Preview and publish a Baserow application

Once you have built your application’s layout and logic, the final steps are to preview it for errors and publish it to a live URL. Baserow separates your “Draft” environment from your “Live” environment, allowing you to work on changes without affecting current users.

This guide covers how to test your application in a safe staging environment before deploying it to the live web.

Deployment lifecycle overview

Understanding the three states of a Baserow application ensures you don’t accidentally expose unfinished work.

  1. Editor (Draft): This is where you build. Changes made here are auto-saved to your draft but are not visible to the public.
  2. Preview (Staging): A private test mode that simulates the live experience. You use this to verify buttons, workflows, and mobile responsiveness.
  3. Published (Production): The live version accessible via your domain. This version only updates when you explicitly click the “Publish” button again.

Preview and publish an application

Preview your application

Preview mode allows you to interact with your application exactly as a user would, but within a safe, private wrapper. It is essential for catching logic errors or layout issues.

To enter preview mode:

  1. Click the Preview button in the top-right corner of the Application Builder.
  2. Your canvas will switch to an interactive mode.
  3. Test your specific workflows (e.g., submitting a form, clicking a button).

Device testing: Use the device toggles (Desktop, Tablet, Mobile) in the top bar to ensure your layout responds correctly to different screen sizes.

Learn more: Preview as an authenticated user

Publish to the web

Publishing takes the current snapshot of your Editor and pushes it to your configured domain(s).

Prerequisites

  • Data Sources: Ensure your Database has the correct permissions (e.g., if you have a form, the permission must allow “Create” actions).
  • Domain: You must have at least one domain configured. This can be a default Baserow subdomain or your own custom domain.

How to publish

  1. Click the Publish button in the top navigation bar.
  2. A dropdown menu will appear showing your connected domains and their current status.
  3. Click the Publish button next to the specific domain you wish to update.
  4. Wait for the status indicator to turn green.
  5. Click the link icon or the URL text to open your live application in a new tab.

Publish application

Updating a live application

Baserow applications do not update automatically when you change elements in the editor. This protects your users from seeing half-finished work.

To update your live app:

  1. Make your changes in the Editor.
  2. Preview the changes to verify they work.
  3. Click Publish again to overwrite the previous version with your new changes.

Embed an application

To embed your dashboard or application in another website (like Softr, WordPress, or a custom site), publish your app to get a public URL, then use an HTML <iframe> tag.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How to publish an application in a self-hosted instance?

The configuration for custom domains highly depends on the hosting environment, so you configure it at the server level. You may find information in the Baserow installation pages. See this page for more details -> Application builder domains

For your custom application, you need to create the login page in the application for your users to log in. The login page is different and is not the Baserow login page.

Do I need to pay for hosting?

No. Baserow hosts the application for you. You just need to choose a domain name (or use a free subdomain).

If I change data in my database, do I need to republish?

No. Data is live; Design is versioned.

  • If you add a new row to your database table, it appears in the application immediately.
  • If you change the color of a button or add a new page, you must republish for users to see it.

Can I unpublish my application?

Yes, you can delete the domain to remove the link, effectively taking the application offline for that specific URL.

Related content

Still need help? If you’re looking for something else, please feel free to make recommendations or ask us questions; we’re ready to assist you.