Tour of the workspace
In shortA project opens in the workspace. The top bar has the tabs (Preview, Admin, Code, Backend, Logs, Security, SEO/GEO, Social) and the tools (Versions, QA, GitHub, Share, Publish, Settings). On the left is the chat, with the feature plan at the top and the prompt box at the bottom — the Build, Plan and Chat switch, the model picker, the usage ring and Send or Stop. On the right is whatever tab is open, usually the live preview.
Every project opens in the workspace: the page where you build, check and publish one app. It looks busy at first, but it has only three parts. Once you know them, you can find anything.
| Part | Where | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| The top bar | Across the top | Switch between the tabs, and reach the project’s tools: Versions, QA, GitHub, Share, Publish and Settings. |
| The chat | On the left | Talk to MonstarX: send requests, follow the build, see the feature plan. |
| The main area | On the right | Whatever tab is open — the live Preview of your app, its code, its data and more. |
Drag the thin line between the chat and the main area to make the chat wider or narrower.
What is in the top bar?
Section titled “What is in the top bar?”On the left: the project and its tabs
Section titled “On the left: the project and its tabs”- ‹ and the logo take you back to all your projects.
- The project’s name: click it to rename the project, then press Enter. (It does not change the published app’s address.)
- The tabs change what the main area shows. The chat stays on the left whichever tab is open.
| Tab | What it shows | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Preview | Your app, running live. Click and type in it like a visitor. | The preview |
| Admin | The admin panel of your app: who signed up, and the app’s data in simple forms you can edit. Changes are live at once, with no build. | The Admin panel |
| Code | Every file of the app, in an editor. You can change and save files by hand. | Code |
| Backend | Your app’s MonstarX Cloud: its database tables, users, files, emails, AI use, secrets, and the services and connectors it uses. | MonstarX Cloud |
| Logs | What the app’s server printed while running in the preview — useful when tracking down an error. | Logs |
| Security | A security scan of the app, with a score and one-click fixes. A small badge shows open findings. | Security scan |
| SEO/GEO | How search engines and AI assistants see the app: titles, descriptions, sitemap and a check-up. A badge shows things to do. | SEO and GEO |
| Social | Launch posts, ads, artwork and short videos about your app. | Social |
On the right: the project’s tools
Section titled “On the right: the project’s tools”| Button | What it does | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Versions | Every saved version of the app, newest first. The number is how many there are. Click Restore on one to go back to it. | Versions |
| QA | Run automated tests in real cloud browsers now, and choose when MonstarX suggests them and what happens when a test fails. | QA testing |
| GitHub | Save the project to a GitHub repository; every change becomes a commit. | GitHub |
| Share | Invite people by email to view and comment, or to edit with you. | Share and comment |
| Publish | Put the app online, update it, and buy or connect a domain. | Publish your app |
| Settings | Project settings: name and description, model, addresses and domains, people, export, transfer and delete. | Project settings |
| The compass | Take a tour: see the guided tour of the workspace again. | The guided tour, below |
| The globe | Switch MonstarX between English and 日本語. | Language |
While a build is running, the buttons that would change the project under it — such as Versions → Restore and Publish — wait until it is done.
What is in the chat?
Section titled “What is in the chat?”The chat is your conversation with MonstarX. Read from the top down:
- Features — the feature plan, pinned at the top. The bar shows how many features are built and how many QA has verified. Click it to open the checklist. See The feature plan.
- Your requests and MonstarX’s replies. Each request becomes a numbered thread. Earlier threads fold away — click one to open it again — and you can search them all.
- Activity lines such as “Created 4 files · read 2 files”. Click one to see every step behind it. See Follow a build.
- Cards that ask for or offer something: a Demo account ready card with a sign-in for your app, New in Admin when the build added data, a request to connect a service, a QA plan to run, and Everything on the plan is built with Ideas for what’s next.
What is in the prompt box?
Section titled “What is in the prompt box?”At the bottom of the chat is where you type.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Build · Plan · Chat | The mode for your next request. Build changes the app. Plan asks a few questions first, then builds. Chat talks it through and never changes anything. The hint beside it says what the chosen mode does. See Modes. |
| The text box | Type your request. Enter sends it and Shift Enter starts a new line. You can paste or drop pictures and files here too. |
| The paperclip | Attach screenshots, documents or spreadsheets — up to 10 files per message. See Attach files. |
| The model picker | Shows Auto or the model you chose. See below. |
| Effort | Appears beside the model when that model lets you choose how long it thinks: higher effort thinks longer and uses more credits. |
| The usage ring | How much of your plan’s usage you have used, as a percentage. See below. |
| Send | Sends the request. It says Plan in Plan mode and Ask in Chat mode, and Queue when a build is already running. |
| Stop | Appears while MonstarX works. It stops what MonstarX is doing now; anything waiting in the queue waits until you resume. |
How do I choose the AI model?
Section titled “How do I choose the AI model?”Click the model button (it says Auto at first). Auto picks a suitable model and effort for each request, and shows which it chose on each reply. To choose yourself, pick a model from its group: Fast (quickest replies), Lower cost (fewest credits per request), Standard (more credits per request) or Premium (most credits per request). A model marked No images cannot see pictures you attach. See Choose a model.
What does the usage ring show?
Section titled “What does the usage ring show?”The small ring and percentage beside Send show the plan limit you are closest to using up. Click it to see each limit — the 5-hour limit, Weekly · all models and Weekly · premium models — with when each resets, your Boosts, and a link to the full breakdown. See Usage and limits.
What happens if I send a request while MonstarX is building?
Section titled “What happens if I send a request while MonstarX is building?”A Build request waits in a queue above the prompt box, under Up next, and starts by itself when the current build is done — even if you close the tab. You can move queued requests up, take one back to edit, or remove it. Chat and Plan requests do not wait: they are answered right away, beside the build. See The queue.
What is in the preview’s toolbar?
Section titled “What is in the preview’s toolbar?”When the Preview tab is open, a toolbar sits above your app:
| From left to right | What it does |
|---|---|
| Live | The preview’s status. It can also say Starting, Stopped or Error. |
| The address bar | The page you are on. Click it (or 4 pages) for a list of every page in the app, or type a path and press Enter. |
| Desktop, tablet, phone | Show the app at that screen width. |
| Edit | Click or draw on the page to mark what should change, then send several changes at once. See Edit mode. |
| Clip | Draw a box around part of the page to add a picture of it to your message. See Clip. |
| Comments | Comments people you shared the project with left on the preview. See Share and comment. |
| Reload | Reload the page in the preview. |
| Restart | Restart the preview when it is stuck or out of date. |
| Open in a new tab | Open the preview in its own browser tab. |
Is there a guided tour of the workspace?
Section titled “Is there a guided tour of the workspace?”Yes. The first time you open one of your projects, MonstarX offers a guided tour, Your guide to MonstarX. In 16 short steps (15 when the project has no Admin tab) it lights up each part of the workspace and says what it is for: Meet your creative workspace, then the chat’s prompt box, each tab in turn — the tour opens the tab as it explains it — then Versions, QA, GitHub and Share, Publish and Settings, and it ends on You have the whole workshop.
- Next and Back move between the steps; on the last one, Start creating closes the tour.
- To leave early, click Skip tour, the × (Close tour) or press Esc.
- It appears once, not in every project: MonstarX remembers in this browser that you have seen it. Only the project’s owner sees it, not people it is shared with.
- To see it again, click the compass (Take a tour) near the right end of the top bar. On a phone, open More and choose Take a tour.
The Projects page has a tour of its own. See The Projects page.
What else is on the page?
Section titled “What else is on the page?”- Ask Luna, in the bottom-right corner, answers questions about MonstarX and can take you to the right place. Press Alt / (⌥ / on a Mac) to open it, and drag it anywhere if it is in the way. See Ask Luna.
- Report a bug with screenshots, at the bottom of the Ask Luna panel, tells the MonstarX team about a problem and attaches a picture of what you see. On a phone it is in the More sheet. See Report a problem.
What does someone I share a project with see?
Section titled “What does someone I share a project with see?”People you share a project with see a simpler workspace, with a badge in the top bar:
| Access | Badge | What they can do |
|---|---|---|
| Can view & comment | View & comment | See the Preview and Code tabs, the chat, the feature plan and Versions, and leave comments on the preview. They cannot change anything. |
| Can edit | Can edit | The same tabs, plus sending requests, editing code and restoring versions. Their requests count against the owner’s plan. Billing, publishing and project settings stay with the owner. |
See Share and comment.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Where did the tab labels go?
In a narrower window the top bar shows icons instead of labels, except for the open tab and Publish. Hover over an icon to see its name, or make the window wider.
Why can't I see the Admin tab?
The Admin tab is only shown to the project's owner, and only for apps MonstarX builds. Imported apps keep their own backend.
How do I get back to all my projects?
Click ‹ or the MonstarX logo at the top left.
Can I use the workspace on a phone?
Yes. On a phone the workspace shows one view at a time, and everything in the top bar is in a More sheet. See Build on your phone.
How do I see the guided tour again?
Click the compass (Take a tour) near the right end of the top bar. On a phone, it is in the More sheet.
How do I undo a change MonstarX made?
Open Versions in the top bar and click Restore on the version before the change. Your app's data is not affected. See Versions.