# What Nola Can Do

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.

## Data & Tables

### Create and Modify Tables

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

* **Create new** [**tables**](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections) with custom [field types](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/field-types)
* **Add fields** to existing tables (text, numbers, dates, select options, [formulas](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/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**](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/relationships) between tables
* **Create many-to-many** [**relationships**](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/relationships)
* **Configure** [**automatic links**](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/automatic-links)
* **Add** [**lookup fields**](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/lookup-fields) to pull data from linked records
* **Set up** [**rollup fields**](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/rollups) 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**](https://guides.noloco.io/pages/views) for your tables
* **Create** [**blank pages**](https://guides.noloco.io/pages/blank-pages) for custom dashboards
* **Set up** [**record pages**](https://guides.noloco.io/record-pages/overview) with custom layouts
* **Add** [**page folders**](https://guides.noloco.io/pages/parent-pages-and-folders) to organize navigation
* **Configure** [**page visibility rules**](https://guides.noloco.io/pages/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**](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display) ([table](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/tables), [cards](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/cards-and-columns), [Kanban](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/kanban-boards), [calendar](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/calendar), [timeline](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/timeline), [charts](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/charts), [maps](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/maps))
* **Add** [**filters**](https://guides.noloco.io/views/filters) to views
* **Set up** [**sorting**](https://guides.noloco.io/views/sort-and-limit) and [grouping](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/grouping-records)
* **Configure visible fields**
* **Add** [**filter fields**](https://guides.noloco.io/views/filter-fields) 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**](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows) (when records are created, updated, etc.)
* **Configure** [**workflow actions**](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows) ([send emails](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows/send-automated-emails), [update records](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows/update-a-record-action), [create records](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows/create-a-record-action))
* **Add** [**conditional logic**](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows/only-continue-if) ("only continue if...")
* **Create multi-step** [**workflows**](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/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**](https://guides.noloco.io/actions/action-buttons)
* **Set up** [**bulk action buttons**](https://guides.noloco.io/actions/action-buttons/bulk-actions)
* **Configure button triggers** for workflows
* **Add confirmation dialogs**

**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](https://guides.noloco.io/forms/forms):

* **Customize** [**form field labels**](https://guides.noloco.io/forms/forms/customizing-form-fields) and help text
* **Set default values** for fields
* **Configure** [**field visibility conditions**](https://guides.noloco.io/field-formatting/field-visibility-conditions) (Soon)
* **Set up** [**dynamic form filters**](https://guides.noloco.io/forms/forms/dynamic-form-field-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:

* **Understand your** [**user roles**](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions) and [permissions](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions)
* **Configure** [**record-level permissions**](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions/record-level-permissions)
* **Set** [**field-level permissions**](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions/field-level-permissions)
* **Set up** [**user table**](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/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

## Publishing & Deployment

### Prepare Your App for Launch

Nola can help you get your app live:

* **Guide you through** [**publishing**](https://guides.noloco.io/settings/publishing) **checklist**
* **Configure** [**live mode**](https://guides.noloco.io/settings/general-settings/live-mode) **settings**
* **Set up** [**user invitations**](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/user-management)
* **Help with** [**domain configuration**](https://guides.noloco.io/settings/custom-domain)

**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](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/rollups) work?"
* "What's the best way to set up a project management system?"
* "Explain the difference between [permissions](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions) and [visibility rules](https://guides.noloco.io/pages/page-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](https://guides.noloco.io/integrations/zapier), [Make](https://guides.noloco.io/integrations/make), etc.) - You'll need to set these up manually
* [**Custom code**](https://guides.noloco.io/settings/custom-code) - Nola doesn't write custom CSS or JavaScript
* **Data source connections** - Connecting to [Airtable](https://guides.noloco.io/data/airtable), [PostgreSQL](https://guides.noloco.io/data/postgresql), etc. must be done manually, but she can point you in the right direction
* [**Billing**](https://guides.noloco.io/settings/billing-and-usage) **and subscription management** - Contact support for account-related issues
* **Debugging external API issues** - Nola focuses on Noloco features

{% hint style="info" %}
Nola's capabilities are constantly expanding! Features she can't help with today might be available tomorrow.
{% endhint %}

## 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](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections) with appropriate fields, and generate sample data
2. Link it to a Team Members table
3. Create a [Kanban view](https://guides.noloco.io/views/display/kanban-boards) grouped by status
4. Add [filter fields](https://guides.noloco.io/views/filter-fields) for assigned team member and due date
5. Set up a [workflow](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows) 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](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections) with data (Clients, Projects)
2. Create [relationships](https://guides.noloco.io/data/collections/relationships) between tables
3. Configure [record-level permissions](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions/record-level-permissions)
4. Set up [filtered views](https://guides.noloco.io/views/filters)
5. Create a client-facing navigation structure
6. Guide you through [user invitation](https://guides.noloco.io/users-and-permissions/user-management) 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](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows) triggered on order creation
2. Configure an [email action](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows/send-automated-emails) with dynamic content
3. Add actions to [create task records](https://guides.noloco.io/workflows/workflows/create-a-record-action)
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:

{% content-ref url="tips-and-best-practices" %}
[tips-and-best-practices](https://guides.noloco.io/nola/tips-and-best-practices)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="nola-faq" %}
[nola-faq](https://guides.noloco.io/nola/nola-faq)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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