Upcoming Changes to Backend Workflow Location

Hi there, Bubble community.

I’m Kate, a product manager at Bubble. We have an exciting update coming your way, and we want to make sure you know about it ahead of time to set you up for a smooth transition! Starting in the next month or so, the Bubble Editor’s navigation menu will make it easier to access backend workflows. This change is designed to simplify and improve the way you use Bubble, whether you’re new to Bubble or a seasoned pro.

In the current experience, the backend workflows UI can only be found by enabling a checkbox in settings and then scrolling to the bottom of the pages and reusables dropdown. This is hard for inexperienced users to navigate and is annoying for those who are already used to the system.

Backend workflows are key to the building experience, so we’re making them a first-class feature in the editor. Here are more details:

What’s changing?

Starting in mid / late December, backend workflows will appear in the left-hand navigation alongside design, workflows, and data, for all users regardless of participation in the Workflow Tab Beta.

The backend workflows tab will always be visible within the editor. You’ll no longer need to enable or disable access to the backend workflow UI in settings. Now, the setting Enable Workflow API will only control the access for other apps and systems to trigger API workflows in your app. (Note that this setting will be enabled by default for all new apps and will work on any app on the Starter plan or above.)

Alongside this navigational change, you will see a change in the URL paths for tabs of the Bubble Editor. Instead of including a tab number, like we have today, the URL will now specifically list the tab name. For example, the Design tab will go from tab=tabs-1 to tab=Design. Any integration or setup you have today will not be affected, as we will continue to redirect any of the previous URL patterns to the new URL.

How to prepare: You don’t need to make any changes to your existing apps.

We’re excited to bring this improvement to the Bubble Editor and are confident it will make your building experience more seamless than ever. Thank you for being a part of the Bubble community and for your ongoing support as we continue to enhance our platform.

If you have any questions or concerns about this update, don’t hesitate to respond here! As always, your feedback is invaluable to us. And if you’re noticing something that looks like a bug, please please don’t hesitate to submit bug reports through our AI chatbot in the bottom right-hand corner of our Support Center or any bubble.io page.

Happy building!

Kate,
Product Manager at Bubble

38 Likes

What was the thinking behind the icon? 2 single beds ?

:slight_smile:

8 Likes

Good one team! Can’t wait for the top bar overhaul and dark mode :crossed_fingers:

1 Like

That icon usually represents ‘’stacked servers”, with the dot being the power button. Make sense to me for their icon choice…

5 Likes

Thanks! This make a lot more sense.
Next: API connector tab?

32 Likes

C’mon, it’s blatantly obvious. Backend WFs are how you implement a “REST” API in Bubble.

:smirk:
:laughing:

15 Likes

Bunk bed workflow

4 Likes

Please tell me the backend workflow tab will no longer reset after going to the design tab and vice-versa. It’s my single biggest annoyance in the editor.

3 Likes

The icon is technically “correct,” however it’s too similar to database. I would suggest something like:

Screenshot 2024-11-26 165012

1 Like

And I thought my joke was sad … :rofl:

@jici It is so true that the API connector is a candidate as a first-class item on the quick navigation menu.

4 Likes

Thanks @kate.mcnally !

I know I’m banging the drum, but as a first class feature we really need to be able to return data from internal BEWs natively, as this thread illustrates : Why your backend workflows might be your app’s biggest vulnerability

8 Likes

No more new tab in the browser! Excellent stuff. Keep them coming!

3 Likes

100% yes. Over 1 million installs on apps and opens up bubble’s capabilities that on the surface will be hidden to new users without the install.

3 Likes

Timestamp:
11m37s

The argument around backend workflows being “less safe” is bizarre to me as people are more likely to put conditions on workflows than properly do serverside page redirects.

2 Likes

Big thumbs up on this one.

1 Like

This is cool

Yes, and as you move back and forth ot doesnt completely reset everything and collapse the apis you have expnaded haha

1 Like

Wow, yes please!

Good point! You would think that it would be fairly easy to update the menu with a feature that we as users can put there what we want. For starters it could be a very simple checkbox next to a link or an editor page that shows qualifiying links that you can tab and end up on the ribbon. Possibly with dragging and dropping the order of icon links in the ribbon.

Such a strategy could lead to a structure with fly out most used workflow tabs for instance so you do not have to drill down completely all the time.