diff --git a/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/instantiateAppNodeTree.ts b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/instantiateAppNodeTree.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b01ad020b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/frontend-app-api/src/wiring/graph/instantiateAppNodeTree.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2023 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { createAppNodeInstance } from './createAppNodeInstance';
+import { AppNode, Mutable } from './types';
+
+export function instantiateAppNodeTree(rootNode: AppNode): void {
+  function createInstance(node: AppNode): void {
+    if (node.instance) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (node.spec.disabled) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    for (const children of node.edges.attachments.values()) {
+      for (const child of children) {
+        createInstance(child);
+      }
+    }
+
+    (node as Mutable<AppNode>).instance = createAppNodeInstance({
+      spec: node.spec,
+      attachments: node.edges.attachments,
+    });
+
+    return;
+  }
+
+  createInstance(rootNode);
+}