What Nola Can Do

Discover the full range of capabilities and tools Nola can use to help build your app

Nola is equipped with a wide range of tools and capabilities to help you build powerful Noloco apps. Here's a comprehensive overview of what Nola can help you accomplish.

You can talk to Nola by typing, by voice, or by attaching files and images, and she remembers your preferences across conversations. You can even ask her to report a bug to the Noloco team. This page focuses on what she can build.

Data & Tables

Create and Modify Tables

Nola can help you set up and manage your data structure:

• Create new tables with custom field types

• Add fields to existing tables (text, numbers, dates, select options, formulas etc.)

• Modify field properties (change field type, update options)

• Delete or rename tables and fields

• Generate data and create new records

Example Requests:

• "Create a Products table with name, price, description, and category"

• "Add a 'Priority' field to my Tasks table with options: Low, Medium, High"

• "Rename the 'Clients' table to 'Customers'"

Create Relationships Between Tables

Nola understands how to link your data together:

• Set up linked record fields between tables

• Create many-to-many relationships

• Configure automatic links

• Add lookup fields to pull data from linked records

• Set up rollup fields to calculate values from linked records

Example Requests:

• "Link my Projects table to my Customers table"

• "Create a many-to-many relationship between Tasks and Team Members"

• "Add a rollup field to show total order value per customer"

Generate Sample Data

Need test data to visualize your app? Nola can create realistic sample records:

• Generate realistic dummy data for any table

• Create relationships between generated records

• Customize data volume (e.g., "generate 50 records")

• Match your data structure and field types

Example Requests:

• "Generate 20 sample customers with realistic names and email addresses"

• "Create 10 sample projects and link them to existing customers"

• "Fill my Products table with 30 example items"

Pages & Views

Create and Configure Pages

Nola can build out your app's structure:

• Add new view pages for your tables

• Create blank pages for custom dashboards

• Set up record pages with custom layouts

• Add page folders to organize navigation

• Configure page visibility rules (Soon)

Example Requests:

• "Create a page showing all active projects"

• "Add a dashboard page with charts for sales data"

• "Set up a Kanban view for my Tasks table"

Customize View Display

Nola can configure how your data is displayed:

• Choose display types (table, cards, columns, Kanban, calendar, timeline, charts, maps)

• Add filters to views

• Set up sorting and grouping

• Configure visible fields

• Add in-app filters for user controls (Soon)

Example Requests:

• "Show my Projects page as a Kanban board grouped by status"

• "Add a calendar view for events based on their event date field"

• "Create a chart showing sales by month"

• "Add a filter so users can filter by assigned team member"

Workflows & Automation

Build Automated Workflows

Nola can create powerful automation:

• Set up workflow triggers (when records are created, updated, etc.)

• Configure workflow actions (send emails, update records, create records)

• Add conditional logic ("only continue if...")

• Create multi-step workflows

Example Requests:

• "Create a workflow that sends an email when a task is marked complete"

• "Set up an automation that notifies us in Slack when an order is placed"

• "Build a workflow that assigns tasks to team members based on their workload"

Configure Action Buttons

Nola can add interactive buttons to your app:

• Create record action buttons

• Set up bulk action buttons

• Configure button triggers for workflows

• Add confirmation dialogs

• Edit or remove existing buttons

Example Requests:

• "Add a button to mark projects as complete"

• "Create a bulk action to assign selected tasks to a team member"

• "Add an 'Archive' button that moves records to archived status"

Forms & Data Entry

Customize Forms

Nola can configure your data entry forms:

• Customize form field labels and help text

• Set default values for fields

• Configure field visibility conditions (Soon)

• Set up dynamic form filters (Soon)

• Add validation rules (Soon)

Example Requests:

• "Make the 'Company' field required on the customer form"

• "Hide the 'Internal Notes' field from the public contact form"

• "Set the default status for new tasks to 'To Do'"

• "Create a public form for customer inquiries"

User Management & Permissions

Configure Access Control

Nola can help you secure your app:

• Create and edit user roles

• Configure record-level permissions, including the filters that decide which records each role can see

• Set field-level permissions to hide or expose individual fields

• Set up user table configurations

Example Requests:

• "Create a 'Manager' role that can edit all records"

• "Can users can only see their own tasks?"

• "Hide salary information from non-admin users"

• "Set up permissions so clients can only see their own projects"

App Customization

Adjust App Settings

Nola can change your app's settings for you, so you don't have to hunt through menus:

• Update app-wide settings like your app's name and general configuration

• Adjust theme and design options

• Change navigation and layout settings

Example Requests:

• "Rename my app to 'Client Portal'"

• "Switch the app to our brand colours"

Build a Custom Page with a Canvas

When a standard layout can't express what you have in mind, Nola can build you a Canvas — a fully custom page such as a bespoke dashboard, portal home, or interactive view. Nola writes and maintains the code behind a Canvas, reusing your data and Noloco's building blocks, so you get a custom result without any code to manage yourself.

• Create a Canvas from a plain-language description

• Add a Canvas component to an existing record or blank page for a single custom, dynamic section

• Refine it by chatting, or point at a specific element to change just that part

• Add charts and visualizations built on your data

• Add your own images and place them exactly where you want

Example Requests:

• "Add a Canvas with a sales dashboard: KPI cards and a revenue chart"

• "Create a landing page for our customer portal as a Canvas"

• "Make this section a two-column layout"

Learn more in the Canvas guides.

Publishing & Deployment

Prepare Your App for Launch

Nola can help you get your app live:

• Guide you through publishing checklist

• Configure live mode settings

• Set up user invitations

• Help with domain configuration

Example Requests:

• "Help me publish my app"

• "Walk me through the steps to go live"

• "How do I invite users to my app?"

Learning & Guidance

Get Help and Explanations

Nola is also a great teacher:

• Explain Noloco features and concepts

• Provide step-by-step guidance

• Suggest best practices

• Answer questions about how things work

• Help you understand how your tables are linked, or should be linked

• Recommend solutions for specific use cases

Example Requests:

• "How do rollup fields work?"

• "What's the best way to set up a project management system?"

• "Explain the difference between permissions and visibility rules"

• "Show me how to create a client portal"

What Nola Can't Do (Yet)

While Nola is powerful, there are some things she can't currently help with:

• External integrations (Zapier, Make, etc.) - You'll need to set these up manually

• Manual custom code blocks - Nola doesn't write into your app's custom CSS/JavaScript code blocks. (For custom layouts, ask her to build a Canvas instead — she generates and maintains the code for you.)

• Data source connections - Connecting to Airtable, PostgreSQL, etc. must be done manually, but she can point you in the right direction

• Billing and subscription management - Contact support for account-related issues

• Debugging external API issues - Nola focuses on Noloco features

Nola's capabilities are constantly expanding! Features she can't help with today might be available tomorrow.

Staying in Control

Nola can create, change, and remove a lot — and you decide how much of that needs your sign-off. By default she asks before anything that changes or removes something, and you can adjust exactly which actions she checks with you first in Controlling what needs your approval.

Combining Nola's Capabilities

The real power comes from combining Nola's capabilities. Here are some examples:

Example 1: Complete Feature Setup

Request: "Set up a task management system for my team"

Nola will:

1. Create a Tasks table with appropriate fields, and generate sample data

2. Link it to a Team Members table

3. Create a Kanban view grouped by status

4. Add in-app filters for assigned team member and due date

5. Set up a workflow to notify team members when assigned

6. Generate sample data to visualize

Example 2: Client Portal

Request: "Help me build a client portal where customers can view their projects"

Nola will:

1. Set up appropriate tables with data (Clients, Projects)

2. Create relationships between tables

3. Configure record-level permissions

4. Set up filtered views

5. Create a client-facing navigation structure

6. Guide you through user invitation setup

Example 3: Automated Workflow

Request: "When a new order is created, I need to send a confirmation email and create related tasks"

Nola will:

1. Create a workflow triggered on order creation

2. Configure an email action with dynamic content

3. Add actions to create task records

4. Set up any necessary field mappings

5. Help you test the workflow

Next Steps

Now that you know what Nola can do, learn how to get the most out of your AI sidekick:

Tips and Best PracticesNola FAQ