Glossary of terms
Learn the meanings of terms used across Retool.
Definitions of terms you may come across when building software on Retool.
A
Add UI tab
A tab in the left panel of the classic app IDE that allows you to search for and add components or modules to your app.
Agentic workflow
A workflow where the control flow is influenced by the output of an LLM.
AI credit
The unit that Retool uses to track usage of AI tools in Retool. Prompts that require more complex reasoning or larger outputs use more credits.
App
A web-based React application built in Retool, composed of components, connected resources, functions, and designed to enable users to interact with data.
App builder
The interface for building apps. Available to users with a Builder seat.
App Settings tab
A tab in the classic app IDE that allows you to change general settings.
App-level theme
A theme that defines consistent style, scoped to a single app. App-level themes override organization-level themes. Themes control aspects such as colors, typography, and style.
Apps landing page
The page that displays a list of recent, published, draft, starred, and trashed apps. Users can explore apps from this page, and create new apps and modules.
Artifact
A snapshot of an app at the time of release. Used when implementing multi-instance releases of protected apps.
Ask AI
An assistant that helps you write queries. You can instruct Ask AI to generate, edit, explain, or fix queries.
Assist
The Retool feature that enables you to generate or edit apps using natural language.
Assist panel
A tab in the classic app IDE that allows you to access Assist.
Asynchronous workflows
A workflow that does not have a webhook response block or a workflow that is triggered from a schedule, Retool Event, or workflow IDE.
B
Base64
Binary data that is encoded as an ASCII-formatted string. You can use Base64-encoded values anywhere in Retool that accepts strings. Use btoa() to encode a string of binary data as Base64 or atob() to decode a Base64-encoded string.
Beta
This functionality is currently in active development and subject to change. Beta functionality is available for you to use but may not yet be complete.
Blob
Object storage is a computer data storage approach that manages data as "blobs" or "objects", as opposed to other storage architectures like file systems, which manage data as a file hierarchy, and block storage, which manages data as blocks within sectors and tracks. Each object is typically associated with a variable amount of metadata, and a globally unique identifier. Object storage can be implemented at multiple levels, including the device level, the system level, and the interface level. In each case, object storage seeks to enable capabilities not addressed by other storage architectures, like interfaces that are directly programmable by the application, a namespace that can span multiple instances of physical hardware, and data-management functions like data replication and data distribution at object-level granularity.
Block
A type of query that interacts with data (e.g., querying a database) or performs an action (e.g., execute JavaScript code) within a workflow. Blocks are modular and have internal state—you can reference block properties in any subsequent block.
Blueprint
A Retool-provided, fully supported installation path for self-hosted deployments. Blueprints provision all required infrastructure and deploy Retool via the official Helm chart. Available as Terraform Blueprints (production deployments) and Docker Compose Blueprints (non-production and development).
Bottom Sheet
A modal for mobile apps that slides into view from the bottom of the viewport.
Branch
A set of changes in the app builder, associated with an app preview and with its own version history. A branch is the unit of work that you publish, and it can contain one or multiple threads. When using Source Control, a branch in the app builder UI maps directly to a branch in your Source Control provider.
Branch block
A type of workflow block to visually build conditional statements that control different connected blocks
Branch merging
The process that Retool uses to keep source control branches up to date by integrating changes from the default branch.
Branding
A suite of settings that enable customers to personalize the appearance and user experience of the Retool enironement. Includes the ability to customize headers, sign up and login pages, email invites to users, the Retool user menu, and more.
Bring Your Own Key
A connection to an AI model provider that uses your own API keys. Configure in the Retool AI resource settings.
Builder
Users with full access to create, edit, and deploy apps, agents, and workflows.
Built-in library
A third-party JavaScript or Python library that Retool enables you to easily import into a workflow.
C
Canvas
The primary workspace in which you build the user interface for your app. The canvas can contain distinct frames, such as the sidebar or header.
Catch-up commit
A feature of Source Control that uses an automatic commit to keep branches up to date with main. Made obsolete by branch merging.
Circular dependencies
An error state where two or more properties rely on each other to function. The dependency graph enables Retool to prevent these.
Classic app
A web application built in the classic app IDE using drag-and-drop components, frames, pages, queries, and logic. Distinct from apps built in the React-based app builder.
Classic app IDE
The web-based, drag-and-drop interface for building classic apps and mobile apps. Available to users with a Builder seat.
Cloud
A multitenant, cloud-hosted deployment of Retool that enables companies to quickly and easily use Retool.
Code block
A type of block used to write custom JavaScript or Python code in a workflow.
Code Search tab
A tab in the classic app IDE that includes various options for searching code in your apps.
Code tab
A tab in the classic app IDE that conains all of the app's queries, transformers, and variables.
code-executor
A type of container that executes arbitrary user-written code for custom JavaScript or Python libraries in workflows
Collaborative branches
A type of Source Control branch that enables multiple users to commit changes and submit pull requests
Comma-separated values (CSV)
Comma-separated values (CSV) is a text data format that uses commas to separate delimiter-separated values, and newlines to separate records. CSV data stores tabular data in plain text, where each line typically represents one data record. Each record consists of the same number of fields, and these are separated by commas. If the field delimiter itself may appear within a field, fields can be surrounded with quotation marks.
Command palette
A search bar in the classic app IDE that includes a host of commands you can use to quickly execcute common actions like opening app settings, creating new queries, or editing component properties.
Component
A prebuilt interface element used to display data or interact with.
Component Tree tab
A tab in the classic app IDE that contains a hierarchical tree from which you can select, rename, switch, or delete components. You can view and select components regardless of visibility including those within multiview containers, such as Tabbed Container component views. Selecting a component makes it visible and, where necessary, switches a container's view to make it active.
Configuration Assistant
A feature of agents that uses an LLM to automatically write instructions and create tools for your agent.
Configuration variables
Environment-specific values stored in the platform database that you can reference in Retool resource configurations, apps, workflows, and queries.
Connection string
A string that encodes the host, port, database name, and credentials needed to connect to a database.
Console tab
A tab in the classic app Debug Tools that shows a list of errors, warnings, and success messages that relate to your queries, transformers, event handlers, etc.
Container logs
The output logs generated by the containers for a self-hosted Retool instance. They contain information about errors and performance.
Content Security Policy (CSP)
An HTTP response header that controls which assets a browser is allowed to load for a given page. Retool enforces a CSP on all apps to help prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) and other injection attacks.
Control flow
The order of operation and flow of data between workflow blocks.
Core tool
A prebuilt tool that Retool provides with an agent.
CORS
Cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) is a mechanism to safely bypass the same-origin policy; that is, it allows a web page to access restricted resources from a server on a domain different than the domain that served the web page.
CRUD
Create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) are the four basic operations (actions) of persistent storage. CRUD is also sometimes used to describe user interface conventions that facilitate viewing, searching, and changing information using computer-based forms and reports.
Current working version
The version that reflects the current state of the app or workflow, reflecting the latest edits.
Custom certificates
The ability to configure and manage your own SSL/TLS certificates for securing connections to self-hosted instances.
Custom component library
A set of custom React components that can be reused within Retool apps. Components are authored in React and TypeScript, can leverage public or private npm packages, and are managed as libraries with unique names and metadata. Once deployed, custom components appear in the Add UI tab for easy drag-and-drop use in app building.
Custom CSS
A set of custom style rules that can override and extend the default styling of classic apps. Can apply on a per-app or an organization basis.
Custom domain
A configuration option for cloud organizations that enables them to set a custom domain, which replaces retool.com in all URLs.
Custom page
A feature available when using external apps that enables organization admins to replace Retool’s login, reset password, signup, and invitation claim pages with classic apps.
Custom page path
A custom URL path that allows you to access a classic app at {domain}/app/{custom-url}.
Custom permission group
A type of permission group that you can configure with custom access rules.
Custom SSO
A feature that enables organizations to integrate their own identity provider (IdP) for user authentication using industry-standard protocols—OpenID Connect (OIDC) or Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML).
Custom tool
A type of tool for an agent that leverages reusable, complex logic with strongly-typed parameters. They are constructed using a canvas of pre-built query blocks that you connect together to interact with resources, transform data, and run additional logic.
D
Data access enforcement
A per-resource setting that makes access policies available on a resource and closes it by default across all environments. Resources start with it off and no access policy restrictions. Once it is on, users can only reach data that an access policy explicitly grants them.
Data source
A location where data is stored or accessed. For example, a PostgreSQL database, a REST API, etc.
Database constraint
A predefined rule applied to a database table or column to enforce data integrity, accuracy, and reliability. If an operation (like inserting or updating data) violates a constraint, the database management system rejects the transaction to prevent bad data from entering the system.
Dataset
A collection of records that are passed into an agent when running an eval. A dataset contains name, description, number of items, created, and updated properties.
Debug tools
A feature of the classic app IDE that enables you to troubleshoot and fix issues with apps, resources, and queries.
Debug Tools
Built-in debugging tools available in the classic app IDE, Resource configuration page, and Query Library that help troubleshoot and fix issues with classic apps, resources, and queries. Debug Tools include the Console, Timeline, State, Linting, and Performance tabs, and provide detailed information about query execution, errors, connection tests, and application state.
Dependency graph
A directed graph representing dependencies of several objects towards each other. It is possible to derive an evaluation order or the absence of an evaluation order that respects the given dependencies from the dependency graph.
Deploy
The process of setting up and configuring Retool software within the boundaries of a physical or cloud environment.
Deployment
A collection of one or more semantically-grouped instances.
Deprecated
A feature that is no longer supported by Retool. The feature is removed, and interactions that rely on this functionality may break.
Deprecated component
A component that is no longer supported by Retool. It continues to work in existing classic apps but should not be used in new apps
directive
A single instruction in a Content Security Policy, such as script-src or img-src, that controls which resources of one category an app is allowed to load.
Dot notation
A syntax used to access an object's methods or properties.
Drafts
A personal folder for standard users to develop and test apps. Apps in the Drafts folder cannot be shared with other users, and must be published to another folder before it can be shared.
Drawer frame
A type of frame that adds a slide-out container to the right side of your classic app. It's commonly used to display forms or detailed data for a particular item/user/product/datapoint.
E
Edge
A channel of weekly releases to self-hosted Retool.
Edge channel
Contains all edge releases that are available to users that self-host Retool. Edge releases are available if you want the latest features or to use beta functionality.
Edit access
A type of permission rule that can be applied to a permission group. Users with Edit access can create and edit new apps, create and edit new workflows, and write and edit queries against resources.
Edit mode
The mode of interacting with an app through the app builder as an editor.
Editor
On the Business and Enterprise plans, a default permission group that cannot be modified or removed in which users have "Edit" access to apps and workflows, and "Own" access to Resources by default.
Eligibility
The pricing plans in which the functionality is available.
Embedded app
A classic app embedded within web pages or other apps. Embedded apps enable users to authenticate through the existing authentication system in which the app is embedded, so they don't need to log in twice.
Embedded expression
A snippet of JavaScript code, surrounded by {{}}, that Retool synchronously evaluates (using string interpolation) as JavaScript. This enables you to dynamically set property values using transformations or conditional logic to build complex apps and workflows.
Embedding
Unstructured text about a particular topic.
Environment variables
Configuration settings that control or override specific functions and behaviors of both cloud and self-hosted Retool instances. They are key-value pairs defined at the system or application level, enabling administrators to customize and secure their Retool instance without modifying application code. Environment variables are used to manage a wide range of operational, security, and integration aspects, such as authentication, encryption, resource connections, logging, and feature toggling.
Error reporting
The ability to send logs and error reports on workflows, web apps, and mobile apps with Datadog or Sentry.
Eval
Evals allow users to evaluate and compare agent runs. Evals accept a dataset, an action, and a reviewer, and returns a set of traces.
Event handler
A mechanism to respond to user interactions and system events without requiring custom JavaScript. You can use event handlers to trigger queries, control components, and perform other actions in response to user interactions.
Exponential backoff
A strategy where a failed operation is retried with progressively longer delays, increasing the wait time exponentially (e.g., 1 second, then 2, then 4, then 8) after each failure to avoid overwhelming a struggling server or network, allowing it time to recover and increasing the chance of a successful retry.
External app
A classic app that is fully white-labeled. You can create a standalone experience that reflects your brand, complete with custom domains, themes, and customizeable product pages.
External user
Partners, clients, or vendors outside your organization who are end users of apps. Supports both secure login via external apps and unauthenticated access through public links.
F
Field
A Retool Database table column for the specified type of data. Each field maps to a related PostgreSQL column type.
Filter block
A type of workflow block that enables you to write logic to perform actions with a specific subset of data. If an item evaluates to true, the Filter block includes in in the data it returns.
Frame
A layout container that enables you to divide the classic app canvas into distinct sections in which you add components. Frames provide you with flexible layout options for arranging your app's user interface. You can add frames to pages or use them globally.
Fully qualified domain name (FQDN)
A fully qualified domain name (FQDN), sometimes also called an absolute domain name, is a domain name that specifies its exact location in the tree hierarchy of the Domain Name System (DNS). It specifies all domain levels, including the top-level domain and the root zone. A fully qualified domain name is distinguished by its unambiguous DNS zone location in the hierarchy of DNS labels: it can be interpreted only in one way.
Function
A logic operation that Retool uses to interact with your resources, apply business logic, and return structured results. Functions are multi-step, TypeScript code with typed parameters. Functions are serverless and run on Retool's backend.
Function generator
A chat interface that uses an LLM to automatically create a custom function for use by an agent.
G
Gantt chart
A bar chart that illustrates a project schedule.
General availability
Functionality is generally available to eligible organizations and their users.
Generic integration
A type of resource that provides a connection to a data source using a standardized format. For example, Rest API and GraphQL are generic resources.
GiB
Gibibyte, a binary unit of memory equal to 2^30 (1,073,741,824) bytes. Kubernetes resource specs and Helm charts use GiB (Gi), not the decimal gigabyte (GB, 10^9 bytes) — the two differ by about 7%.
Global Scope
Components, frames, and code that can be referenced across multiple pages. These objects are continually evaluated regardless of the page currently in view.
H
Header frame
A type of frame that allows you to build a header. This frame is globally scoped and persists across all pages.
Host source expression
A source expression that names an origin, such as https://example.com, https://example.com:8443, or a single-level subdomain wildcard like https://*.example.com. This is the kind of source you add when creating a CSP rule in Retool.
Hosting
The method by which Retool is hosted or deployed for your organization.
Human-In-The-Loop (HITL)
A process that requires human action in order to proceed, such as a tool call that requires approval, or Assist resource query creation.
I
Identity Provider (IdP)
A service that creates, maintains, and manages digital identites vis an OIDC or SAML protocol. Utilized to provide access for Single-Sign On (SSO).
idToken.groups
Part of the ID token that is used to automatically sync users with Retool groups. Group names in idToken.groups must be formatted as an array of strings.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the process of managing and provisioning computer data centers through machine-readable definition files, rather than physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools. The IT infrastructure managed by this includes both physical equipment such as bare-metal servers, as well as virtual machines and associated configuration resources.
Inspector
The interface in the classic app IDE, located in a collapsible right panel, that enables you to configure app and component settings. Component settings are often organized into Content, Interactions, and Appearance sections. When a particular component is not selected, it contains settings related to the app as a whole, such as URL, shortcut, and max width.
Instance
The provisioned environment boundary of Retool, whether on self-hosted or cloud. It represents the entire environment where the Retool application lives. Self-hosted customers can deploy multiple instances of Retool, if necessary.
Internal user
Employees in your organization who are end users of apps. They can build apps, but they cannot publish them. Supports full SSO and role and permission controls.
Internationalization (i18n)
A feature that allows you to adapt classic app content and data for your users across different languages and regions. This includes localizing applications and formatting text, dates, and currencies across different languages. Retool provides default translations for strings in components in several langauges.
Invoiced customer
A customer who has a Retool account manager and is invoiced directly.
Invoke Agent block
A type of block that triggers an agent from a workflow.
J
JavaScript query
A multiline block of JavaScript code.
Join
A SQL operation that combines rows from two or more tables by matching values in a column they have in common, such as an ID column present in both.
Just-In-Time (JIT) User Provisioning
A feature that enables Retool to provision user accounts when users sign in over SSO for the first time.
K
Kerberos
Kerberos is a computer-network authentication protocol that works on the basis of tickets to allow nodes communicating over a non-secure network to prove their identity to one another in a secure manner. Its designers aimed it primarily at a client–server model, and it provides mutual authentication—both the user and the server verify each other's identity. Kerberos protocol messages are protected against eavesdropping and replay attacks.
Keyword source expression
A source expression that is a reserved keyword with a predefined meaning, such as 'self', 'none', or 'unsafe-inline'. Keyword source expressions are written in single quotes.
L
Landing page
A feature (available when utilizing external apps) that allows administrators to automatically route end users to specific classic apps upon login. This routing is based on the user's assigned permission group.
Left panel
The portion of the IDE on the left side of the screen. It contains several tabs for working with components or workflow blocks, writing code, managing releases, and changing app settings.
Legacy component
A component that has been superseded by a newer, separate component, but is still available for use. The newer component provides the same general functionality but works differently.
Levenshtein distance
The Levenshtein distance is a string metric for measuring the difference between two sequences. The Levenshtein distance between two words is the minimum number of single-character edits required to change one word into the other.
Live version
The published release of an app or a workflow. If there is no published release, then the live version and the working version are the same.
Localization
A feature of internationalization that enables you to add multi-language support for your application, and format text, dates, and currencies for an international region.
localStorage
A flexible solution for temporarily storing data in the browser. Makes use of the Windows localStorage property.
Loop block
A workflow block that contains an embedded block that runs for each evaluated item in an array.
M
Main frame
A type of frame that takes up the entire canvas area by default.
Managed service
A resource that Retool provides as part of the platform, without requiring users to have an existing system or data source in place, or the need to procure/configure one outside of Retool.
Retool Database, Retool Storage, Retool Vectors, and Retool Email are managed services.
MCP resource
A native resource integration that enables you to use custom or external MCPs in Retool apps, workflows, and agents.
MD5
The MD5 message-digest algorithm is a widely used hash function producing a 128-bit hash value. MD5 was designed by Ronald Rivest in 1991 to replace an earlier hash function MD4, and was specified in 1992 as RFC 1321.
Media type
The media type that indicates the purpose and format of data (e.g., application/pdf for PDF files).
MiB
Mebibyte, a binary unit of memory equal to 2^20 (1,048,576) bytes. Kubernetes resource specs and Helm charts use MiB (Mi), not the decimal megabyte (MB, 10^6 bytes) — the two differ by about 5%.
Mobile layout
A setting in classic apps that enables you to make your app responsive for smaller viewport widths.
Modal frame
A type of frame that appears above other content, such as a dialog box.
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
An open standard that provides a standard protocol for LLM applications (clients) to call tools from a remote system (server).
Module
A collection of components and code that you can build and embed within other classic apps. Modules enable you to reuse components and code in multiple apps, and modules can pass data to and from the parent app.
Multi-instance deployment
A strategy for self-hosting that involves running multiple instances of Retool across multiple containers, each with its own database. Updates to Retool apps, workflows, agents, and resources are promoted to a Source Control instance.
Multi-instance releases
A feature of Source Control that makes use of release artifacts and manifests to manage app releases across instances using a remote repository.
Multiplayer
A feature of the classic app IDE that enables multiple users to make changes to the same app simultaneously.
Multitenancy
Multi-tenant instances run on the same infrastructure but are isolated from one another and require no deployment or configuration. At Retool, cloud-hosted organizations are multi-tenant instances with fully managed infrastructure.
N
Naming Convention
A set of rules that define how things should be named. A naming convention can make it easier to understand the purpose of an object at a glance or use a consistent format on which programs can rely.
Native integration
A type of resource that provides a connection to a data source or tool from another company or provider. For example, Stripe, Databricks, and Slack are native resources.
Navbar
A portion of the classic app IDE where you customize the IDE environment and configure high-level app settings.
Null-origin iframe
An iframe configured with the HTML sandbox attribute. Browsers treat its contents as if they came from a separate, anonymous origin — so it cannot read the parent page's data, send the user's cookies, or make same-origin API calls on the parent's behalf. Retool uses null-origin iframes in the app builder to isolate developer-authored code from the editor.
O
Object role
A role that controls access to Retool objects—apps, resources, workflows, and agents. Object roles can be assigned to groups with universal access (all objects of a type) or individual access (specific objects or folders).
Observability
The ability to monitor Retool capabilities by observing and reporting on app and workflow behavior. Includes capabilities such as error reporting, performance monitoring, user sessions, and webdriver tests.
Offline mode
A setting that enables mobile apps to function without an active internet connection.
Organization
A distinct collection of users and data. Organizations operate separately from one another, have their own configuration settings, and are where users share access to work. If you use cloud, you have a single organization. If you self-host Retool, you have one organization per instance.
Organization role
A role that controls access to Retool administrative settings, such as SSO, billing, user management, and more. Organization roles are assigned to groups to delegate specific settings access without granting full admin privileges.
Organization-level theme
A theme that defines consistent style and can be applied to many apps across an organization. Themes control aspects such as colors, typography, and style.
Own access
A type of access rule that can be applied to a permission group. Users with Own access can rename, move, explort, and delete workflows, apps, and queries.
P
Page
A distinct section of an app with its own code and components. Users switch between pages using event handlers or navigation controls. Retool only evaluates page code or component values when the page is currently in view.
Page scope
Components, frames, and code that can only be referenced within a single page. Retool only evaluates page-scoped objects when the page is currently being viewed.
Pages tab
A tab in the classic app IDE that allows you to view and manage the pages in your app.
Performance monitoring
The ability to send page load and query traces to Datadog and Sentry
Permission group
A mechanism by which Retool users can be granted access to apps, agents, resources, and workflows.
Platform database
The underlying Postgres database that stores the state of the Retool application on a self-hosted instance. Stores information such as organization, user, and app data.
Preloaded JavaScript library
A third-party JavaScript utility library that Retool automatically includes for use across the platform.
Private beta
Functionality is available to a limited number of customers for initial testing. Retool's engineering team works directly with customers to provide access and gather feedback. For access, reach out to your account manager.
Private beta waitlist
The waitlist that provides access to a private beta.
Protect
The method by which you can use Source Control to manage changes to an app, workflow, agent, query, resource, and theme.
Public beta
This feature is currently in active development, subject to change, and may not yet be complete. The feature can be toggled on or off from the Settings > Beta page.
Public links
A link that makes a classic app available, without authentication, to anyone with the URL.
Q
Queries per second (QPS)
A measure of how many queries can be processed in one second.
Query
A block of code that interacts with or manipulates a resource. Queries maintain an internal state and expose properties. Queries can also perform asynchronous actions and run simultaneously with other queries. The types of queries include: JavaScript queries, resource queries, and python queries (workflows only).
Query Library
A location for storing shared, reusable queries.
R
Release
A new semantic version of an app or workflow.
Release manifest
A file that contains a list of app UUIDs and the release that is made available for the instance. Used to manage multi-instance releases.
Resource
A saved set of user-configured properties that determine how Retool connects to data source. You create a resource for each data source you want to use with Retool.
Resource environment
A set of resource configurations, such as "Production" and "Staging", that dictate which data a resource has access to. Apps and workflows can be configured to use a certain environment.
Resource query
A type of query. A block of code that interacts with or manipulates with a resource, such as an SQL query or API request.
Resources landing page
The page from which a user can view their existing resources and create new ones.
Retool AI
A type of resource that enables you to connect to an AI provider. You can use Retool-managed keys, or you can bring your own key with a self-managed connection.
Retool API
A REST API that enables admins to programmatically manage their organization.
Retool CLI
A Node.js-based command line tool that enables users to interact programmatically with their Retool organization. It provides a set of commands for managing apps, databases, workflows, and other Retool resources directly from the terminal.
Retool Database
Retool's solution for saving and editing data to use in Retool apps. It combines a PostgreSQL database with a spreadsheet-like interface to manage your data
Retool Database editor
The interface for creating and managing Retool Database tables.
Retool Email
A hosted email resource for cloud-hosted organizations to send emails without needing to configure an email provider.
Retool Events
Events that occur within your organization, such as User created, User invited, Password reset required. You can use Retool Events to trigger workflows whenever the event is triggered.
Retool Forms
Standalone, customizable forms whose responses are written to a connected SQL database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.). Forms are publicly accessible from a unique URL.
Retool RPC (Remote Procedure Call)
A fast, secure solution for calling external code from Retool.
Retool Storage
A Retool-hosted file store for cloud-hosted organizations.
Retool Terraform Provider
A Provider in Retool Terraform that helps you configure Spaces, SSO, Source Control, permissions and other settings on self-hosted Retool instance or Retool Cloud organization using Retool Platform API. This Provider helps with configuration, not setup.
Retool Vectors
A Retool-hosted vector database to store unstructured text from documents and web pages for use with Retool AI>
Retool-managed key
An API key that provides access to an AI model provider and is managed by Retool. Retool-managed keys enable you to start building and testing with AI models immediately. They should not be used in production.
Retool's MCP server
An MCP server representing a set of Retool functionality that you can integrate with an agentic coding environment. Supports management of organization and users.
Reviewer
A mechanism that scores the output of an agent eval. Add reviewers when creating a dataset item for an agent eval.
Role
A set of permissions that grant access to specific organization settings.
Role grant
The assignment of a role to a group. When a role is granted to a group, every member of that group inherits the permissions defined by that role. If a user belongs to multiple groups, their permissions are additive.
Role-based access control (RBAC)
In computer systems security, role-based access control (RBAC) or role-based security is an approach to restricting system access to authorized users, and to implementing mandatory access control (MAC) or discretionary access control (DAC).
S
Sandboxing
A security mechanism to separate and execute untrusted code, such as JavaScript and Python code in workflows, without risking harm to the host system.
Schema
The database schema is the structure of a database described in a formal language supported typically by a relational database management system (RDBMS). The term "schema" refers to the organization of data as a blueprint of how the database is constructed. The formal definition of a database schema is a set of formulas (sentences) called integrity constraints imposed on a database. These integrity constraints ensure compatibility between parts of the schema. All constraints are expressible in the same language. A database can be considered a structure in realization of the database language. The states of a created conceptual schema are transformed into an explicit mapping, the database schema. This describes how real-world entities are modeled in the database.
Schema browser
The Schema tab in a resource query's code editor. It lists the tables available on the resource, along with each table's columns and their types, and supports searching for a specific table or column.
Scheme source expression
A source expression consisting only of a scheme, such as https:, data:, or blob:, which permits any resource loaded over that scheme.
SCIM 2.0 API
A commonly used API used to manage users and group membership.
Scope
The level of access granted. If you crete a custom OAuth application with which to authenticate, you typically define scopes to give Retool access, such as calendars.read or users.add.
Screen
The primary content areas of a mobile app that contain components. Users navigate between screens using the tab bar or by interactions that trigger event handlers, such as pressing a button or selecting an item from a list.
Secrets
Sensitive information such as database passwords, API keys, and other credentials. Can be managed using external secrets managers or with environment variables.
Security hardening
In computer security, hardening is usually the process of securing a system by reducing its attack surface, which is larger when a system performs more functions; in principle a single-function system is more secure than a multipurpose one. Reducing available ways of attack typically includes changing default passwords, the removal of unnecessary software, unnecessary usernames or logins, and the disabling or removal of unnecessary services.
Self-hosted instance
An instance of Retool that is deployed on-premise or in a virtual private cloud (VPC). Can be either Retool-managed or self-managed.
Self-hosted, Retool-managed instance
A deployment offering in which a self-hosted instance is deployed by the customer and partially managed by Retool.
Self-hosted, self-managed instance
A deployment offering in which a self-hosted instance is deployed and entirely managed by the customer.
Self-serve Customer
A customer who manages their own billing and invoicing through the Retool billing platform.
Service worker
A script that runs in the background of the user's browser, separate from the main page, and acts as a programmable network proxy. For instance, Retool uses a service worker to cache the application frontend and reduce page load times.
Services Layer
An infrastructure layer within a Retool-managed instance that is comprised of the services used by Retool, such as the EKS cluster and databases. Retool monitors the support layer 24/7, and performs maintenance and upgrades as needed.
Sidebar frame
A type of frame that is used primarily for building navigation into your classic apps. This frame is globally-scoped and persist across all pages.
Single Model Provider
A setting that enables Assist users to use a single AI provider instead of the default combination of OpenAI and Anthropic.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
A user authentication tool to securely access multiple applications and services using one set of credentials.
Single-tenancy
A deployment model in which a single instance is provisioned exclusively for one organization, running on dedicated infrastructure not shared with any other tenant.
Source Control
A feature that enables organizations to manage changes using remote source control management (SCM) providers.
Source Control deployment log
A record of all actions associated with a Source Control commit.
source expression
A value in a Content Security Policy directive that tells the browser what a resource is allowed to load from. Source expressions come in three kinds: host source expressions (origins), scheme source expressions (a scheme such as https: or data:), and keyword source expressions (reserved keywords such as 'self').
Space
A feature that allows you to create multiple isolated organizations within a parent organization. Each space has its own subdomain, sso confiuration, source control configuration, user accounts and permission groups, Retool Database, and data.
Split Pane frame
A type of frame that adds a resizable canvas adjacent to the main frame. It can be used to display a detail view relative to the main frame or split the classic app for multitasking.
SSH tunneling
A feature that allows secure connectivity between Retool and data sources that are hosted within private networks. This enables Retool to access data sources that are not directly exposed to the public internet, enhancing security and compliance for organizations with strict network controls.
Stable
A release of self-hosted Retool that occurs every 13 weeks.
Stable channel
Contains all stable releases that are available to users that self-host Retool. Stable releases occur every quarter and enable administrators to more easily maintain and upgrade deployments. Stable releases are a few releases behind the Edge channel and typically do not include beta functionality.
Status
The current state of the functionality, such as whether it is in beta, generally available, or deprecated.
Status bar
An interface that runs along the bottom of the classic app IDE and contains options to switch environments, view releases, toggle the runtime that powers the app, and access debug tools
Support layer
An infrastructure layer within a Retool-managed instance that is comprised of the customer-managed core infrastructure and resources, such as the CloudFormation stack.
Supported
Whether this functionality is supported in the specified environment.
Synchronous workflows
A workflow that has a webhook response block and is triggered from an App, Workflow, or webhook
T
Telemetry
A feature available to instances using retool-helm that enables organizations to collect and forward operational and performance data.
Temporal
A distributed system used to schedule and run asyncronous tasks for workflows.
Temporal Cluster
A group of services to facilitate the execution of each workflow amongst a pool of self-hosted workers that make queries and execute code in your VPC.
Ternary operator
In computer programming, the ternary conditional operator is a ternary operator that is part of the syntax for basic conditional expressions in several programming languages. It is commonly referred to as the conditional operator, conditional expression, ternary if, or inline if. An expression if a then b else c or a ? b : c evaluates to b if the value of a is true, and otherwise to c. One can read it aloud as "if a then b otherwise c". The form a ? b : c is the most common, but alternative syntaxes do exist; for example, Raku uses the syntax a ?? b !! c to avoid confusion with the infix operators ? and !, whereas in Visual Basic .NET, it instead takes the form If(a, b, c).
Terraform
An infrastructure-as-code tool for managing deployment infrastructure.
Terraform Module
A set of example terraform modules for installing and configuring Retool.
Theme
A feature that allows users to customize the visual appearance of their applications by defining consistent styles across apps or at the organizational level. Themes control aspects such as colors, typography, metrics (e.g., border radius), and shadows.
Theme Editor
The interface used to create, customize, and manage visual themes for apps and organizations.
Thread
A single chat conversation with the agent in the Chat tab of the app builder. A thread helps you help manage context, and multiple threads can contribute to the same branch.
Token
A unit of data processed by an LLM that is used to represent the commonality of sequences and usage.
Tool
Tools allow agents to take actions in other systems. A tool can be a workflow, a query, an MCP server, or another agent. An agent can call a tool to fetch data, perform computations, or interact with other parts of the system.
ToolScript
A JSX-style markup language built to serialize Retool apps which are protected using Source Control.
Topic
The scope for recipients for push notifications. Topics are similar in function to mailing lists where users subscribe to them based on what information they want to be notified about.
Trace
Tracing in software engineering refers to the process of capturing and recording information about the execution of a software program. This information is typically used by programmers for debugging purposes, and additionally, depending on the type and detail of information contained in a trace log, by experienced system administrators or technical-support personnel and by software monitoring tools to diagnose common problems with software. Tracing is a cross-cutting concern.
Transformer
Reusable blocks of JavaScript code to transform data that can be referenced anywhere in a classic app.
Trigger
A condition that begins the run of a workflow, such as a webhook or schedule rule. Retool Events can also function as triggers.
U
Use access
A type of access rule that can be applied to a permission group. Users with Use access can view and interact with apps, view and run workflows, and run queries in apps and workflows.
User
An account that belongs or has access to an organization. Email addresses are the identifiers for users
User attributes
A feature that enables you to set artbitrary metadata on the Retool user.
User session
Behavioral data, such as interactions, that occur with an app during a period of activity.
V
Variable
A place to temporarily store data for a user while a classic app is running.
Vector
A mathematical representation of an object, such as a block of text.
Vector database
A vector database, vector store or vector search engine is a database that uses the vector space model to store vectors along with other data items. Vector databases typically implement one or more approximate nearest neighbor algorithms, so that one can search the database with a query vector to retrieve the closest matching database records.
View mode
The mode of interacting with an app as an end user.
Viewer
On the Business and Enterprise plans, a default permission group that cannot be modified or removed in which users have "Use" access to apps, resources, and workflows by default.
VS Code Extension
An extension that allows you to author complex code in the comfort of your local Visual Studio Code (VS Code) environment.
W
WebView
A mobile component that allows you to embed a webpage.
White-label apps
A custom-branded version of the Retool Mobile app
Wireframe
A low-fidelity outline of an app's structure and components that Retool's app-building agent can generate before writing code, so you can review and correct the approach first.
Workflow
An automation that interacts with your data sources. Contains a series of connected pre-built blocks that interact with resources, transform data, and run additional logic. Each workflow runs automatically using a schedule or triggered with webhook events.
Workflow function
A logic primitive in a workflow that accepts parameters, orchestrates one or more steps (including code, queries, conditionals, etc.) and returns a structured result.
Workflow IDE
The web-based interface for building workflows.
Workflow run
An iteration of a workflow that is executed by Retool.
Workflow run logs
The record of every successful and failed run of a workflow, including details about each block. Can be accessed from Run history in the status bar of the workflow IDE
Workflows landing page
The page from which a user can view their exisiting workflows and create new workflows
X
No glossary entries found.
Y
No glossary entries found.
Z
Zero-based numbering
Zero-based numbering is a way of numbering in which the initial element of a sequence is assigned the index 0, rather than the index 1 as is typical in everyday non-mathematical or non-programming circumstances. Under zero-based numbering, the initial element is sometimes termed the zeroth element, rather than the first element; zeroth is a coined word for the ordinal number zero. In some cases, an object or value that does not (originally) belong to a given sequence, but which could be naturally placed before its initial element, may be termed the zeroth element. There is no wide agreement regarding the correctness of using zero as an ordinal, as it creates ambiguity for all subsequent elements of the sequence when lacking context.