Documentation

Everything you need to know about using AppoBase to manage your Firestore databases.

Getting Started

Installation

AppoBase is available as a desktop application for macOS and Windows.

  1. Download the installer for your platform
  2. Run the installer and follow the setup wizard
  3. Launch AppoBase from your applications folder

Prerequisites

  • Firebase Project: You need a Firebase project with Firestore enabled
  • Service Account: Create a service account JSON key file from Firebase Console
  • Permissions: Ensure your service account has appropriate Firestore permissions

Creating a Service Account

  1. Go to Firebase Console → Project Settings → Service Accounts
  2. Click "Generate New Private Key"
  3. Save the JSON file securely on your device
  4. Keep this file private - it provides full access to your Firebase project

Features

Multi-Project Support

Manage multiple Firestore projects from a single application. Switch between projects seamlessly.

Multi-Tab Interface

Open multiple projects simultaneously in separate tabs. Right-click collections to open them in new tabs instantly.

Advanced Query Builder

Build complex queries with simple filters or powerful JavaScript mode. Query history automatically syncs across devices.

Multiple View Modes

View data in Tree, Table, List, or JSON format. Resize table columns and preferences persist automatically.

UI Customization

Personalize your workspace by showing/hiding features, view modes, and actions. Create your perfect interface.

Settings Sync

All your preferences, column widths, and UI settings automatically sync across all your devices in real-time.

Subscription Plans

Free plan for basic features. Pro plan unlocks unlimited projects, multi-device sync, and priority support with 7-day free trial.

Authentication Management

Manage Firebase Auth users, custom claims, and authentication settings all in one place.

Cloud Storage

Browse and manage Firebase Cloud Storage buckets and files directly from the app.

Connecting Projects

Adding Your First Project

  1. Click the "Add Project" button in the project selector
  2. Enter an optional project name (for easy identification)
  3. Select your Firebase service account JSON file
  4. AppoBase will validate the connection and add the project
  5. Select the project to open it in a new tab

Security Best Practices

  • •Store service account files in a secure location
  • •Use service accounts with minimal required permissions
  • •Never commit service account files to version control
  • •Rotate service account keys regularly

Local Storage

AppoBase stores only the file path to your service account JSON file locally. The actual credentials never leave your device and are never transmitted to external servers.

All data processing happens locally on your machine, ensuring maximum security and privacy.

Querying Data

Simple Query Mode

Build queries using a visual interface with filters, operators, and conditions.

Example:
email == "user@example.com"
status != "deleted"
age > 18

JavaScript Query Mode

Write custom JavaScript functions for complex filtering logic.

Example:
return doc.age > 25 && doc.status === "active";

Query History

All queries are automatically saved to history. You can:

  • View your query history for each collection
  • Replay previous queries with one click
  • Search through your query history
  • Delete queries you no longer need
  • Cloud sync: Query history automatically syncs across all your devices when logged in (can be disabled in settings)

Supported Operators

==!=<<=>>=array-containsarray-contains-anyinnot-in

UI Customization & Layout

Personalize Your Workspace

AppoBase lets you customize the interface to match your workflow. Hide features you don't use, show only what matters to you, and create your perfect workspace.

UI Layout Manager

Access the UI Layout Manager from Settings to customize every aspect of your interface:

Database Section

  • Toggle view modes (Tree, Table, List, JSON)
  • Show/hide actions (Create, Delete, Export, Import, Query Builder)
  • Control UI elements (Search Bar, Column Manager, Pagination)

Document Detail Panel

  • Choose toolbar style: Hybrid (default), Compact, or Classic
  • Visual previews help you choose the right style
  • Responsive overflow adapts to panel width automatically

Auth & Storage Sections

  • Customize available actions for each section
  • Toggle UI elements visibility
  • Hide entire sections you don't use

Resizable Table Columns

When working in Table view, you can resize columns to fit your data perfectly:

  • Hover over column borders to see the resize handle
  • Click and drag to adjust column width
  • Column widths are saved per collection automatically
  • Persists across tab switches and app restarts
  • Minimum width: 80px, Maximum width: 1200px

Settings Sync Across Devices

Your preferences automatically sync across all your devices when you're logged in:

  • UI layout preferences sync in real-time
  • Column widths and view settings preserved
  • Query history syncs across devices
  • Theme preferences sync automatically
  • Works offline with automatic sync when online
  • Privacy control: Cloud sync can be disabled anytime from app settings

Benefits of Customization

Reduced Overwhelm: Hide features you don't use for a cleaner interface
Faster Workflow: Access only the tools you need quickly
Better for Small Screens: Optimize layout for laptops and smaller displays
Easy Reset: Restore default settings anytime with one click

Theme Customization

Make It Yours

AppoBase features a comprehensive theme customization system. Choose from beautiful preset color palettes or create your own custom themes for both light and dark modes.

Preset Color Palettes

Choose from carefully crafted preset themes designed for different preferences:

Light Mode Palettes

  • Default Blue - Clean and professional
  • Emerald - Fresh green accent
  • Violet - Elegant purple theme
  • Rose - Warm pink accent
  • Amber - Orange warmth
  • Teal - Cool cyan-green
  • Slate - Neutral gray

Dark Mode Palettes

  • Midnight - Deep navy (default)
  • Dracula - Popular developer theme
  • Nord - Arctic-inspired colors
  • Emerald Dark - Green accent
  • Violet Dark - Purple accent
  • Rose Dark - Pink accent
  • Amber Dark - Orange accent

Create Custom Themes

Not happy with presets? Create your own custom color palette:

  • Start from any preset as a base
  • Customize primary, background, accent, and more
  • Real-time preview as you adjust colors
  • Save your custom palette with a name
  • Independent themes for light and dark modes

Customizable Color Variables

Fine-tune every aspect of the interface:

PrimaryBackgroundForegroundAccentMutedCardBorderDestructiveFocus Ring

How to Access

  1. Open Settings from your profile menu
  2. Look for the "Theme Customization" card
  3. Click "Customize Theme" to open the editor
  4. Select a palette or click "Customize" to create your own
  5. Your theme syncs across all devices automatically

Document Detail Panel

View & Edit Documents

The Document Detail Panel opens when you select a document. It provides powerful tools to view, edit, search, and manage individual documents with a customizable toolbar.

Toolbar Styles

Choose from three toolbar styles to match your workflow. Change your preference in Settings → Customize UI → Document Detail.

Hybrid Default

Single row with all action icons visible. Icons automatically collapse into overflow menu as panel shrinks.

[Table][JSON] ― [Edit] [Copy] [Export] [Search] [Delete]

Compact

Space-efficient with secondary actions in overflow menu. Search collapses when panel is very narrow.

[Table][JSON] ― [Edit] [Search] [⋮ Menu]

Classic

Multi-row layout with full-width view toggle and separate actions row.

Row 1: [Table View] [JSON View]Row 2: [Edit] [Copy] [Export] [Search] [Delete]

View Modes

Switch between two view modes for document content:

Table View

Displays fields in a structured table format with field names and values. Great for documents with simple, flat structures.

JSON View

Shows the raw JSON with syntax highlighting. Ideal for nested data, arrays, and complex objects. Supports collapsible sections.

Responsive Overflow

The toolbar automatically adapts to panel width:

  • Wide panel: All icons visible
  • As panel shrinks: Icons progressively move to overflow menu
  • Overflow order: Delete → Export → Copy → Search
  • Smooth animations during resize
  • Works in both Hybrid and Compact modes

Search in Documents

Quickly find content within your document:

  • Click the search icon or press Ctrl+F / Cmd+F
  • Search bar slides in smoothly
  • Real-time highlighting of matches
  • Navigate between matches with arrow buttons
  • Shows match count (e.g., "3/10")
  • Press Escape to close search

Available Actions

Edit: Modify document fields with inline editing
Copy: Copy document data to clipboard
Export: Download document as JSON file
Delete: Remove document from collection

Expanded View

Focus on What Matters

Expand the Document Detail Panel to full width for a distraction-free view of complex documents. Perfect for large JSON objects, documents with many fields, or when you need maximum readability.

How It Works

Default View (Collapsed)

┌────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐
│ Collections│ Documents │ Detail Panel │
│ Sidebar │ List/Table │ (Resizable) │
└────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘

Expanded View

┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Document Detail Panel │
│ (Full Width) │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘

Using Expanded View

To Expand:

  1. Open any document (detail panel appears on the right)
  2. Click the Maximize icon (↗) in the detail panel header
  3. Collections sidebar and documents area smoothly collapse
  4. Detail panel expands to full width

To Collapse:

  1. Click the Minimize icon (↙) in the expanded panel header
  2. Panel returns to side view with smooth animation
  3. Collections and documents reappear

Benefits

More Space: Full width for complex documents
Better Readability: Large JSON objects easier to read
Focus Mode: No distractions from other panels
State Persists: Remembers your preference per tab

Managing Authentication

User Management

AppoBase provides a complete interface for managing Firebase Authentication users:

  • View all users with pagination support
  • Search users by UID or email
  • Create new users
  • Update user properties
  • Enable or disable user accounts
  • Delete users

Custom Claims

Manage custom claims for role-based access control:

  • Set custom claims on user accounts
  • View existing custom claims
  • Update or remove custom claims

Cloud Storage

Storage Management

Browse and manage your Firebase Cloud Storage buckets:

  • View all storage buckets
  • Browse files and folders
  • Upload new files
  • Download files
  • Delete files and folders
  • View file metadata

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