Set app description correctly on create only

crates/config/src/towerfile.rs

@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ pub struct App {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub schedule: String,
 
-    #[serde(default)]
-    pub description: String,
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub description: Option<String>,
 
     #[serde(default)]
     pub import_paths: Vec<PathBuf>,
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl Towerfile {
                 script: String::from(""),
                 source: vec![],
                 schedule: String::from("0 0 * * *"),
-                description: String::from(""),
+                description: None,
                 import_paths: vec![],
             },
         }
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.script, "./script.py");
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.source, vec!["*.py"]);
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.schedule, "0 0 * * *");
+        assert_eq!(towerfile.app.description, None);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.script, "./script.py");
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.source, vec!["*.py"]);
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.schedule, "");
+        assert_eq!(towerfile.app.description, None);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -316,6 +318,7 @@ default = "value2"
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.name, reparsed.app.name);
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.script, reparsed.app.script);
         assert_eq!(towerfile.app.source, reparsed.app.source);
+        assert_eq!(towerfile.app.description, reparsed.app.description);
         assert_eq!(towerfile.parameters.len(), reparsed.parameters.len());
         assert_eq!(towerfile.parameters[0].name, reparsed.parameters[0].name);
     }

crates/tower-cmd/src/api.rs

@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ pub async fn create_app(
         create_app_params: tower_api::models::CreateAppParams {
             schema: None,
             name: name.to_string(),
+            // API create expects short_description; CLI/Towerfile expose "description".
             short_description: Some(description.to_string()),
             slug: None,
             is_externally_accessible: None,

crates/tower-cmd/src/deploy.rs

@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ pub async fn do_deploy(config: Config, args: &ArgMatches) {
             crate::Error::ApiDeployError { source } => {
                 output::tower_error_and_die(source, "Deploying app failed")
             }
+            crate::Error::ApiCreateAppError { source } => {
+                output::tower_error_and_die(source, "Creating app failed")
+            }
             crate::Error::ApiDescribeAppError { source } => {
                 output::tower_error_and_die(source, "Fetching app details failed")
             }
@@ -72,16 +75,13 @@ pub async fn deploy_from_dir(
     let api_config = config.into();
 
     // Add app existence check before proceeding
-    if let Err(err) = util::apps::ensure_app_exists(
+    util::apps::ensure_app_exists(
         &api_config,
         &towerfile.app.name,
-        &towerfile.app.description,
+        towerfile.app.description.as_deref(),
         create_app,
     )
-    .await
-    {
-        return Err(crate::Error::ApiDescribeAppError { source: err });
-    }
+    .await?;
 
     let spec = PackageSpec::from_towerfile(&towerfile);
     let mut spinner = output::spinner("Building package...");

crates/tower-cmd/src/error.rs

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use snafu::prelude::*;
 use tower_api::apis::default_api::{
-    DeployAppError, DescribeAppError, DescribeRunError, RunAppError,
+    CreateAppError, DeployAppError, DescribeAppError, DescribeRunError, RunAppError,
 };
 use tower_telemetry::debug;
 
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ pub enum Error {
         source: tower_api::apis::Error<DeployAppError>,
     },
 
+    // API create app error
+    #[snafu(display("API create app error: {}", source))]
+    ApiCreateAppError {
+        source: tower_api::apis::Error<CreateAppError>,
+    },
+
     // API describe app error
     #[snafu(display("API describe app error: {}", source))]
     ApiDescribeAppError {
@@ -173,6 +179,12 @@ impl From<tower_api::apis::Error<DeployAppError>> for Error {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<tower_api::apis::Error<CreateAppError>> for Error {
+    fn from(source: tower_api::apis::Error<CreateAppError>) -> Self {
+        Self::ApiCreateAppError { source }
+    }
+}
+
 impl From<tower_api::apis::Error<DescribeAppError>> for Error {
     fn from(source: tower_api::apis::Error<DescribeAppError>) -> Self {
         Self::ApiDescribeAppError { source }

crates/tower-cmd/src/mcp.rs

@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ impl TowerService {
             towerfile.app.script = script;
         }
         if let Some(description) = request.description {
-            towerfile.app.description = description;
+            towerfile.app.description = Some(description);
         }
         if let Some(source) = request.source {
             towerfile.app.source = source;

crates/tower-cmd/src/util/apps.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 use crate::output;
-use http::StatusCode;
 use promptly::prompt_default;
 use tower_api::apis::{
     configuration::Configuration,
@@ -10,9 +9,9 @@ use tower_api::models::CreateAppParams as CreateAppParamsModel;
 pub async fn ensure_app_exists(
     api_config: &Configuration,
     app_name: &str,
-    description: &str,
+    description: Option<&str>,
     create_app: bool,
-) -> Result<(), tower_api::apis::Error<default_api::DescribeAppError>> {
+) -> Result<(), crate::Error> {
     // Try to describe the app first (with spinner)
     let mut spinner = output::spinner("Checking app...");
     let describe_result = default_api::describe_app(
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ pub async fn ensure_app_exists(
     )
     .await;
 
-    // If the app exists, return Ok
+    // If the app exists, return Ok (description is create-only).
     if describe_result.is_ok() {
         spinner.success();
         return Ok(());
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ pub async fn ensure_app_exists(
     // If it's not a 404 error, fail the spinner and return the error
     if !is_not_found {
         spinner.failure();
-        return Err(err);
+        return Err(crate::Error::ApiDescribeAppError { source: err });
     }
 
     // App not found - stop spinner before prompting user
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ pub async fn ensure_app_exists(
 
     // If the user doesn't want to create the app, return the original error
     if !create_app {
-        return Err(err);
+        return Err(crate::Error::ApiDescribeAppError { source: err });
     }
 
     // Try to create the app (with a new spinner)
@@ -79,7 +78,8 @@ pub async fn ensure_app_exists(
             create_app_params: CreateAppParamsModel {
                 schema: None,
                 name: app_name.to_string(),
-                short_description: Some(description.to_string()),
+                // API create expects short_description; CLI/Towerfile expose "description".
+                short_description: description.map(|desc| desc.to_string()),
                 slug: None,
                 is_externally_accessible: None,
                 subdomain: None,
@@ -96,21 +96,9 @@ pub async fn ensure_app_exists(
         }
         Err(create_err) => {
             spinner.failure();
-            // Convert any creation error to a response error
-            Err(tower_api::apis::Error::ResponseError(
-                tower_api::apis::ResponseContent {
-                    tower_trace_id: "".to_string(),
-                    status: match &create_err {
-                        tower_api::apis::Error::ResponseError(resp) => resp.status,
-                        _ => StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
-                    },
-                    content: match &create_err {
-                        tower_api::apis::Error::ResponseError(resp) => resp.content.clone(),
-                        _ => create_err.to_string(),
-                    },
-                    entity: None,
-                },
-            ))
+            Err(crate::Error::ApiCreateAppError {
+                source: create_err,
+            })
         }
     }
 }

tests/integration/features/cli_app_management.feature

@@ -26,4 +26,11 @@ Feature: CLI App Management
     When I run "tower apps create --json --name test-cli-app-123 --description 'Test app'" via CLI
     Then the output should be valid JSON
     And the JSON should contain the created app information
-    And the app name should be "test-cli-app-123"
+    And the app name should be "test-cli-app-123"
+    And the app description should be "Test app"
+
+  Scenario: CLI deploy --create creates app with description from Towerfile
+    Given I have a valid Towerfile in the current directory
+    When I run "tower deploy --create" via CLI
+    And I run "tower apps show --json {app_name}" via CLI using created app name
+    Then the app description should be "A test app"

tests/integration/features/steps/cli_steps.py

@@ -333,3 +333,35 @@ def step_app_name_should_be(context, expected_name):
     assert (
         actual_name == expected_name
     ), f"Expected app name '{expected_name}', got '{actual_name}'"
+
+
+@step('the app description should be "{expected_description}"')
+def step_app_description_should_be(context, expected_description):
+    """Verify app description matches expected value"""
+    data = json.loads(context.cli_output)
+    candidates = []
+
+    if "app" in data:
+        candidates.append(data["app"])
+    if "data" in data and "app" in data["data"]:
+        candidates.append(data["data"]["app"])
+
+    if not candidates:
+        candidates.append(data)
+
+    actual_description = None
+    for candidate in candidates:
+        if isinstance(candidate, dict):
+            if "short_description" in candidate:
+                actual_description = candidate["short_description"]
+                break
+            if "description" in candidate:
+                actual_description = candidate["description"]
+                break
+
+    assert (
+        actual_description is not None
+    ), f"Could not find app description in JSON response: {data}"
+    assert (
+        actual_description == expected_description
+    ), f"Expected description '{expected_description}', got '{actual_description}'"

tests/mock-api-server/main.py

@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@ async def create_app(app_data: Dict[str, Any]):
     if app_name in mock_apps_db:
         return {"app": mock_apps_db[app_name]}
 
+    description = app_data.get("description")
+    if description is None:
+        description = app_data.get("short_description", "")
+
     new_app = {
         "created_at": datetime.datetime.now().isoformat(),
         "health_status": "healthy",
@@ -148,7 +152,7 @@ async def create_app(app_data: Dict[str, Any]):
             "running": 0,
         },
         "schedule": None,
-        "short_description": app_data.get("short_description", ""),
+        "short_description": description or "",
         "status": "active",
         "subdomain": "",
         "version": None,
@@ -171,6 +175,27 @@ async def describe_app(name: str, response: Response):
     return {"app": app_info, "runs": []}  # Simplistic, no runs yet
 
 
+@app.put("/v1/apps/{name}")
+async def update_app(name: str, app_data: Dict[str, Any], response: Response):
+    app_info = mock_apps_db.get(name)
+    if not app_info:
+        response.status_code = 404
+        return {
+            "$schema": "https://api.tower.dev/v1/schemas/ErrorModel.json",
+            "title": "Not Found",
+            "status": 404,
+            "detail": f"App '{name}' not found",
+        }
+
+    if "description" in app_data:
+        app_info["short_description"] = app_data.get("description") or ""
+    elif "short_description" in app_data:
+        app_info["short_description"] = app_data.get("short_description") or ""
+
+    mock_apps_db[name] = app_info
+    return {"app": app_info}
+
+
 @app.delete("/v1/apps/{name}")
 async def delete_app(name: str):
     if name not in mock_apps_db: