How do I add a database, logins and file storage to my AI Studio app on Tekmatix?
You've built an app in AI Studio. It looks great. Now it needs to remember things.
It needs to know who's signed in. It needs somewhere to keep the photos and files people upload. It needs to save what people type in, so it's still there tomorrow.
Until now, that meant setting up a separate backend yourself. Not anymore. AI Studio Cloud gives every AI Studio project its own private database, user accounts and file storage, switched on in about a minute, with nothing extra to connect.
The short answer
Open your project in AI Studio, go to More, then Cloud, and switch it on from the Overview tab.
In about a minute, Tekmatix creates a private backend just for that project, with a database, user sign-in and file storage. There's nothing else to sign up for or connect.
What AI Studio Cloud actually is
AI Studio is the vibe code builder inside your Tekmatix account. You describe the app you want in plain English, and it builds it.
Cloud is the part that sits behind the app. It's made up of three things:
- Database: your app's memory. Tables of information your app can save, look up and change.
- Users: the people using your app, with email and password sign-in, invites and password resets.
- Storage: where files live. Uploads, images and documents, kept private or shared by link.
Each project gets its own Cloud. Turning it on for one app doesn't touch any of your other projects.
Why it matters for your business
- Build real tools, not just pretty pages. Client portals, member tools, trackers and calculators that save results.
- No extra subscriptions. No separate database service, login provider or file host to pay for and connect.
- No developer needed. Need a new table? Ask AI Studio in the chat and it handles the setup for you.
- Start free and grow when you need to. The database starts on the free Tiny size, and you only move up if your app gets busy.
Before you start
Cloud works with apps built on TanStack Start, which is how new AI Studio projects are set up.
If you have an older React project, go to Project Settings, then Migrate to SSR first. This creates an upgraded copy and leaves your original live, so nothing breaks while you try it. Migrating doesn't switch Cloud on, so you'll still do that as a separate step.
Which Tekmatix plan do you need?
AI Studio is included on the Starter, Pro and Max plans. Cloud usage, such as larger database sizes and file storage, is charged as you go from your account wallet, the same way your emails, texts and AI usage are.
Not sure what you're on, or want to move up? Change your Tekmatix plan here, or compare every plan. You can see usage pricing on our usage and add-on pricing page.
How to switch on AI Studio Cloud
- Open your project in AI StudioHead into AI Studio in your Tekmatix account and open the app you want to give a backend.
- Go to More, then CloudYou'll find Cloud under the More menu inside your project.
- Turn it on from OverviewOn the Overview tab, switch Cloud on. It takes about a minute, and you can keep building while it sets up.
- If setup stops, click Try againYour app is untouched if setup is interrupted. Try again picks up where it left off.
- Ask AI Studio to use itTell the chat what you want your app to save, who should be able to sign in, and what people can upload. AI Studio checks with you before it builds anything against Cloud.
- Check the security card on OverviewIf the security advisor spots a problem, a card appears here. Sort out anything marked critical before you publish.
- PublishYour live site stays exactly as it was until you publish again, so you can set everything up in your own time.
Managing your app once Cloud is on
Database: your app's memory
You can see every table, roughly how many rows each one holds, and whether row-level security is on.
Open a table to add rows, double-click a cell to edit it, or select rows to delete them. Need a new table or a new access rule? Ask AI Studio in chat and it handles the structure for you.
If your database feels slow, the Optimize button sends a health check to the chat. It uses AI Studio credits, the same as any chat message.
Daily Backups take a snapshot of your tables and rows. They don't include files in storage or your app code. Restore replaces the live database with a snapshot, and your app pauses its database access for a few minutes while that happens. If the structure no longer matches your app afterwards, ask the chat to patch it.
Users: the people using your app
Watch signups on a chart and search people by email.
Create new user adds someone who's already confirmed, with no email sent. Send invitation emails them a link to set their own password. Open a person to see how they sign in, or delete them. Deleting a user can't be undone.
Signup, invite and reset emails go out through your account's email, and the links open your app.
Auth settings: shaping how people sign in
- Email confirmation is required by default. Auto-confirm is for testing only.
- Allow new sign-ups lets you close registration at any time. People already signed in stay signed in.
- Password rules: reject passwords found in public data breaches, and set your own requirements.
- Site URL and Redirect URLs: a mismatch here is the most common reason a login fails. Preview URLs are handled for you, and you can add your own.
Sign-in currently supports email and password only.
Storage: where files live
Files sit in buckets. Public buckets open for anyone with the link. Private buckets are for signed-in users only.
Bucket names use lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens, between 3 and 63 characters, and can't be changed later, so choose carefully. Inside a bucket you can upload, make folders, download, delete, rename and copy a file's URL. Renaming a file changes its URL, so update anywhere you've shared it.
You can also set an upload size limit and review who can read and write files.
Advanced settings: growing at your own pace
- Database size starts on Tiny, which is free. You can move up through Mini, Small, Medium, Large and X-Large, or back down, once an hour. Each size shows its hourly price before you choose it. A change takes a few minutes and briefly restarts the app.
- Database storage can grow but never shrink, up to four times a day. You pay hourly for the space you set aside, even while paused.
- File storage grows and shrinks with your files, and you pay for what's actually stored.
- Pause stops access to your data while keeping it safe. Resume wakes it up.
- Remove Cloud permanently deletes that project's database, users and files. Export your tables as CSV and download your files first.
If your wallet can't cover Cloud, it pauses itself. Nothing is deleted, and Wake up comes back once billing is sorted. You can still move down to the free Tiny size in the meantime.
What the people using your app see
A proper sign-up and sign-in experience on your app, with confirmation and password reset emails coming from your account. Once they're in, they see their own information and files, based on the access rules your app sets.
If you share or remix your app, the copy doesn't take your Cloud data with it. The copy can still send requests to the original project's Cloud, following its access rules, so keep those rules tight.
Test it before you launch
Before you send real people to your app:
- Sign up as a brand new user and make sure the confirmation email arrives and the link opens your app.
- Try a password reset from start to finish.
- Log in as one user and check you can't see another user's information or private files.
- Upload a file and make sure it lands in the right bucket.
- Check the Overview tab and sort out any critical security issues.
Five ways to actually use this
1. A client upload portal
Clients log in and upload their logos, photos and documents in one place, instead of sending them across ten emails.
2. A saved workbook for your course
Students fill in exercises that are still there when they come back, so the work builds week on week.
3. A quote or assessment tool
Visitors answer a few questions, get a result, and you have every answer saved to review later.
4. An internal team tracker
Jobs, stock, equipment or bookings, in a simple app your team signs into, built around how you actually work.
5. A members-only resource hub
A private area where signed-in members can download templates and files from a private bucket.
If your idea is mostly courses or paid memberships, the course and membership tools already built into Tekmatix may get you there faster, with payments included. AI Studio Cloud shines when you need something custom.
Rather have it done for you?
You don't have to go through the learning curve on your own. Our Teksperts can build it with you, or for you.
Hire a Tekspert for 60 minutes
Bring your app idea and we'll share the screen and build it with you, live, including switching on Cloud and setting your sign-in rules. You walk away with a working app and the know-how to keep building it.
Book a TekspertMembership Set-Up
If what you really want is a members-only area people pay for, this gets it live without you building an app. Recurring income starts coming in sooner, and your members get a proper sign-in experience from day one.
See Membership Set-UpCourse and Learning Portal Set-Up
Turn what you know into a course people can buy and log in to. We set up the portal so you can start selling instead of spending weeks on the tech.
See Course and Learning Portal Set-UpFrequently asked questions
Do I need to connect a separate database or login service?
No. Cloud creates a private database, user accounts and file storage for your project inside Tekmatix. There's nothing extra to sign up for or connect.
Will turning on Cloud change my live app?
No. Your published site stays exactly as it is until you publish again. You can keep building while Cloud sets up.
What sign-in methods can my users use?
Email and password. You can require email confirmation, close new sign-ups, reject breached passwords and set your own password rules.
Are my files included in the daily backups?
No. Daily Backups cover your database tables and rows, not files in storage or your app code. Download any files you can't afford to lose.
What happens if my wallet runs low?
Cloud pauses itself. Nothing is deleted. Once billing is sorted, click Wake up to bring it back. You can also move down to the free Tiny size.
If I share or remix my app, does my data go with it?
No. Sharing or remixing doesn't copy your Cloud data. The copy can still send requests to your original project's Cloud, following its access rules.
Can I remove Cloud later?
Yes, but Remove Cloud permanently deletes that project's database, users and files. Export your tables as CSV and download your files first. Your other projects aren't affected.
Why won't my users' login work?
The most common reason is a mismatch in your Site URL or Redirect URLs in Auth settings. Check those first. If you're still stuck, our Teksperts can help you sort it out.
Which Tekmatix plan includes AI Studio Cloud?
AI Studio is included on the Starter, Pro and Max plans. Compare plans here.
How much does AI Studio Cloud cost?
The database starts on the free Tiny size. Bigger database sizes and reserved database storage are charged hourly, and file storage is charged for what you actually store, all as you go from your account wallet. Each size shows its hourly price before you choose it. See our usage pricing page.
Need a hand?
You've got this, and we've got your back.
Join free daily training Hire a Tekspert Book a 15 minute sessionOr chat to us any time through our 24/7 live chat.
Your AI Studio app can now remember who's using it, what they've saved and what they've uploaded. Switch on Cloud, ask the chat for what you need, test it, and publish.
Happy Tekkin'!
