Before you can start building, you need to create a Tadabase account. This section will guide you through account creation, understanding plans, and managing your account settings.

To create your account:

1. Go to https://tadabase.io
2. Click "Start Free Trial" or "Sign Up"
3. Enter your email address and create a password
4. Verify your email address
5. Complete your profile information

You'll start with a free trial that gives you access to all Tadabase features. This lets you explore and build without commitment.

The free trial includes:

• Full access to all features
• No credit card required
• Build and test applications
• Limited number of records (varies by plan)
• Tadabase branding on published apps

This gives you plenty of time to learn the platform and build your first applications before committing to a paid plan.

Tadabase offers several plans to fit different needs:

Starter Plan

• Best for: Individual users and small teams
• Features: Core features with some limitations
• Record limits: Lower record count
• User limits: Limited number of users

Professional Plan

• Best for: Growing businesses and teams
• Features: All core features unlocked
• Record limits: Higher record count
• User limits: More users
• Additional features: Advanced components, more automation

Business Plan

• Best for: Larger teams and organizations
• Features: Advanced features unlocked
• Record limits: Even higher record counts
• User limits: Many users
• Additional features: White labeling, custom domains

Enterprise Plan

• Best for: Large organizations with complex needs
• Features: All features unlocked
• Record limits: Millions of records
• User limits: Unlimited users
• Additional features: HIPAA compliance, dedicated support, SLA

You can start with any plan and upgrade as your needs grow. All plans include core functionality for building applications.

Once you've created your account, you'll land on the Tadabase dashboard. Let's understand the main navigation:

Main Dashboard

The dashboard is your home base:

• My Apps - List of all your applications
• Template Library - Pre-built apps you can copy
• Account Settings - Manage your account
• Billing - Manage subscription and payments
• Support - Access help and documentation

App Builder Interface

When you open an app to edit, you'll see:

• Left Sidebar - Main navigation between Data Builder and Page Builder
• Top Bar - App name, settings, preview, and publish controls
• Main Canvas - Where you build (data tables or pages)
• Right Sidebar - Configuration panel for selected item
• Bottom Bar - Quick actions and saved items

Data Builder Navigation

In the Data Builder, you'll find:

• Tables List - All your data tables
• Table Editor - Configure fields and settings
• Records View - View and edit data
• Import/Export - Data management tools
• Connections - View table relationships

Page Builder Navigation

In the Page Builder, you'll find:

• Pages List - All your application pages
• Page Editor - Design page layout
• Components Panel - Available components to add
• Settings Panel - Configure page and component settings
• Preview Mode - See how it looks to users

Now let's create your first application from scratch.

Step 1: Create New App

1. From the dashboard, click "Create New App" or the "+" button
2. Choose "Start from Scratch" (we'll explore templates later)
3. Enter an App Name (e.g., "Contact Manager")
4. Optionally add a description
5. Click "Create App"

Step 2: App Created

Congratulations! You've created your first app. You'll now see the builder interface with an empty Data Builder.

What Just Happened?

Tadabase created:

• A new application container
• A separate database for this app
• Default configuration and settings
• A unique URL for your published app

Your app exists but is empty - no data tables, no pages yet. That's what we'll build next!

Before building, let's understand key app settings:

General Settings

Access via app name dropdown → Settings → General:

• App Name - The name of your application
• App Description - Internal notes about the app
• App Icon - Icon displayed in app list
• Time Zone - Default time zone for dates
• Currency - Default currency for currency fields

Layout Settings

Control the app's overall appearance:

• Theme - Color scheme and styling
• Logo - Your logo or branding
• Favicon - Browser tab icon
• Navigation Style - Top or side menu
• Page Width - Fixed or full-width layouts

Security Settings

Configure app security:

• Public Access - Allow anonymous visitors or require login
• Signup Enabled - Allow users to self-register
• Password Requirements - Enforce strong passwords
• Session Timeout - Automatic logout time

Access Settings

Control who can edit the app:

• App Collaborators - Other Tadabase users who can edit
• Builder Permissions - What collaborators can do

For now, you can leave most settings at their defaults. You'll learn to customize these as you become more comfortable.

As you progress, you'll likely create multiple apps:

When to Create Separate Apps

Create separate apps when:

• Building completely different solutions
• Need different user bases (different logins)
• Want isolated data (no sharing between apps)
• Different security requirements
• Different branding or white labeling

When to Use One App

Keep everything in one app when:

• Data needs to be shared across modules
• Users need access to multiple areas
• Building related functionality
• Want unified reporting across modules

Copying Apps

You can copy apps to:

• Create backups
• Create test environments
• Use as templates for similar projects
• Deploy to clients (if you're a consultant)

To copy an app:

1. From dashboard, find the app
2. Click the options menu (three dots)
3. Select "Copy App"
4. Enter new name
5. Choose what to copy (structure, data, settings)

Manage your personal information:

• Name - Your display name
• Email - Account email (also username)
• Password - Change your password
• Profile Photo - Optional profile image
• Time Zone - Your local time zone

Control what emails you receive:

• System notifications
• Product updates
• Marketing emails
• Billing notifications

Manage your plan and payments:

• Current Plan - View your active plan
• Upgrade/Downgrade - Change plans
• Payment Method - Credit card information
• Billing History - Past invoices
• Usage Statistics - Records, users, storage used

For advanced integrations (covered in Phase 7):

• Generate API keys for each app
• Use keys to access app via API
• Regenerate keys if compromised

Each app has URLs for different purposes:

Builder URL

This is where you edit your app:

• Format: https://tadabase.io/builder/{app-id}
• Only accessible to you and collaborators
• Where you build and configure

Published App URL

This is what users access:

• Format: https://{app-slug}.tadabase.io
• Public or login-protected (your choice)
• The actual application interface
• What end-users see and use

Custom Domain

On higher plans, you can use your own domain:

• Format: https://app.yourcompany.com
• Professional appearance
• White label (hide Tadabase branding)
• Requires DNS configuration

Understanding the difference between preview and publish:

Preview Mode

• Quick way to see changes from builder
• Click "Preview" button in top bar
• See how it looks to users
• Test functionality
• Changes are live in preview immediately
• Only you can access preview

Published App

• The live version users access
• Accessed via published URL
• Changes appear immediately (no deploy step)
• Anyone with URL can access (if public)
• Or requires login (if protected)

Note: Unlike some platforms, Tadabase doesn't have a separate "staging" and "production" environment. Changes in the builder are immediately reflected in the published app. This allows for rapid iteration but means you should test carefully before making major changes to production apps.

As you start building, follow these best practices:

Naming Conventions

• Use clear, descriptive app names
• Include version or purpose if creating copies
• Use consistent naming across apps
• Example: "CRM - Production", "CRM - Test", "CRM - Client ABC"

Organization

• Keep related apps together
• Use descriptions to document purpose
• Delete unused test apps to reduce clutter
• Create test apps for experimentation

Backups

• Copy important apps periodically
• Test backups by restoring them
• Keep copies before major changes
• Document backup schedule

Security

• Use strong passwords
• Enable two-factor authentication
• Be careful who you add as collaborators
• Regularly review app access
• Keep API keys confidential

Testing

• Create separate test apps for experimentation
• Test major changes in test app first
• Have a test user account to see user perspective
• Test on different devices and browsers

New users often encounter these issues:

Can't Find My App

• Check if you're logged into correct account
• Look in dashboard app list
• Use search if you have many apps
• Check if app was accidentally deleted

Published App Not Working

• Verify app is published (not just saved)
• Check if pages are created
• Ensure pages are public or user is logged in
• Clear browser cache

Changes Not Showing

• Refresh browser
• Clear cache
• Ensure you saved changes
• Check if viewing correct app/page

Hit Plan Limits

• Review usage statistics
• Delete unnecessary data
• Archive old records
• Consider upgrading plan

Now that you have your account set up and your first app created, you're ready to start building the foundation of your application: the data structure.

In the next section, you'll learn about data tables, fields, and records - the building blocks that store all your application's information.

Hands-On Exercise (To Be Added)

Exercise placeholders will include:

• Creating your Tadabase account
• Exploring the dashboard interface
• Creating your first application from scratch
• Navigating the builder interface
• Configuring basic app settings
• Finding and bookmarking your published app URL

Knowledge Check (To Be Added)

Quiz questions will test understanding of:

• Tadabase account types and plans
• Builder interface navigation
• Difference between builder and published environments
• App management best practices
• When to create separate apps vs. keeping one app