About Utility Pages

In this article, we will provide an overview of Utility Pages and guide you on how to effectively use them in your Knack app.

This article covers the following topics:

• What are Utility Pages?

• Where do I access Utility Pages?

• Managing Utility Pages

  • Adding a Utility Page

  • Editing a Utility Page

  • Copying a Utility Page

  • Deleting a Utility Page

• Building a Utility Page

  • Passwords

• Utility Page Settings

  • Permissions

• Page Rules

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What are Utility Pages?

A utility page serves as a hub for managing administrative tasks related to the user. It offers convenient features such as displaying the membership details of a logged-in user or allowing them to easily update their account information through a user-friendly form.

Common scenarios where utility pages prove beneficial include:

• Account Settings: A dedicated utility page for when users needs to update their account information such as their name or change their password.

• Admin Control Panel: A page where system administrators can work on user management, system logs, and other admin-related tasks.

• Data Export Pages: Dedicated pages for bulk data exports, such as exporting data to spreadsheets for reporting.

• Reporting & Analytics: Utility pages used to run and display various reports, aggregated data, or key metrics, often used by management or specific user roles.

• Batch Data Management: Tools for admins or power users to delete records or perform other maintenance tasks across data tables. 

• File Management: A page where admins or specific user roles can manage uploaded files, update file metadata, or download files stored in the system.

• Troubleshooting & Support: Utility pages that offer troubleshooting tools, system health checks, or access to logs to help diagnose and fix issues in the system.

• Maintenance Mode Pages: Utility pages for updating system messages or handling app-wide announcements. 

 

Utility pages are not included in page menus. Instead, they have their own separate user menu in the top-right corner of the Live App:

Utility pages can be of the same page types as standard pages, except for login pages.

 

 

Where do I access Utility Pages?

To access your utility pages in the Builder, simply click on "Pages" in the left menu. Within the page tree, you will find all of your utility pages listed under the "Utility Pages" section.

By clicking on any utility page in the tree, you can easily view and adjust its settings.

Here is an example of utility pages in the Customer Payment Portal app:

 

Managing Utility Pages

Adding a Utility Page

To add a utility page, simply click on the “+” icon located in the Utility Pages section of the page tree:

Editing a Utility Page

When you would like to edit a utility page, you can do so by selecting the drop-down arrow in either of the following locations:  

 

Copying a Utility Page

You have the option to copy any of the start utility pages in your page tree.

To copy a utility page, locate the utility page you wish to copy and click the drop-down arrow icon. From there, select the "Copy" option.

A new window will then appear, allowing you to provide a name for the duplicated utility page.

Deleting a Utility Page

To delete a utility page, simply click on the drop-down arrow icon and choose the "Delete" option. A confirmation prompt will appear asking you to confirm the deletion.

 

Building a Utility Page

You have the flexibility to create as many start utility pages as you require by simply clicking on the “+” icon in the Utility Pages section of the page tree.

A new window will appear, guiding you through the process of adding your utility page. During this process, you will be guided to choose the user roles that will have access to the utility page:

Every utility page you create will automatically be included in the user menu. The user menu is the convenient navigation menu that your users can access from the top-right corner of the Live App.

 

Passwords

If you choose to include a password field on an edit/update form, you have the option to customize the password input field and access special password actions that allow for greater control over how passwords are managed:

To access these settings, select the pen icon shown in the above image. 

• Require the logged-in user's current password: When enabled, this action requires that the user enters their current password in order to submit the form. 

• Update the password: When enabled, this action allows the user to update their password. 

When you enable these actions, you have the flexibility to customize the label for each one. If you choose to enable both actions, the user will be required to provide both their current password and create a new password.

 

Utility Page Settings

You have the flexibility to customize various options for a page in the "Settings" section.

To access page settings, simply select the "Settings" option from the drop-down arrow icon located next to the page's name in the page tree or at the top menu. Here, you will find a variety of customizable options for the page.

 

Permissions

You have the option to make a utility page accessible to all users or only specific user roles. By selecting the "Give permission to all users" option, all users will have access to the utility page from the user menu.

If you choose the "Limit permissions to specific roles" option, you can then select which user roles should have access to the page from the user menu.

 

Page Rules 

Page rules are a powerful feature that allows you to automate actions based on specific conditions as soon as a user enters a page.

For instance, suppose you wish to notify your members when their membership is nearing renewal. You can define a page rule to display a message to users, reminding them of their upcoming renewal based on the renewal date.

 

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