Bubble Docs
  • Introduction
  • New? Start Here
  • What is Bubble?
  • The Glossary
  • User manual
    • Getting started
      • What is Bubble?
      • Building for...
        • Web
        • Native iOS and Android
          • Mobile app quick start guide
          • What is a native mobile app?
          • Native mobile vs. web development
          • Differences in native and web elements
          • Native mobile app terminology
      • Building your first app
        • Planning features
        • Database structure
        • Design and UX
        • eCommerce and payments
          • Shopping cart
          • Checkout page
          • One-time payments
          • Subscriptions
          • Marketplace
      • Creating and managing apps
      • The Bubble editor
        • Tabs and sections
          • Design tab
            • The element tree
            • The property editor
          • Workflow tab
          • Data tab
          • Styles tab
          • Plugins tab
          • Settings tab
            • Application settings
              • Custom headers/body
              • Visual settings
              • Social media sharing
              • Translating your app
              • Email settings
              • Collaboration
            • Custom domain and DNS
          • Logs tab
        • Tools
          • Key features
          • The search tool
          • The Issue Checker
          • The element tree
          • The element property editor
          • The debugger
          • Notes
        • Previewing your app
      • Transitioning to Bubble from...
        • JavaScript
        • HTML and CSS
        • SQL
    • Design
      • Elements
        • Web app
          • The page
          • Containers
            • Groups
            • Repeating groups
            • Table elements
            • Popups
            • Floating groups
            • Group focus
          • Visual elements
          • Input forms
            • Text and numbers
            • Dates and time
            • File uploads
            • Selection controls
        • iOS and Android app
          • The view
          • Containers
          • Visual elements
          • Input forms
          • Mobile reusable elements
        • The element hierarchy
          • The element tree
        • Reusable Elements
      • Styling
        • Color variables
        • Font variables
        • Styles
        • Custom Fonts
      • Responsive design
        • Building responsive pages
        • Legacy articles
          • The Basics (Legacy)
          • Building Responsive Pages (Legacy)
          • Migrating Legacy Pages
          • Tips When Designing (Legacy)
      • Templates
      • The Component Library
      • Importing from Figma
    • Data
      • The database
        • Data types and fields
        • Creating, saving and deleting data
        • Finding data
        • Displaying data
        • Protecting data with privacy rules
        • The database editor
        • Export/import data
          • Exporting data
          • Importing data (CSV)
        • Working with location data
        • Using Algolia
        • Database structure by app type
          • Marketplace Apps
          • Directory & Listings Apps
          • Social Network Apps
          • SaaS Apps
          • Project Management Apps
          • CRM Apps
          • Professional Services Apps
          • On-demand Apps
          • Documentation/ CMS Apps
          • Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Apps
          • Portfolio Apps
          • Gallery Apps
          • Online Store / Ecommerce Apps
          • Blog Apps
          • Messaging App
          • Dashboards
          • Building Block Apps
          • Bubble as a backend
      • Files
      • Images
      • Static data
        • App texts (translations)
        • Option sets
      • Temporary data
        • Custom states
        • URL parameters
      • User accounts
        • Authentication plugins
          • Facebook plugin
          • Fitbit plugin
          • Google plugin
          • Instagram plugin
          • LinkedIn plugin
          • Pinterest plugin
          • Slack plugin
          • Wistia plugin
          • YouTube plugin
        • Cookies set by Bubble
      • Time, dates and time zones
    • Logic
      • The frontend and backend
      • Workflows
        • Events
          • Frontend events
            • Recurring workflows
            • Custom events
          • Backend events
            • Database trigger events
        • Actions
        • API Workflows
      • Dynamic expressions
      • Conditions
      • Navigation
        • Single-page applications (SPA)
        • Multi-page applications
        • Page slugs
      • Device resources
        • Location services
        • Camera/photo library
    • Workload
      • Understanding workload
        • Activity types
        • The workload calculation
        • Client-side and server-side processing
      • Tracking workload
        • Measuring
          • Using App Metrics
        • Monitoring
          • Workload notifications
          • Infinite recursion protection
      • Optimizing workload
        • Optimization framework
        • Optimization checklist
          • Page load
          • Searches
          • Workflows and actions
          • Backend workflows
        • Agency showcases
          • Minimum Studio
          • Neam
          • Support Dept
    • Security
      • Bubble's security features
      • Planning app security
      • Client-side and server-side
      • Bubble account security
      • App security
      • Page security
      • Database security
      • API security
        • API Connector security
        • Data API security
        • Workflow API security
      • Flusk
        • Overview
        • Flusk plan features
        • Getting started with Flusk
        • Flusk security tools
          • The Issues Explorer
          • Issue details
          • Tools and settings
            • Pages rating
            • Database rating
        • Flusk FAQ
      • Cookies
      • Security checklist
    • Previewing your app
      • Previewing a web app
      • Previewing a mobile app
    • Publishing your app
      • Web app
      • Native mobile app
        • Global native mobile settings
        • iOS App Store
        • Google Play Store
        • Publishing FAQ
    • AI
      • Generate apps with AI
        • About AI app generation
      • AI page designer
      • Connect to AI agents
    • Maintenance
      • Collaborators
      • Version control
        • Best practices: Version control
        • Transitioning from the legacy version control
        • Terminology: Version control
        • Version Control (legacy)
      • Commenting
      • Database maintenance
        • Copying the database
        • Restoring database backups
        • Bulk operations
          • Bulk operation methods compared
        • Wiping change history
      • Performance
        • Hard limits
        • Capacity Usage (legacy)
        • Notes on queries
      • SEO
        • Introduction to SEO
        • SEO: App
        • SEO: Page
      • Testing and debugging
        • Introduction to testing and debugging
        • The debugger
        • The server logs
        • Supported browsers
      • API workflow scheduler
    • Integrations
      • API
        • Introduction to APIs
          • What is a RESTful API?
        • The Bubble API
          • Bubble API terminology
          • Authentication
            • How to authenticate
            • No authentication
            • As a User
            • As an admin
          • The Data API
            • Data API Privacy Rules
            • Data API endpoints
            • Data API requests
          • The Workflow API
            • Workflow API privacy rules
            • Workflow API endpoints
            • API workflows
              • Creating API workflows
              • Scheduling API workflows
              • Recursive API workflows
              • API Workflow Scheduler
              • Case: Stripe notifications
        • The API Connector
          • Authentication
          • API Connector security
          • API guides
            • OpenAI
              • Authentication
              • Calls
                • ChatGPT
                  • Chat
            • Google Translate
              • How to setup Google API keys
          • Streaming API
        • API security
        • Plugins that connect to APIs
        • API Glossary
      • Plugins
        • What Plugins Can Do
        • Installing and using Plugins
        • Authentication plugins
        • Special Plugins
      • SQL Database Connector
      • Bubble App Connector
      • WorkOS
        • WorkOS SSO
        • WorkOS API
    • Infrastructure
      • Sub-apps
      • Bubble release tiers
      • Hosting and scaling
        • How Bubble hosting works
        • Scaling with Bubble
        • CDN (Cloudflare)
        • Bubble app names
        • Domain and DNS
      • Compliance
        • GDPR
        • SOC 2 Type II
        • HIPAA
        • Other frameworks and standards
    • Bubble for Enterprise
      • Hosting and infrastructure
        • Dedicated instance
          • The Dedicated editor experience
          • Technical specs
          • Main cluster dependencies
          • Customizable options
          • Migration process
            • Pre-migration
            • During migration
            • Post-migration
      • Security and compliance
        • Single sign-on (SSO)
        • GDPR
        • SOC 2 Type II
        • HIPAA
        • Other frameworks
        • Bubble's security features
      • Admin and collaboration
      • Priority support
      • Billing and Payment Guideline for Dedicated Instances
  • Core Reference
    • Using the core reference
    • Bubble's Interface
      • Design tab
      • Design tab (Legacy)
      • Workflow tab
      • Data tab
      • Styles tab
      • Styles tab (Legacy)
      • Plugins tab
      • Settings tab
      • Logs tab
      • Template tab
      • Toolbar
      • Top and context menu options
      • Deployment and version control
        • Deployment & Version Control Dropdown (legacy)
      • Notes
    • Elements
      • Native mobile elements
        • View element
        • List component
      • General properties
      • General properties (Legacy)
      • Styling properties
      • Styling Properties (Legacy)
      • Responsive Properties
      • Responsive Properties (Legacy)
      • Conditional formatting
      • States
      • Page Element
        • Page Element (Legacy)
      • Visual Elements
      • Containers
      • Container Layout Types
      • Containers (Legacy)
      • Input Forms
      • Reusable Elements
      • Element Templates (legacy)
    • Workflows
    • Events
      • General events
      • Element events
      • Custom events
      • Recurring event
      • Database trigger event
    • Actions
      • Account
      • Navigation
      • Data (things)
      • Email
      • Element
      • Custom
    • On-device resources
    • Data
      • Data Sources
      • Operators and comparisons
      • Search
      • Privacy
    • Styles
    • API
      • The Bubble API
        • The Data API
          • Authentication
          • Data API endpoints
          • Data API requests
        • The Workflow API
      • The API Connector
        • Authentication
        • Adding calls
    • Bubble-made Plugins
      • AddtoAny Share Buttons
      • Airtable
      • API Connector
      • Blockspring
      • Box
      • Braintree
      • Bubble App Connector
      • Chart.js
      • Circle Music Player
      • Draggable Elements
      • Dropzone
      • Facebook
      • Fitbit
      • Full Calendar
      • Google
      • Google Analytics
      • Google Optimize
      • Google Places
      • Ionic Elements
      • iTunes
      • Slidebar Menu
      • LinkedIn
      • Localize Translation
      • Mixpanel
      • Mouse & Keyboard Interactions
      • Multiselect Dropdown
      • Progress Bar
      • Rich Text Editor
      • Rich Text Editor (Legacy)
      • Screenshotlayer
      • SelectPDF
      • Slack
      • Segment
      • Slick Slideshow
      • SQL Database Connector
      • Star Rating
      • Stripe
      • Tinder-like Element
      • Twitter
      • YouTube
      • Zapier
    • Application Settings
      • App plan
      • General
      • Domain / email
      • Languages
      • SEO / metatags
      • API
      • Collaboration
      • Sub-apps
      • Versions
  • Account & Marketplace
    • Account and billing
      • Pricing and plans
        • Plans and billing
        • Billing cycle
        • FAQ: Pricing and Workload
      • Account Management
      • Building Apps for Others
      • Selling on the Marketplace
      • Plans & Billing (legacy)
    • Official Bubble Certification
      • Hiring certified developers
    • Building Plugins
      • The Plugin Editor
      • General Settings
      • Updating to Plugin API v4
      • Adding API Connections
      • Building Elements
      • Building Actions
      • Loading Data
      • Publishing and versioning
      • Github Integration
    • Building Templates
    • Application and data ownership
    • Marketplace policies
    • Bug reports
  • Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
  • Beta features
    • About the Beta features section
    • Native mobile apps
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  • The Development and Live environments
  • Web and native mobile app publishing

Was this helpful?

  1. User manual

Publishing your app

Last updated 1 month ago

Was this helpful?

First of all, if you’ve reached the point where you’re ready to publish your app—congratulations! 🎉

Whether you generated your app using AI and refined it in the editor, or built it from scratch on your own, launching to a live audience is an exciting milestone. In this article, we’ll cover some key points to keep in mind as you prepare to welcome real users into your app.

The Development and Live environments

Before publishing your app, it’s important to understand the difference between the Development and Live environments. You’re likely already familiar with the Development environment, where you can preview and test your app privately—away from public users.

However, to ensure a smooth launch, we recommend reviewing the checklist below to prepare for the key differences between your app’s test environment and what your users will experience in Live.

✅ Checklist: Preparing your app for live users

Databases

Separate databases: The Development and Live environments each have their own independent database. Any data you’ve created while testing—such as users, test records, or custom data types—will not automatically appear in the Live version. When you publish your app, the Live database will start empty unless you’ve manually added or copied data into it. Make sure to account for this if your app depends on preloaded data.

Copying data: If your Live app needs access to data you've created in Development, consider using the Copy and restore database feature to migrate specific data types from Development to Live.

Erasing test data: If you've previously added test data to your Live database (manually or through testing), review and delete any information that shouldn’t be visible to end users before launching.


Security

Security matters in Live: In Development, it's easy to overlook security because you're the only one using the app. But once you invite real users to interact with your app, you need to ensure their data is properly protected with privacy rules and secure workflows.

Review the security guide: The User Manual includes a . We recommend reviewing it thoroughly before launch to ensure your app meets best practices.

Set up privacy rules: are the foundation of your app’s data security. Make sure you’ve created clear, effective rules for all data types and fields that may contain sensitive or personal information.

Run a security audit: Use Bubble’s built-in to run an audit of your app. This tool can help uncover common misconfigurations.

Update preview credentials: Bubble includes . Before launching, make sure your preview credentials use a secure, unique username and password that only you (or your team) can access.

Set editor access rights: You can choose whether your app editor is public or private. Before going l so that only invited collaborators can view and edit the app.

Remove unused collaborators: If you've invited during development who no longer need access, review your app’s collaborator list and remove anyone who shouldn’t have ongoing editing permissions. This helps reduce risk and keeps your workspace organized.


Design and responsiveness

Preview your app on different screen sizes: Before going live, test your app on a variety of devices and screen sizes to make sure everything displays correctly. Use Bubble’s responsive engine to adjust layouts as needed.

Check mobile usability: If your app is intended for mobile users, make sure that buttons, text inputs, and other interactive elements are easy to use on smaller screens.

Test edge cases and empty states: Ensure your app handles empty or unusual data gracefully—for example, how does it behave when a repeating group has no results?


Workflows and functionality

Review workflows for unexpected behavior: Go through all critical workflows (e.g. sign-up, payments, navigation) to make sure they behave as expected and that there are no missing steps or conditions.

Check conditions and navigation rules: Test any conditionals that show/hide elements or navigate users to different pages. Make sure users see the right views based on their role, status, or data.

Verify redirects and page protections: Ensure users can't manually access pages they shouldn't. Use page redirects and conditional logic to prevent unauthorized access. Read more about page security .


Performance and optimization

Remove unused elements and plugins: Clean up elements, styles, workflows, and plugins you’re not using. This helps reduce app load time and clutter.

Test load time and responsiveness: Open your app on a fresh browser or device and see how quickly it loads. If performance is slow, look into optimizing data searches and page design.

Limit heavy searches or nested elements: Minimize searches inside repeating groups or conditions that run on every page load. These can impact performance, especially for users with slower connections.


Legal and compliance

Set up a privacy policy and terms of service: If you’re collecting user data, most regions require a clear privacy policy. Include links to these in your app’s footer or sign-up/login screens.

Comply with data protection regulations: Ensure your app meets basic requirements for handling personal data securely—especially if serving users in regions with strict regulations (e.g. GDPR, CCPA).


Final checks

Use the issue checker: Bubble’s issue checker will alert you to common setup problems before going live. Run it and resolve any outstanding issues.

Test sign-up, login, and password reset flows: Make sure these flows are not only working but also protected with security best practices like rate limiting and proper validations.

Add test users and test all roles: If your app has different user roles (admin, regular user, etc.), test each one to make sure the experience is correct and secure for all cases.

Web and native mobile app publishing

Bubble supports building apps for the web, as well as native mobile apps that can be published to the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. All of this is managed from a single editor, with a shared database and unified workflow logic.

You can choose to build and publish your app for the web, iOS, Android—or any combination of the three. Each platform follows its own publishing process. Web apps are deployed directly from the Bubble editor, while publishing to iOS and Android involves additional steps handled through Apple and Google’s respective systems.

The guides below provide a step-by-step walkthrough for publishing your app on all supported platforms. Before proceeding, we recommend reviewing the to ensure your app is fully prepared for live users.

💻 Publishing a web app

Publishing a web app is essentially done with the click of a button, and makes your app available to live users within seconds.

📱 Publishing a native mobile app

Publishing the native mobile version of your app involves a few additional steps compared to web deployment. You’ll first need to configure your app’s general mobile settings, and then follow the platform-specific publishing steps for iOS and Android.


This introductory article provides an overview of the process for publishing your app to the various app stores. We recommend starting here before moving on to the detailed step-by-step guides.


Start by reviewing and configuring the general mobile settings for your app. These apply to both iOS and Android and should be completed before moving on to platform-specific steps.




We’ve compiled a set of frequently asked questions to help you navigate the mobile publishing process. If you run into issues or are unsure about a particular step, this resource is a great place to start.

This guide walks you through the full process of publishing your app to . It includes important steps related to Apple’s ecosystem—such as developer account setup, certificates, and App Store Connect—which may involve additional requirements and fees outside of Bubble’s control.

This guide covers the steps required to publish your app on the . Like iOS, the Android publishing process includes steps managed through Google's platform, some of which may also include external fees and configuration.

Overview
Global native mobile settings
iOS App Store
Apple’s App Store
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
FAQ
full article series on app security
Privacy rules
security audit tools
collaborators
here
Deploying your web app
checklist above
built-in password protection for the Development environment
ive, make sure your editor is set to private