Skip to content
NotionApps Docs

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 you get

Section titled “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

Before you start

Section titled “Before you start”

You need:

  • Access to an application in the NotionApps builder
  • (Optional) An Automation-entitled plan to see the Automation rail entry

Step 1 — Open any app in the builder

Section titled “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

Step 2 — Use flyovers to learn each icon

Section titled “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

Section titled “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

See also: Automation hub map · Databases · Builder.

Step 3 — Open Screens and work with the preview

Section titled “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

Step 4 — Hide or show the configuration panel

Section titled “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

Step 5 — Open Automation tools (when available)

Section titled “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)

Step 6 — Use Help from the rail footer

Section titled “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

First-run tour

Section titled “First-run tour”

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

End-to-end example (makers)

Section titled “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.

Checklist

Section titled “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

Troubleshooting

Section titled “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
Section titled “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

Section titled “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:

Section titled “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.