Find Your Way Around the Builder Nav Rail

The builder left sidebar is now a wider icon-grid nav rail with hover flyovers — the same pattern as the admin console — so Screens, Databases, Automation, and Help are easier to find.

This guide orients makers to the rail, flyovers, Automation entitlements, Help, and the collapsible Screens configuration panel.

What’s new Icons sit in a labeled grid. Hover (or focus) an item to see a flyover with the full name and a short description. Automation appears as one rail entry when your plan includes Workflow, Messaging, and/or Approval tools (hub sub-areas open inside Automation).

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What you get

• A consistent left rail: Screens, Databases, Users, Settings, Integrations, plus Automation tools when entitled

• Hover flyovers that name each area

• Help in the rail footer (documentation, community, product tour, zoom)

• On Screens: Hide configuration / Show configuration to grow the preview, with a sticky footer for primary actions

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Before you start

You need:

• Access to an application in the NotionApps builder

• (Optional) An Automation-entitled plan to see the Automation rail entry

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Step 1 — Open any app in the builder

1. Sign in to NotionApps.

2. Open an application from My Apps.

3. Look at the left rail — a vertical icon grid (not the older narrow tab stack).

Builder open with the new left nav rail visible

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Step 2 — Use flyovers to learn each icon

1. Hover (or keyboard-focus) an icon such as Screens or Databases.

2. Read the flyover title and short description.

3. Click the icon to open that workspace.

Hover flyover showing the Screens (or Databases) label

Common rail destinations

Icon area	Opens
Screens	Screen list, layout editing, navigation
Databases	Linked Notion databases / reload / recovery tools
Users	App users and access
Settings	App settings (including Version History where available)
Integrations	Connected integrations
Automation (when entitled)	Automation hub (Home, Recipes, Workflows, Messaging, …)
Help (footer)	Docs, community, product tour, zoom

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See also: Automation hub map · Databases · Builder.

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Step 3 — Open Screens and work with the preview

1. Click Screens.

2. Select a screen to edit.

3. Use the center preview and right configuration panel as usual.

Screens workspace with preview and configuration panel

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Step 4 — Hide or show the configuration panel

When you need more room for the preview:

1. Click Hide configuration (collapses the right config panel).

2. Edit or inspect the larger preview.

3. Click Show configuration to bring the panel back.

Primary actions stay available in the sticky footer (for example + New Screen and Edit Navigation).

Configuration panel collapsed for a wider preview

Sticky footer actions still available

Maker tip Collapse the panel when arranging dense desktop layouts; expand it when tuning Logic / Behaviour.

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Step 5 — Open Automation tools (when available)

1. If your plan includes Automation, find Automation (and related Workflows / Messaging icons) on the rail.

2. Click to open the Automation home / catalog.

3. If you do not see these icons, your current plan or workspace entitlement does not include Automation — use Help → documentation or upgrade paths as needed.

Automation entry on the nav rail (entitled apps)

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Step 6 — Use Help from the rail footer

1. Open Help at the bottom of the rail.

2. Choose an action such as:

   • Documentation

   • Community

   • Start product guide / tour

   • Zoom in / out for the builder canvas

Help menu from the builder nav rail footer

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First-run tour

New or returning makers may see a short product tour that highlights the rail. You can restart it later from Help.

During the tour, hover flyovers are suppressed so they do not cover tour steps.

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End-to-end example (makers)

Goal: Find Page Content settings faster and give the desktop preview more room.

1. Open the app → confirm the icon nav rail.

2. Hover Screens → click it.

3. Open your Details screen → select Page Content.

4. Click Hide configuration while checking desktop layout, then Show configuration to edit TOC settings.

5. Use Help if you need the docs site.

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Checklist

• Can identify Screens / Databases / Settings on the rail

• Flyovers appear on hover

• Screens workspace opens correctly

• Hide / Show configuration works

• Sticky footer actions remain usable when collapsed

• Automation icons appear only when entitled (expected)

• Help opens documentation / tour

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Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
No Automation icon	Plan / entitlement	Confirm Automation on your subscription; contact support if unexpected
Flyovers never appear	Tour active, or focus not on rail	Finish/dismiss tour; hover icons again
Can’t find old “tab” labels	Labels moved into flyovers + icon text	Hover icons; use Help → product guide
Config panel “missing”	Hidden via Hide configuration	Click Show configuration
Preview too narrow	Config panel expanded	Hide configuration temporarily

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Related notes for makers

• The rail is builder-only; published end-user apps keep their own navigation.

• Admin console uses a similar icon-grid pattern — skills transfer between admin and builder.

• Feature availability (especially Automation) depends on plan and account entitlements.

Builder options at a glance

This guide teaches a focused maker workflow. For the full screen option inventory (What it does / How to use / Why) and annotated builder screenshots, use the matching Types of Screens guide:

• Data screens: List (View Items), Details, Form (Add Item), Form (Update One Item), List (Update Items), Content

• Everyday chrome / Queue & activity: see the Types of Screens index

• Automation native screens: Native Automation Screens

Recommended defaults

• Change one option family at a time, then publish and test on phone and desktop.

• Prefer screen-level settings in Content / Behaviour / Appearance before custom CSS/JS.

• Keep public access and navigation visibility intentional on every screen you link from this guide.