Pilot separates application code, Ontology definitions, preview data, and agent context. Check each separately when building and testing.
The selected data source determines which records the preview reads and where Ontology actions apply.
| Data source | Preview behavior | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Notional data | Uses generated sample records in the container's local mock data store. | Build and test the interface before connecting it to real records. |
| Production data | Uses the main Foundry Ontology branch. Actions can change real objects. | Validate an application against deployed entities and real data. |
| Production data on branch | Uses the Foundry branch selected for deployment preview. | Validate proposed Ontology changes and test actions on that branch. |
For custom widgets, the branch preview indicator is Branched data.
Editor and Deploy are workspace views, not data-isolation boundaries. Where supported, the editor includes a Notional data / Production data control. The deploy view selects production data from the main branch or the selected Foundry branch.
Actions performed while the preview uses Production data can create, modify, or delete real objects. This also applies in Editor view and when the repository is on a separate code branch.
Pilot can generate sample records for the application's local mock data store. These records are called seed data and appear under Notional data in the preview controls. Inspect them in the Ontology tab's data preview and ask Pilot to adjust them when needed.
The Ontology data preview shows local sample records even when the application preview is using production data. Seed data is not published as production Ontology data when you deploy the frontend.
Mock responses help build the interface but do not validate production permissions, actual function results, or every runtime behavior. Test those separately against the intended data source.
Production preview uses deployed Ontology entities and your available access. Proposed entities or properties might not exist there yet. If Pilot displays an undeployed-proposals banner, implement the required Ontology changes or switch back to Notional data.
An empty preview can reflect missing data, missing permissions, or an undeployed definition. It does not necessarily mean the frontend is broken.
A Foundry branch lets you test supported Ontology changes before merging their definitions into the main branch. The object types edited by an action must be indexed on the branch before the action can apply edits there.
Action edits made during branch testing are not merged into the main branch. Merging an Ontology proposal and moving test records into production are different operations.
Actions with webhooks, external calls, or notifications have additional branch behavior. Review Branching action types before testing those workflows.
A code branch versions repository files. It does not change the preview's data source or create an isolated copy of production data.
A Foundry branch versions supported platform resources and provides a branch context for Ontology testing. Its proposal is separate from the code proposal shown in Pilot's Changes view.
See Branches, changes, and proposals for code collaboration and Deploy an application for Ontology deployment.
Ontology permissions controls whether Pilot can propose new definitions or modify existing definitions. It does not grant access to real records, authorize an action, or grant permission to deploy a change.
Review the selected data source and the underlying Foundry permissions independently. See Control what Pilot can modify.
Production-data analysis is available only when supported and enabled for your Pilot environment.
When available, Pilot can delegate read-only analysis of production objects to a production-data viewer in a separate agent context. That agent can inspect records and aggregate statistics to help characterize the data. Previewing production data and requesting this analysis are separate workflows.
Before the analysis is shared with the agents building the application, Pilot presents a Review production data analysis card.
The production-data viewer has already analyzed real data at this point. Approval controls sharing the analysis with the application-building agents; it is not approval for the initial data read. Review the actual text rather than assuming the analysis contains no sensitive information.
After approval, select View analysis in the completed card to inspect the approved content. If an analysis is no longer available, ask Pilot to create a new one.
Check the following before publishing: