diff --git a/scripts/format_app.py b/scripts/format_app.py
index 15bdefe3b..97273f41b 100755
--- a/scripts/format_app.py
+++ b/scripts/format_app.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import sys
 
 def handle_cli_args():
   parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='A script for formatting a given app within emqx')
-  parser.add_argument("-a", "--application", required=True, help="The application which is to be formatted.")
+  parser.add_argument("-a", "--application", required=True, help="The relative path to the application which is to be formatted.")
   parser.add_argument('-b', "--branch", help="The git branch to be switched to before formatting the code. Required unless the -f option is passed in which case the value will be ignored even if provided.")
   parser.add_argument('-f', "--format_in_place", default=False, action="store_true", help="Pass the -f option to format on the current git branch, otherwise a branch name must be provided by passing the -b option.")
   args = parser.parse_args()
@@ -24,12 +24,9 @@ def handle_cli_args():
 
 def get_app_path(application):
   root_path = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
-  full_path = f"{root_path}/../apps/{application}"
-  isdir = os.path.isdir(full_path) 
-
-  if isdir:
+  full_path = f"{root_path}/../{application}"
+  if os.path.isdir(full_path):
     return full_path
-  
   sys.exit(f"The application provided ({application}) does not appear at the expected location: {full_path}")
 
 
@@ -52,7 +49,7 @@ def maybe_add_rebar_plugin():
     text = f.read()
     erlfmt_pattern = "\{project_plugins.+?erlfmt.+\}"
     plugin_pattern = "\{project_plugins.+?\}"
-    
+
     if not re.search(erlfmt_pattern, text) and not re.search(plugin_pattern, text):
       f.write("\n{project_plugins, [erlfmt]}.\n")
     elif not re.search(erlfmt_pattern, text) and re.search(plugin_pattern, text):
@@ -70,7 +67,7 @@ def main():
   maybe_switch_git_branch(args.format_in_place, args.branch)
   maybe_add_rebar_plugin()
   execute_formatting()
-  
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   main()