> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://guides.noloco.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://guides.noloco.io/nola/what-nola-can-do.md).

# 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.

You can talk to Nola by typing, by [voice, or by attaching files and images](/nola/getting-started-with-nola.md#attaching-files-and-images), and she [remembers your preferences across conversations](/nola/memory.md). 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**](/data/collections.md) with custom [field types](/data/collections/field-types.md)
* **Add fields** to existing tables (text, numbers, dates, select options, [formulas](/data/collections/formulas.md) 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**](/data/collections/relationships.md) between tables
* **Create many-to-many** [**relationships**](/data/collections/relationships.md)
* **Configure** [**automatic links**](/data/collections/automatic-links.md)
* **Add** [**lookup fields**](/data/collections/lookup-fields.md) to pull data from linked records
* **Set up** [**rollup fields**](/data/collections/rollups.md) 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**](/pages/views.md) for your tables
* **Create** [**blank pages**](/pages/blank-pages.md) for custom dashboards
* **Set up** [**record pages**](/record-pages/overview.md) with custom layouts
* **Add** [**page folders**](/pages/parent-pages-and-folders.md) to organize navigation
* **Configure** [**page visibility rules**](/pages/page-visibility-rules.md) (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**](/views/display.md) ([table](/views/display/tables.md), [cards](/views/display/cards.md), [columns](/views/display/columns.md), [Kanban](/views/display/kanban-boards.md), [calendar](/views/display/calendar.md), [timeline](/views/display/timeline.md), [charts](/views/display/charts.md), [maps](/views/display/maps.md))
* **Add** [**filters**](/views/filters.md) to views
* **Set up** [**sorting**](/views/sort-and-limit.md) and [grouping](/views/display/grouping-records.md)
* **Configure visible fields**
* **Add** [**in-app filters**](/views/filter-fields.md) 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**](/workflows/workflows.md) (when records are created, updated, etc.)
* **Configure** [**workflow actions**](/workflows/workflows.md) ([send emails](/workflows/workflows/send-automated-emails.md), [update records](/workflows/workflows/update-a-record-action.md), [create records](/workflows/workflows/create-a-record-action.md))
* **Add** [**conditional logic**](/workflows/workflows/only-continue-if.md) ("only continue if...")
* **Create multi-step** [**workflows**](/workflows/workflows.md)

**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**](/actions/action-buttons.md)
* **Set up** [**bulk action buttons**](/actions/action-buttons/bulk-actions.md)
* **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](/forms/forms.md):

* **Customize** [**form field labels**](/forms/forms/customizing-form-fields.md) and help text
* **Set default values** for fields
* **Configure** [**field visibility conditions**](/field-formatting/field-visibility-conditions.md) (Soon)
* **Set up** [**dynamic form filters**](/forms/forms/dynamic-form-field-filters.md) (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**](/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions.md)
* **Configure** [**record-level permissions**](/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions/record-level-permissions.md), including the filters that decide which records each role can see
* **Set** [**field-level permissions**](/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions/field-level-permissions.md) to hide or expose individual fields
* **Set up** [**user table**](/users-and-permissions/user-table.md) **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**](/settings/theme-and-design.md) 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**](/nola/canvas.md) — 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**](/nola/canvas/canvas-components.md) to an existing record or blank page for a single custom, dynamic section
* **Refine it by chatting**, or [point at a specific element](/nola/canvas/editing-canvases.md) 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](/nola/canvas.md).

## Publishing & Deployment

### Prepare Your App for Launch

Nola can help you get your app live:

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

**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](/data/collections/rollups.md) work?"
* "What's the best way to set up a project management system?"
* "Explain the difference between [permissions](/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions.md) and [visibility rules](/pages/page-visibility-rules.md)"
* "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](/integrations/zapier.md), [Make](/integrations/make.md), etc.) - You'll need to set these up manually
* **Manual** [**custom code**](/settings/custom-code.md) **blocks** - Nola doesn't write into your app's custom CSS/JavaScript code blocks. (For custom layouts, ask her to build a [Canvas](/nola/canvas.md) instead — she generates and maintains the code for you.)
* **Data source connections** - Connecting to [Airtable](/data/airtable.md), [PostgreSQL](/data/postgresql.md), etc. must be done manually, but she can point you in the right direction
* [**Billing**](/settings/billing-and-usage.md) **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 %}

## 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](/nola/getting-started-with-nola.md#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](/data/collections.md) with appropriate fields, and generate sample data
2. Link it to a Team Members table
3. Create a [Kanban view](/views/display/kanban-boards.md) grouped by status
4. Add [in-app filters](/views/filter-fields.md) for assigned team member and due date
5. Set up a [workflow](/workflows/workflows.md) 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](/data/collections.md) with data (Clients, Projects)
2. Create [relationships](/data/collections/relationships.md) between tables
3. Configure [record-level permissions](/users-and-permissions/user-roles-and-permissions/record-level-permissions.md)
4. Set up [filtered views](/views/filters.md)
5. Create a client-facing navigation structure
6. Guide you through [user invitation](/users-and-permissions/user-management.md) 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](/workflows/workflows.md) triggered on order creation
2. Configure an [email action](/workflows/workflows/send-automated-emails.md) with dynamic content
3. Add actions to [create task records](/workflows/workflows/create-a-record-action.md)
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="/pages/0647kJQ2WZkWSoFTDaXF" %}
[Tips and Best Practices](/nola/tips-and-best-practices.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/RXyFKKJ9bomokW83O78u" %}
[Nola FAQ](/nola/nola-faq.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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