Visibility Settings

Where can I access Visibility Settings?

Builders can access the visibility settings for Views & record page components across their app when in edit mode. As a builder toggle on edit mode or press (cmd + e) for Macbooks or (ctrl+e) for Windows to access these settings.

View visibility settings (show / hide views from the sidebar)

First select the table you wish to access from the sidebar, then enter into edit mode. Once in edit mode you can access the visibility settings for a View as seen in the screenshot below.

Record Page Component visibility settings

Once you are viewing the correct record page, enter into edit mode (cmd / ctrl + e). Select the component on the page you wish to apply a visibility setting on. In the below example, I have selected the Highlights component visible on the Team record page for Mark Zuckerberg. Once selected, access the Visibility section highlighted in the screenshot below.

What Visibility Settings options can I use?

There are 3 visibility settings options you can use to determine what elements of the UI a User can see. These are:

1. Type of User

2. User Roles

3. Custom Rules

Visibility Setting: Type of User

The Team Member flag setting on a User Role determines whether they are deemed an Internal User or an External User.

If Team Member = true they are considered an internal user, If Team Member = false they are considered an external user (i.e Client)

You can show/hide elements of the UI by the Type of User using the following options

• All Users types (Internal & External)

• Internal Users only

• External (Client) Users only

This can be useful to show only the most relevant sidebar items or sections on a record page to the logged in User. Decluttering improves the overall user experience within your app.

Visibility Setting: User Roles

You may also show / hide UI elements to specific User Roles that you have setup in you app. By default Noloco creates a Team Admin and User role. You may create additional custom roles if you need to. Learn more about User Roles and Permissions in this guide here

Visibility Setting: Custom Rules

This is a very flexible visibility setting that allows you to define Record field criteria OR Logged in User criteria to determine when / if the UI element should be visible to the User.

You may also use multiple AND / OR custom rule statements for this visibility setting.

Record Page

On a record page, you can access the visibility settings for any component on the page. In the below screenshot example, a custom rule was setup to only display the Attachments block if the Loan purpose was 'First Time Buyer'.

View

For an entire view (accessed via the Sidebar menu) you can decide which users can access it using custom rules and logged in User variables.

In the below screenshot example, a User boolean attribute called 'Credit Approval' is used to decide whether the Logged in User can access the Loan Applications area in the app.

Visibility Setting: Only show when conditions are met

On a Stages element on a record page, you can conditionally show/hide values to the User dependent on record variables or logged in User variables.

A common use case for this feature is to only show a stage value when certain record fields have been completed to ensure good data hygiene within your app.

You may also use multiple AND / OR custom rule statements for this visibility setting.

Visibility vs Security

When you use visibility settings to show some data but not other data, your app will still download whatever data it can for the corresponding table, even if it is not displayed in the front-end UI of your app. It is relatively straightforward to inspect this data with common tools such as your browser's developer console, so you should not rely on visibility settings to keep your data secure.

Visibility settings are used to streamline the app's interface and user experience by only showing relevant sections to relevant users.

Use visibility conditions together with user access security features such as User Roles & Permissions if you wish to securely control which data users can access, and how the data is displayed.

Troubleshooting Visibility Issues

Pages Not Visible in Live Mode

If your pages are invisible in Live mode despite correct visibility rules:

1. Check Publishing Status: Ensure your app is published after making visibility changes

   • Go to Settings > Publishing and click "Publish Changes"

   • Changes to visibility rules require republishing to take effect

2. Verify User Role Assignment: Confirm the user has the correct role assigned

   • Go to your Users table and check the user's role field

   • Test by using "View as user" in build mode

3. Review Permission vs Visibility: Ensure both permissions and visibility are correctly set

   • Check Data & API tab for table-level permissions

   • Verify page visibility settings in the Visibility tab

4. Conflicting Rules: Look for contradictory visibility conditions

   • Multiple visibility rules use AND logic by default

   • One restrictive rule can hide the entire page

Blank Screen When Clicking Records

When users see blank screens after clicking on records:

1. Check Record Page Permissions: Verify the table has proper permissions enabled

   • Go to Data & API tab > hover over table > click Permissions icon

   • Ensure user's role has "Read" permission for the table

2. Verify Record Page Visibility: Check if the record page itself is visible

   • Navigate to the record page in build mode

   • Check the page's visibility settings in the sidebar

3. Component-Level Visibility: Some components on the record page may be hidden

   • Select individual components in build mode

   • Check their visibility settings in the sidebar

Fixing Broken Custom Rules

If you can't delete or modify a broken custom visibility rule:

1. Access via Edit Mode: Enter build mode and select the affected page/component

2. Clear Rule Fields: Try clearing all fields in the custom rule first

3. Use Different User Context: Switch "View as user" to access the rule editor

4. Recreate the Rule: Delete the broken rule entirely and create a new one

Action Button Visibility Issues

To set up visibility conditions for action buttons:

1. Select the Button: In build mode, click on the action button

2. Access Visibility Tab: Click on the Visibility section in the sidebar

3. Set Conditions: Choose from User Type, User Roles, or Custom Rules

4. Test Configuration: Use "View as user" to verify the button appears correctly

Finding Visibility Settings

If you can't locate visibility settings in your app:

1. For Pages: Select page from sidebar > Enter build mode (Cmd/Ctrl + E) > Visibility tab in sidebar

2. For Components: Navigate to record page > Enter build mode > Select component > Visibility tab

3. For Action Buttons: Go to page with button > Enter build mode > Select button > Visibility tab

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set a homepage for users after login?

The homepage is determined by the first visible page in your sidebar. To set a specific homepage:

1. Arrange your pages in the desired order in the sidebar

2. Set visibility rules so the desired homepage is the first visible page for each user role

3. Hide any pages above your intended homepage using visibility rules

Why are uploaded photos disappearing?

If team-uploaded photos are disappearing, check:

1. Field Visibility: Ensure the image field isn't hidden by visibility rules

2. File Format Support: Verify the image format is supported

3. Permissions: Check if the user role has permission to view/edit the file field

4. Component Settings: Review the visibility settings of image components on record pages

Can I use the same database across multiple apps with different visibility?

Yes, you can:

1. Connect Same Database: Connect the same external data source to multiple Noloco apps

2. Different Permissions: Set up different permission rules in each app

3. Separate Public Access: Configure different public access settings for each app

4. Role-Based Views: Create different user roles and views in each app for the same data

How do I restrict adviser access to only their clients?

To limit adviser access based on relationships:

1. Set Up User List: Connect your user table with adviser information

2. Create Permission Rule: Go to Data & API > Client table > Permissions

3. Add Custom Filter: Create a rule where "Adviser" field equals "Logged in User > Adviser"

4. Test Access: Use "View as user" to verify advisers only see their assigned clients