Appifio Creator · Lesson H01 · Advanced
Creator + Aura Storage + Aura CMS (end-to-end checklist)
No new features here - this lesson stitches series A-G into one ordered checklist so you can ship a webapp with data and day-to-day content ops.
Learning goals: A self-check list before handing a webapp to a client - no missing step between Creator / Storage / CMS.
Reading time: about 12 minutes
Prerequisites: At least B01, C01, D02, F01, G01.
Previous → next: F*, G* → H01 → H02
1. Glossary (3 columns)
| Term | Meaning | Where in the UI |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | UI design, AI, Inspector, Routes | Chat + View & edit |
| Aura Storage | Data store + auth + Backend Function | Backend tab |
| Aura CMS | Day-to-day content panel - separate from Creator | /your-link-name/cms |
| Changes / Current | Draft vs live visitors see | View & edit |
| __cms_manifest__.json | Describes CMS entities - AI must read before naming data files | Files tab |
2. Big picture: three layers of a complete webapp
3. End-to-end checklist (do in order)
| # | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Build UI with AI/Templates; check Canvas responsive | B01-B04, C01-C02 |
| 2 | Set Routes for main pages; no 404s | D02 |
| 3 | Valid API key; Easy/Advanced matches scale | F01 |
| 4 | Decide flat vs indexed per data type before AI writes code | F05 |
| 5 | Guest forms (contact/signup) via appendData | F02 |
| 6 | Custom admin page if needed (register / login / session check) | F03 |
| 7 | Outside APIs (mail/payments) - Backend Function + Secrets, no leaked keys | F04 |
| 8 | Run Audit (SEO/performance/a11y); fix priorities | E05 |
| 9 | First Save changes to go live | E03 |
| 10 | Open /your-link-name/cms, create superadmin, publish sample content | G01-G02 |
| 11 | If shop - Products/Orders; test a real order flow | G03 |
| 12 | Custom content - Dynamic types + shared Theme | G04 |
| 13 | Site settings, team accounts, Security enforce if needed | G05 |
| 14 | Handoff: export .afi backup; send draft/live links to the client | E03, E04 |
4. Why __cms_manifest__ matters when joining the 3 layers
When Aura CMS is on for an entity, Creator AI must read __cms_manifest__.json before creating/editing related pages - otherwise AI-chosen file names (e.g. blog.json) can disagree with CMS’s real name (e.g. blog-posts.json), so the page looks empty while CMS has posts. This is the most common Creator↔CMS glue bug - always tell AI: “read the manifest before naming data files.”
5. Technical limits
You can
- Forms + admin + CMS in one Appifio system
- Team roles via CMS (user/admin/superadmin)
- .afi export as backup before handoff
Not a replacement for
- Heavy backends (microservices, large queues)
- Multi-gateway payments out of the box - use Backend Function (F04)
- CMS only runs on Save changes (live)
6. Compared with traditional webapp builds
- Classic stack (React + Node + Postgres + separate admin): weeks of infrastructure; here three layers (Creator/Storage/CMS) are ready - focus on content and business logic.
- All-in-one no-code (Bubble): similar UI+DB+Auth bundle; Aura’s separate CMS makes ops clearer for non-technical users.
- Headless CMS + separate frontend (Strapi + Next.js): Aura CMS plays a Strapi-like role without deploying two systems.
7. Common issues when joining 3 layers
Before random fixes, decide which layer owns the bug:
| Symptom | Layer | Fix first |
|---|---|---|
| Layout wrong, copy wrong | Creator | Inspector / AI chat |
| Form submits but no rows | Storage | Backend → View database; F01/F02 |
| CMS has posts; blog page empty | CMS ↔ Creator | Match file names to the manifest |
| URL returns 404 | Routes | Routes → Add route → Save |
| Situation | Fix |
|---|---|
| CMS has posts; blog empty | Compare data_file in the manifest vs the name AI used on the frontend |
| Form works in Creator; fails after Save changes | Check API key/role on live, not only in the draft sandbox |
| Client says “anyone can open admin” | Missing admin session check at page top - add it per F03 |
8. Tips
- Print the checklist in §3 and tick each line for every new webapp - avoid skipping security when rushing a handoff.
- Always test real flows (order, login, contact) on live after Save changes - not only on Changes (draft).
- For complex apps, consider Aura MCP (H02) from your usual IDE; still Save changes from Creator to go live.
9. Final self-check
- Can you walk all 14 checklist steps on a trial webapp?
- Do you know why the CMS manifest must be read before naming data files?
- Can you tell Creator vs Storage vs CMS bugs apart?
Walkthrough tip: First E2E run - print checklist §3 and tick each line. At step 9 (Save changes), open the live link on a real phone - not only Creator. At step 10, type /your-link-name/cms. At step 14, export .afi (E04) before handoff. If guest forms break after step 13 (Security enforce), revisit G05 “Who can create?”.
Next lesson
H02 - Aura MCP: gateway, sandbox, token, IDE setup
For developers who want a familiar IDE (Cursor…) connected to the app sandbox.
Internal navigation (same language)
Appifio Creator · User guide · H01
