Navigating the App

Alchemify uses a simple navigation model: a sidebar on the left, content on the right.

Sidebar

The sidebar is organized into sections:

1. Home — returns to the Home Screen dashboard at /
2. AI Builder — the AI chat for building and modifying your app
3. Tables — every business table in your database, sorted alphabetically. System tables (users, pages) don’t appear here — only your business tables are shown. When a new table is added, it appears automatically.
4. Views — database views, if any exist. This section is hidden when there are no views.
5. Pages — custom pages created by the AI or an admin (e.g., a Dashboard). Only pages marked “show in nav” appear here. Pages are sorted alphabetically by title. This section is hidden when there are no nav pages.

Each section is collapsible — click the section header to expand or collapse it. Sections start collapsed when the app loads.

Page layout modes

Pages can control sidebar behavior through their layout setting:

• Default — the full sidebar is shown as described above.
• Full width — the sidebar collapses to a narrow icon strip showing only the brand icon, section icons (Tables, Views, Pages), and your avatar. This gives the page maximum screen width — useful for dashboards and reports.
• No sidebar — the sidebar is completely hidden, giving the page the entire screen. This is for polished app experiences where end users shouldn’t see platform navigation. The page must provide its own navigation (e.g., a back link or menu).

URL routing

Every view has a predictable URL that includes the app name as a prefix (the :schema in the patterns below corresponds to the app you’re working in):

• / — redirects to your last-used app, or the app picker
• /apps — app picker / management
• /:schema — Home Screen dashboard (e.g., /sample_orders)
• /:schema/tables — list all tables
• /:schema/views — list all views
• /:schema/pages — list all pages
• /:schema/table/:name — list all rows (e.g., /sample_orders/table/products)
• /:schema/table/:name/new — create a new row
• /:schema/table/:name/:id — view a single row’s details
• /:schema/table/:name/:id/edit — edit an existing row

Views use the same pattern with a /view/ prefix (e.g., /sample_orders/view/sales_summary).

Old-style URLs without a table/view prefix (e.g., /:schema/products) are automatically redirected to the correct prefixed path, so existing bookmarks still work.

You can bookmark any of these or share them with a teammate — they’ll land on the exact same app and view (assuming they have access). Opening multiple apps in different tabs works naturally since the URL identifies the app.

User menu

At the bottom of the sidebar, a user menu shows your avatar (first letter of your email) and email address. Click it to open a popover with:

• Settings — opens the Settings page (/:schema/sys/settings)
• Admin — opens the System Admin Dashboard (/:schema/sys/admin). Only visible for owner and admin roles.
• Sign out — logs you out and returns to the login screen

System Admin Dashboard

Owners and admins can access the System Admin Dashboard at /:schema/sys/admin (or /:schema/sys, which redirects there). It provides a central hub with links to:

• User Management — invite users, change roles, and deactivate/reactivate accounts
• Audit Log — review system activity (coming soon)
• App Settings — configure app-wide settings (coming soon)

Non-admin users who navigate to /:schema/sys/admin are redirected to the app’s Home Screen.

Roles and visibility

Not every user sees the same data. Alchemify uses database-level security (Row Level Security), so the app only shows rows you’re authorized to access. A staff member might see different rows than an admin, even on the same table. This is enforced automatically by PostgreSQL.