Permissions & Multi-app source control setup

💬 App Building
1

Context

We currently have one code-based Retool app managed through Source Control (Git Sync) on the Business plan.

  • One app UUID

  • Dedicated GitHub repository

  • frontend/** — React source

  • backend/** — backend functions

  • The app currently has three sections, handled through internal React Router routes:

    • Reporting

    • Cockpit

    • Admin

Our requirement

We need different view and edit permissions for each section:

Section Required access
Reporting All users: View
Cockpit Finance group: View + Edit
Admin One specific user: View + Edit

Our understanding is that per-page permissions under Settings → Groups → Apps only control page-level Use/View access, while Edit/Own permissions are applied at the app level.

Could you please confirm whether this understanding is correct for a code-based/Source-Controlled app?

If so, it seems that we would need to split the current app into three separate Retool apps, allowing us to assign different groups and Edit permissions to each app.

For a code-based/Source-Controlled setup specifically, we would appreciate clarification on the following:

  1. If we split the current app into three code-based apps, what is the recommended repository/folder structure?

    We came across apps-v2/<uuid>/ in the multi-instance release documentation, but couldn't confirm whether this structure also applies to multiple code-based apps managed through Source Control.

    • Does each Retool app require its own GitHub repository?

    • Or can multiple apps live in separate folders within the same repository?

  2. Some of our backend functions—for example, functions that retrieve shared reference data—are currently used by more than one section.

    If we split the app into three separate apps, can multiple apps reference/share the same backend function file? Or would each app need its own independent copy?

  3. Is there another officially supported approach for achieving different Edit permissions per page/section within a single code-based app that we may be missing?

  4. Do any of the capabilities discussed above—particularly per-page permissions or multi-app Source Control—require an Enterprise plan, or are they supported on Business?

2

Summary

Working with a single code-based/React app (new app builder) managed through Source Control on the Business plan, the goal is to apply different edit permissions per section (Reporting, Cockpit, Admin) and to understand—if the app is split into separate apps—the recommended Git repository/folder structure, whether apps can share backend function files, and which capabilities require Enterprise.

AI Response

The understanding is essentially correct: in Retool, per-page permissions govern view/use access only, while Use/Edit/Own are granted at the app (object) level through groups, so per-section Edit differences generally require splitting into separate apps that can each be permissioned to different groups. Creating custom groups and configuring per-object (app-level) access are supported on Business, though the granular Object Permissions view is tied to Enterprise or an annual Business agreement. Source Control for new app builder (React/code-based) apps is a distinct, more recently released capability—each protected app is checked into your chosen Source Control manager, so plan on independent app repositories/scopes rather than assuming shared backend function files carry across separate apps; shared logic is best handled as a reusable resource or workflow rather than a single file referenced by multiple apps. Because the exact on-disk folder layout and cross-app file sharing behavior aren't documented as a supported pattern, treat any single-repo/shared-function arrangement as unverified.

Sources

:bookmark: Protect apps in the new app builder
Retool staff announcement confirming that apps built with the new app builder can be protected and checked into Source Control, which frames how multi-app source control works for code-based apps.
:bookmark: New: Per-page view permissions for multipage apps
Staff post confirming that per-page permissions restrict view access only, corroborating that Edit/Own must be applied at the app level (supported on Business/Enterprise).

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