Configure Craft
Configure Craft access, Apps, instructions, and models
Availability depends on your school's enabled tools, provider setup, and account permissions. These settings are managed in the web workspace. A class policy may restrict a feature described here.
The Admin Panel has a dedicated Craft section for the settings that apply across your workspace.
| Setting | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| User access | Admin Panel → Craft → Access |
| Apps and action policies | Admin Panel → Craft → Apps |
| Workspace-wide instructions | Admin Panel → Craft → Instructions |
| Models available to Craft | Admin Panel → Language Models |
| Custom Skill sharing and management | Craft → Skills |
If you self-host Nexus, first configure the runtime described in Deploying Craft. The deployment guide covers sandboxes, the proxy, workers, networking, storage, resources, and environment variables.
Control access#
Open Admin Panel → Craft → Access.
| Control | Effect |
|---|---|
| Enable Craft by default | Turns Craft on or off for users who do not have an individual override. |
| Per-user access | Creates an exception to the workspace default for that user. |
For a limited rollout, turn off Enable Craft by default, then enable the users who should have access. Per-user exceptions remain in place if you later change the workspace default.
Removing access prevents the user from starting new Craft work and skips future Scheduled Task runs they own. It does not stop a turn already in progress or delete their sessions, files, Skills, Apps, or Scheduled Tasks.
Add workspace instructions#
Open Admin Panel → Craft → Instructions to add guidance that every Craft agent in your workspace should follow. Nexus appends these instructions to Craft's built-in instructions as an Organization instructions section.
Good workspace instructions describe stable expectations that should apply to all Craft work:
| Use workspace instructions for | Keep elsewhere |
|---|---|
| Brand voice, terminology, and formatting conventions | Instructions for one workflow, put these in a Skill |
| Organization-wide handling rules for generated content | Credentials or secrets, configure these through Apps |
| Standard output requirements, such as citations or disclaimers | Details that change for every request, include these in the prompt |
For example:
For client-facing deliverables:
- Use the company name "Acme" rather than "Acme, Inc."
- Use concise, direct language and avoid unsupported performance claims.
- Add "Confidential" to draft materials unless the user requests otherwise.The editor accepts up to 4,000 characters. Select View base instructions to see the built-in prompt your text is added to, or Reset to default to remove the workspace instructions.
Workspace instructions supplement Craft's built-in behavior. They cannot override its hard rules, App policies, user permissions, or other enforced controls.
Changes apply when a Craft session starts or is restored. They do not alter a session while it is actively running. Use Try in Craft to test the saved instructions in a new session.
Configure models#
Craft supports Anthropic, OpenAI, and OpenRouter providers.
Users also need access to the provider and at least one visible model. Give users provider access publicly or through a group. Agent whitelists apply to Nexus Agents, not Craft. See Language Model Access Controls for provider visibility settings.
Anthropic#
Configure an Anthropic provider and choose visible models.
OpenAI#
Configure an OpenAI provider and choose visible models.
OpenRouter#
Configure OpenRouter and select the models available through it.
Configure Apps and Skills#
Apps#
In Admin Panel → Craft → Apps, configure external services, credentials, and action policies.
Skills#
In Craft → Skills, review reusable instructions and share custom Skills with users or groups.
Troubleshooting#
The Craft section does not appear in the Admin Panel#
Confirm you are signed in as an Admin. The section is hidden when Craft is unavailable on the deployment. Self-hosted operators should review Deploying Craft.
A user has access but cannot start a session#
Confirm the user can access an Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter provider with at least one visible model. A provider limited only to an Agent whitelist is not available in Craft.
A user still has different access after the default changes#
Check the user's setting under Admin Panel → Craft → Access. A per-user exception takes precedence over the workspace default until you change it.
Saved workspace instructions are not affecting a session#
Start a new session to test the saved instructions. They do not update an actively running session. Also confirm the guidance does not conflict with Craft's built-in hard rules or an enforced App policy.
Deployment#
Configure the runtime required for self-hosted Craft.
Architecture#
Review sandbox isolation, credential injection, approvals, and sharing boundaries.