BuildWithHQ
Canonical knowledge unit · developer

Role-aware in-context developer mode

BuildWithHQ can let developers edit a SaaS page in context, persist JSON layout changes, and simulate different user roles while keeping backend authorization authoritative.

ID: BWHQ-DEV-002Status: conceptAuthority: mediumdeveloper-moderolesvisual-builderjson

Role-aware in-context developer mode

Proposed experience

A developer/admin toolbar appears inside the SaaS application. It can toggle between live preview and edit canvas, select a simulated user role, edit the page/component tree, and save the resulting JSON layout.

Role-aware components

Components can carry presentation metadata such as allowedRoles. During editing, components hidden from the simulated role may remain visible in a dimmed/annotated state so the developer can understand why they disappear. In preview, they hide normally.

Security rule

Role simulation and component visibility are testing/presentation features only. Production data access must still be enforced by the server-side authorization layer before data reaches the renderer.

Related knowledge

Server-driven JSON presentationBuildWithHQ represents pages and much application behavior as versioned JSON/schema interpreted by a shared runtime, enabling many application variations from a common codebase.Security invariantsSecurity is designed as a shared structural layer: server-derived identity, one authorization path, explicit tenant/application/location scope, and separate permissions for read, AI, export, and sensitive disclosure.
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