diff --git a/cli/app.go b/cli/app.go
index 95ceaeeb..28792bc6 100644
--- a/cli/app.go
+++ b/cli/app.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package cli
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"path"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -100,17 +102,38 @@ locally in a pass store (see passwordstore.org for more).
 		if AppName == "" {
 			prompt := &survey.Input{
 				Message: "Specify app name:",
+				Default: strings.ReplaceAll(Domain, ".", "_"),
 			}
 			if err := survey.AskOne(prompt, &AppName); err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatal(err)
 			}
 		}
 
-		// convert name and truncate or error out if needed
+		sanitisedAppName := strings.ReplaceAll(AppName, ".", "_")
+		if len(sanitisedAppName) > 45 {
+			logrus.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("'%s' cannot be longer than 45 characters", sanitisedAppName))
+		}
+
+		envSamplePath := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "apps", appType, ".env.sample")
+		envSample, err := ioutil.ReadFile(envSamplePath)
+		if err != nil {
+			logrus.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		appEnvPath := path.Join(config.ABRA_DIR, "servers", Server, fmt.Sprintf("%s.env", sanitisedAppName))
+		err = ioutil.WriteFile(appEnvPath, envSample, 0755)
+		if err != nil {
+			logrus.Fatal(err)
+		}
 
-		// cp over env.sample and do some sed/replacing
 		// generate secrets if asked to do so
+		if Secrets {
+		}
+
 		// save them in a pass store if asked to do so
+		if Pass {
+		}
+
 		// Output some instructions on how to deploy this thing
 
 		return nil