.”

   The message expands and shows more details.

   Expected result: a Run anyway button appears.

2. Click “Run anyway.”

   The installer continues. You do this one time for each app.

   Expected result: your app installation starts. If the button does not appear, contact support and include a screenshot.

Giving your app to other people#

A standard Finch license covers one Windows machine. If you need to use Finch on several machines, contact us about a distribution or site license.

Running your app on your machine or any other machine will cause the Windows PC to show a warning about unsigned programs. This warning is a safety feature built into Windows, not a Finch problem. If you plan to distribute your app widely, you will probably want Microsoft Trusted Signing. Plan ahead: the setup process is long and tedious.

Where your data lives#

Your app and its data stay on your computer. Finch does not send that data anywhere.

Back up anything you cannot replace. A backup is a second copy kept in another safe place.

Removing Finch or a packaged app#

Remove Finch

Open Windows Settings. Open Add or remove programs. Find Finch and choose Uninstall.

Remove a packaged app

Close the app. In File Explorer's address bar type %LOCALAPPDATA% and press Enter, find the folder named after your app, and delete that folder.

Want more control? See Advanced hooks.

Vibe coding with Finch#

Vibe coding means describing the app you want to an AI builder and letting the AI help create it. Finch packages finished browser-ready files for Windows, and Finch can also build unbuilt Vite-style AI-builder exports automatically.

Which AI builders work with Finch? Finch auto-builds Vite-style project source from Lovable and Bolt — point Finch at the project folder and it builds the source for you. Everything else arrives as a finished static folder (a folder with index.html at the top), which is what ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, and Muse give you when you ask for the built files — use the prompt below. Not supported: projects that need their own server to run, such as v0/Next.js apps that require next start; those must be exported to static files first.

What to ask your AI builder for#

Your AI builder can give you either the finished, built files or an unbuilt Vite-style export, which Finch builds automatically. For the simplest browser-ready handoff, copy this prompt and send it to the AI builder after your app is finished.

Copy the prompt above and send it to your AI builder. When the folder arrives, use the app-folder checklist near the top of this guide. Then return to The three Finch steps and choose that folder.

Learn vibe coding: Lesson 1, Hello World#

Start with the smallest useful lesson. Ask your AI builder for a page that says Hello World and has one button that changes the message.

Ask for the finished built folder. Check for index.html. Open it in a browser. Then package it with Finch.

This first lesson teaches the full path: describe an app, receive the finished files, check them, package them, and open the Windows app. Later lessons can add saved information, more screens, and advanced hooks.

Advanced hooks#

Hooks are places where an experienced builder can connect custom behavior to the Finch runtime. The runtime is the part that runs your app on the computer.

You do not need these hooks for a finished browser-ready app. They are for people who want their app to store structured data, run local actions, download extra tools, or handle failures in a custom way.

Building with an AI? Continue to Vibe coding.

Glossary#

Activate

Connect your Finch purchase to Finch on a PC.

App folder

The folder that holds all finished files for one app.

Backup

A second copy kept in another safe place.

Built files

The finished browser-ready version of an app.

File Explorer

The Windows window used to browse files and folders.

Folder

A container on your computer that holds files.

Hook

A place where advanced custom behavior can connect to Finch.

index.html

The file that opens the first page of a finished web app.

Installer

A setup file that puts a program on a computer.

License key

The code that proves you bought Finch.

Package

Turn a finished app folder into a Windows installer.

Raw source

The AI builder's working project files, before the app is built.

Runtime

The Finch part that runs your app on the computer.

Signing

A way to prove who published a file and that it was not changed later.

SmartScreen

The Windows check that warns about software it does not know well yet.

Changelog#

Current release#

What changed: Finch now builds AI-builder project files automatically, shows packaging progress through completion, and keeps the loaded app name visible. This guide also covers the manual Hello World demo path, beginner troubleshooting, signing guidance, advanced hook summaries, and the first vibe-coding lesson.

Contact and support#

Email finch@verbaia.com. A human reads every message.

Include what you were doing and what happened. Add a screenshot if you can. A screenshot is a picture of what was on your screen.

Warranty and legal#

Your purchase is covered by warranty if the software does not perform as described in this manual. Finch does not guarantee that Windows will hide warnings for unsigned apps.

You are responsible for backing up your files and data. If Finch does not perform as documented, email finch@verbaia.com so support can help.

Last updated October 16, 2026.