Backend build guides

Practical, step-by-step examples using tables, views, and backend workflows.

Use these guides to see common patterns: creating tables, adding secure views with parameters, and exposing backend workflows you can call from the frontend.

What you'll find here

• Starter flows: create, read, update, and delete with secure access
• Patterns: search, pagination, and user-scoped filters (user_id is auth.user.id)
• End-to-end wiring: calling backend workflows from frontend workflows

Recommended reading before you start

• Intro to the backend →
• Intro to tables →
• Collections (views) →
• Intro to backend workflows →

Example workflows

• Add a record: endpoint with Tables | Insert data; map inputs to columns; return inserted row
• Update a record: endpoint with Tables | Update data (By ID); return updated row
• Get a record: endpoint with Tables | Get data (By ID)
• List records: view (collection) with filters, sorts, and parameters (e.g., search)
• Delete a record: endpoint with Tables | Delete data (By ID)

User-specific tasks (secure list)

Follow this simple flow to build a private task list for each signed-in user:

1. Create a table tasks with columns:
   • title (Text, required)
   • isDone (True/False, default false)
   • owner (User, required)
2. Add a view (collection) myTasks on tasks with:
   • Filter: owner is auth.user.id
   • Sort: createdAt descending (or title ascending)
3. Add a backend workflow addTask:
   • Inputs: title (Text)
   • Actions: Tables | Insert data into tasks mapping title from input and owner to auth.user.id
   • Deploy
4. Bind data in the UI:
   • Add a list or data grid bound to the myTasks view
   • Show title, add a checkbox bound to isDone
5. Wire create/update actions:
   • On the "Add" button, call addTask with the input field value; then refresh the myTasks view
   • For toggling isDone, add a backend workflow toggleDone using Tables | Update data (By ID)
6. Secure by default:
   • The myTasks view only returns rows where owner matches auth.user.id
   • Endpoints run on the server and never expose secrets or internal logic to the browser

Tips

• Define User ownership early so secure filters are straightforward
• Prefer Table Link inputs to reduce mapping in insert/update actions
• Document your inputs/outputs in the endpoint description

CONTIUE LEARNING

See how to create secure, parameterized views.

Collections (views) →