App Settings

App settings allow you to configure the core properties of your EmberBlocks application. These settings control how your app appears, how users access it, and how versions are managed.

Accessing App Settings

To access app settings:

1. Open your app in the editor
2. Click the app icon in the header (next to the app name)
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu

General Settings

Configure the basic properties of your application:

Setting	Description
Name	The display name for your app
Description	A brief description of what your app does
Icon	Select an icon from the icon library
Theme Color	Choose a primary color theme for your app

Changing the App Name

1. Open app settings
2. Update the Name field
3. Click Save

URL Slug

Changing the app name doesn’t automatically update the URL slug. Update the slug separately if needed.

App Icon

Choose from a library of icons to represent your app:

• Icons appear in the dashboard and header
• Select icons that represent your app’s purpose
• Common choices: folder, database, chart, users, settings

Theme Color

The theme color affects:

• Primary button colors
• Active states and highlights
• Accent elements throughout the app

Choose a color that:

• Aligns with your brand
• Provides good contrast with text
• Distinguishes your app from others

URL Slug

Each app has a unique URL-friendly identifier called a slug.

What is a Slug?

A slug is the URL-safe version of your app name:

App Name	Generated Slug	URL
Car Rental	car-rental	app.emberblocks.com/car-rental
Inventory Tracker	inventory-tracker	app.emberblocks.com/inventory-tracker
HR Portal	hr-portal	app.emberblocks.com/hr-portal

Auto-Generated Slugs

When you create an app, the slug is automatically generated from the name:

• Converts to lowercase
• Replaces spaces with hyphens
• Removes special characters
• Ensures uniqueness

Customizing the Slug

To change your app’s slug:

1. Open app settings
2. Find the URL Slug field
3. Enter your preferred slug
4. Click Save

Breaking Links

Changing the slug will break any existing bookmarks or shared links to your app. Notify your users before making changes.

Slug Guidelines

• Use lowercase letters and hyphens only
• Keep it short and memorable
• Avoid generic names like “app” or “test”
• Consider SEO if your app is public

Publishing Settings

Control how your app is published and versioned.

Draft vs Published

Your app exists in two states:

State	Who Can See	Purpose
Draft	Admins and Editors	Build and test changes
Published	All users with access	The live version users interact with

Publishing Workflow

1. Make changes in draft mode
2. Test using the Preview button
3. Click Publish when ready
4. Add optional publish notes
5. The new version goes live immediately

Unpublished Changes Indicator

A visual indicator appears when:

• Your draft differs from the published version
• Users are seeing an older version than what you’re editing

This helps you track what needs to be published.

Publish Notes

When publishing, you can add notes describing your changes:

Version 3: Added new dashboard view and fixed customer search bug

These notes help track what changed between versions.

Version History

EmberBlocks maintains a complete history of published versions.

Viewing Version History

1. Open app settings
2. Click Version History
3. See all published versions with:
   • Version number
   • Published date
   • Published by (user)
   • Publish notes

Version Information

Field	Description
Version Number	Auto-incremented with each publish
Published At	Date and time of publication
Published By	The user who clicked Publish
Publish Notes	Optional notes about changes
Status	Published or Archived

Rolling Back

To restore a previous version:

1. Open version history
2. Find the version you want to restore
3. Click Restore
4. The draft is updated to match that version
5. Publish again to make it live

Rollback Warning

Rolling back only restores the draft. You must publish again to make the restored version live.

App Deletion

Permanent Action

Deleting an app is permanent and cannot be undone. All views, components, actions, and version history will be deleted.

Who Can Delete

Only users with the Admin role can delete an app.

Deleting an App

1. Open app settings
2. Scroll to the Danger Zone section
3. Click Delete App
4. Type the app name to confirm
5. Click Delete to permanently remove

Before Deleting

Consider these alternatives:

• Archive: Remove all users except yourself
• Unpublish: Keep the app but hide it from users
• Transfer: Hand off admin access to another user

Access Settings

Control who can access your app through the Users tab.

Public vs Private

Access Level	Description
Private	Only invited users can access
Public	Anyone with the link can view (coming soon)

Role-Based Access

Users have different permissions based on their role:

Role	Editor Access	Published App
Admin	Full access	Full access
Custom (with edit)	Full access	Full access
Custom (without edit)	No access	Full access
User (default)	No access	Full access

See User Management for details on managing roles and users.

Environment Settings

Configure environment-specific behavior.

External Connections

Manage database connections in the Data tab:

• Add multiple PostgreSQL connections
• Test connection status
• Refresh schema introspection

See Database Connections for details.

External User Table

Link your app members to an external database table for additional user data. This is configured in the Users tab under External.

See User Management for details.

Best Practices

Naming

• Use clear, descriptive app names
• Example: “Customer Support Tickets” not “App 1”
• Include the team or department if helpful: “Sales - Lead Tracker”

Version Management

• Publish frequently to avoid losing work
• Always add publish notes for significant changes
• Test in preview before publishing

Access Control

• Start with restrictive permissions
• Use custom roles for different team needs
• Regularly audit user access

URL Slugs

• Set a clean slug early before sharing links
• Avoid changing slugs after users have bookmarked the app
• Use consistent naming conventions across your apps

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
Can’t find settings	Not an Admin	Request Admin access
Slug already taken	Duplicate name	Choose a different slug
Can’t delete app	Last Admin	Transfer ownership first
Publishing fails	Invalid configuration	Check for component errors

Settings Not Saving

1. Check your network connection
2. Ensure you have Admin or Editor access
3. Verify all required fields are filled
4. Try refreshing the page

Related Topics

• User Management - Manage users and roles
• Apps - Learn about app structure
• Views - Build pages for your app
• Database Connections - Connect your data