Interfaces: Frontend vs Desk
Huf provides two distinct interfaces for interacting with AI agents. Understanding when to use each is key to getting the most out of Huf.
Overview
The table below summarizes the two interfaces, where to reach them, who each is designed for, and how mature they are today.
| Interface | URL | Designed For | Use Case | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontend | /huf | End users | Chat, interact with agents, view conversations | Actively expanding |
| Desk | /app | Administrators | Configure agents, manage providers, monitor all activity | Complete |
Frontend Interface (/huf)
The frontend is the end-user chat experience: a focused place to talk with agents without opening the full Frappe Desk.
What It Is
The frontend is a user-focused interface optimized for chatting with agents and viewing agent-related information without entering the Frappe Desk.
Access: Navigate to https://your-site.com/huf
Who It’s For
Use the frontend for anyone who needs a simple chat interface without full Desk access. It is especially suited for end users, non-admin users, and customer-facing interactions when permissions are configured correctly.
Current Capabilities
The frontend already covers core chat needs and will grow quickly. The table below shows what is live today and what is on the near-term roadmap.
| Capability | Status |
|---|---|
| Real-time chat with agents | Available now |
| View conversation history | Available now |
| User-specific sessions | Available now |
| Agent discovery/browsing | Coming soon |
| Quick tool invocation | Coming soon |
| Conversation management | Coming soon |
| Mobile-optimized views | Coming soon |
| Shared conversations | Coming soon |
| User dashboards | Coming soon |
When to Use Frontend
Reach for /huf when the goal is a clean, focused chat experience for users who do not need Frappe Desk training—such as customer or team-facing agent interactions—or when you want to keep the experience simple and uncluttered.
Current Limitations
Because the frontend is under active development, it is currently limited to chat interactions, does not expose agent configuration, and does not yet surface every agent feature.
Roadmap: The frontend is expanding rapidly. We’re adding agent browsing, tool shortcuts, conversation management, and more. Check the GitHub repo for the latest updates.
Desk Interface (/app)
The Desk is the administrative backbone of Huf, where agents, providers, tools, and monitoring are configured.
What It Is
The Desk is the full Frappe administration interface where you configure, manage, and monitor everything in Huf.
Access: Navigate to https://your-site.com/app → Switch to Huf workspace
Who It’s For
The Desk is built for administrators setting up agents, developers creating custom tools, operations teams monitoring agent performance, and anyone who needs full control and visibility.
Full Capabilities
Desk work falls into three areas: configuration, monitoring, and management. The table below lists what you can do in each area.
| Capability | Category | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Create and edit agents | Configure | Build and maintain agent definitions |
| Set up AI providers and models | Configure | Connect to AI services and expose models |
| Define agent tools and functions | Configure | Give agents callable capabilities |
| Configure triggers (schedule, doc events) | Configure | Run agents on schedules or document changes |
| Manage permissions | Configure | Control who can use or modify agents |
| Agent Run logs (every execution) | Monitor | Inspect every agent execution |
| Conversation history (all users) | Monitor | Review chats across the system |
| Token usage and costs | Monitor | Track spend |
| Tool call details | Monitor | See exactly which tools were invoked |
| Error tracking | Monitor | Catch and debug failures |
| User permissions for agents | Manage | Assign access per agent |
| Agent settings and defaults | Manage | Tune system-wide agent behavior |
| LiteLLM configuration | Manage | Centralize model routing settings |
| Tool discovery cache | Manage | Refresh which tools are available |
When to Use Desk
Use /app (Desk) when you need to create or modify agents, add new AI providers or models, create custom tool functions, set up scheduled or event-driven agents, monitor agent performance and costs, debug issues or view detailed logs, or configure system-wide settings.
DocTypes in Desk
The following DocTypes are the main records you will create and manage inside the Huf workspace.
| DocType | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Agent | Define agents with instructions, models, tools |
| AI Provider | Store API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, etc. |
| AI Model | Define which models are available |
| Agent Tool Function | Create tools agents can use |
| Agent Trigger | Schedule or event-based agent execution |
| Agent Run | View logs of every agent execution |
| Agent Conversation | View all conversation histories |
| Agent Chat | Real-time chat interface (also in Desk) |
| Agent Settings | System-wide defaults and configuration |
Comparison Table
Use this table to decide which interface fits a given task.
| Feature | Frontend (/huf) | Desk (/app) |
|---|---|---|
| Chat with agents | Primary use case | Via Agent Chat |
| Create agents | Not available | Full control |
| Configure tools | Not available | Full control |
| View your conversations | User-specific | All conversations |
| Monitor agent runs | Coming soon | Complete logs |
| Manage providers | Not available | Full control |
| Set up triggers | Not available | Full control |
| Mobile optimized | Coming soon | Desktop-first |
| Permissions required | User/Guest level | System Manager/custom |
| User experience | Clean, focused | Full admin power |
Typical Workflows
These workflows show how different roles move through Huf from first access to ongoing use.
For End Users
An end user starts at /huf on desktop or mobile, selects or discovers an agent to chat with, interacts naturally via chat, views conversation history, and will eventually invoke common tools through shortcuts.
For Administrators
An administrator opens /app and switches to the Huf workspace, creates agents, providers, and models, defines tools and configures triggers, tests agents via Agent Chat in Desk, monitors runs and costs, and iterates based on logs.
Future Roadmap
Huf’s interfaces are evolving. The frontend is gaining end-user features while Desk is gaining deeper operational controls.
Frontend Expansion
| Feature | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Agent Browser | Discover and launch agents easily |
| Tool Shortcuts | Quick access to common actions |
| Conversation Management | Archive, search, and export chats |
| Mobile App | Native mobile experience |
| Public Agents | Share agents externally (with permissions) |
| Voice Input | Speak to agents directly |
| Rich Media | Images, files, and structured data in chat |
Desk Enhancements
| Improvement | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Better analytics and dashboards | Deeper operational visibility |
| Advanced agent debugging tools | Faster troubleshooting |
| Cost optimization recommendations | Lower spend |
| A/B testing for agent prompts | Compare prompt versions |
| Version control for agents | Track and roll back agent changes |
Best Practices
Following these practices keeps administration clean, end-user access secure, and agent rollouts smooth.
For Organizations
Keep administration inside Desk by having admin users configure everything there, direct end users to /huf for clean, focused interactions, use Frappe’s role-based permissions to enforce access, and train admins on Desk while end users only need to learn /huf.
For Developers
Build custom tools in Desk via Agent Tool Function, test thoroughly in Desk before exposing agents to the frontend, monitor logs in Agent Run to debug issues, and iterate using Agent Run insights to improve prompts and tools.
Security & Permissions
Both interfaces respect Frappe’s permission system. The table below shows how permissions flow through each interface and component.
| Component | Permission behavior |
|---|---|
| Frontend | Users see only agents they have permission for |
| Desk | Standard Frappe roles (System Manager, custom roles) |
| Agents | Inherit the permissions of the user running them |
| Tools | Execute with the current user’s permissions |
Important: Agents always run with the permissions of the user who triggered them. An agent cannot access data the user doesn’t have permission to see.
What’s Next?
With the two interfaces in mind, continue with the concepts and quick-start guides below.
- Agents - Learn what agents are and how they work
- Providers & Models - Connect to AI services
- Tools - Give agents capabilities
- Quick Start - Build your first agent (uses Desk)
Questions or feedback on the frontend? We’d love to hear from you! Open an issue or discussion on GitHub .