How to Build Conditional Navigation in Bubble.io: Show Users the Right Pages at the Right Time

Hey,

One of the easiest ways to improve your app’s flow—and your user experience—is by setting up conditional navigation. Whether it’s sending new users to onboarding, restricting page access to certain roles, or redirecting based on plan type, it’s a key piece of making your app feel professional and intuitive.

This week, I’ll show you how to build navigation logic that adapts to your users, so they always land on the right screen at the right time.

1. Why Conditional Navigation Matters

Hardcoded navigation doesn’t work well in real-world apps. You need logic that adapts:

• Logged-in users go to their dashboard

• First-time users go to onboarding

• Admins go to admin tools

• Users with expired plans go to billing

Without it, users get confused or hit dead ends.

2. Use “Page is Loaded” Workflows to Redirect

Bubble lets you trigger navigation logic the moment a page loads.

Here’s how:

1. Open the Workflow tab

2. Create a new “Page is Loaded” workflow

3. Add a condition like:

   • “Only when Current User’s Role is Admin” → Navigate to Admin Dashboard

   • “Only when Current User’s Plan is empty” → Navigate to Onboarding

Pro Tip: Use this to redirect unauthorised users away from protected pages.

3. Show/Hide Buttons or Links Based on User Status

Want to hide certain links or features from logged-out users, free plan users, or customers with no data? Use conditions directly on navigation elements.

Examples:

• Show the “Upgrade Plan” button only when Current User’s Plan is Free

• Hide the Admin button unless Current User’s Role is Admin

• Change “Login” to “Logout” dynamically based on login status

It’s a small thing, but it makes your app feel smart and tailored.

4. Deep Link Users to Where They Left Off

You can store the last page or section a user visited and send them back to it next time they log in.

How to do it:

• On page load, set a Custom State or DB field to record the URL

• When the user logs in, check if they have a saved link

• If yes, redirect them there instead of a default page

This is great for learning platforms, onboarding flows, or multi-step apps.

5. Restrict Access to Pages Based on Role or Status

Even if your links and buttons are hidden, users could still manually visit a page. Protect against that with redirects based on rules.

On the restricted page:

• Add a “Page is Loaded” workflow

• Check if user meets the access condition

• If not, navigate them away to a fallback or error page

Examples:

• “Only when Current User’s Role is not Admin” → Redirect to Homepage

• “Only when Current User’s Account Status is ‘Suspended’” → Redirect to Billing Page

Combine this with privacy rules for extra security.

That’s a Wrap

Conditional navigation makes your app feel smarter and more user-focused. It also protects your content and helps guide users through the right flow.

What’s the most useful redirect you’ve implemented (or want to)? Hit reply—I’d love to hear about it.

Until next week,
Stackless