# How to Create a Custom Lobby Page in IFS Cloud > Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/ifs-cloud-lobby-page-information-source-design > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: ERP Help ## Short answer An IFS Cloud lobby page is a personal or shared dashboard built from elements such as lists, charts, gauges and shortcuts. Each data element reads from an information source, so the usual build path is to define or reuse an information source, add an element in the lobby designer, bind it, and then share the page with the right users. ## Kind how-to ## System small-erp ## Erp IFS Cloud ## Module Lobby / Information Sources ## Query how to create a custom lobby page in IFS Cloud ## Alternate Queries - IFS Cloud lobby designer information source - IFS lobby page elements chart list - IFS Cloud dashboard for planners lobby - IFS lobby element shows no data ## Applies To IFS Cloud web client lobbies and information sources; the designer layout and element names vary by release ## Steps ### How to build a lobby page **Items:** - Decide the audience and the three or four questions the page must answer, for example open shop orders past due or purchase orders awaiting approval. - Check whether a suitable information source already exists before creating a new one. - If needed, define an information source that returns the columns and filters for those questions, and test the data it returns. - Create a new lobby page and open the designer. - Add elements, such as a list, a chart or a number, and bind each to the information source with the required filters. - Set refresh behaviour and any navigation targets so a click opens the underlying IFS page. - Save the page, set who can see it, and share it with roles or users, then test with a normal user. ## Sections ### Information sources: where the data comes from **Body:** A lobby element is only as good as its information source. The source is a defined query over IFS views, exposed with column definitions, filters and security so the lobby can display it. Reusing an existing source keeps logic consistent and avoids another query to maintain. Design the source for the audience, not for completeness. A planner needs due date, part, quantity and status for the next two weeks; returning forty columns slows the page and hides what matters. Put the heavy filtering in the source so the lobby does not fetch rows it will discard. ### Choosing elements that people will use **Body:** Use lists for work queues that people act on, charts for trend and distribution, and number or gauge elements for a single threshold figure, such as the count of overdue operations. Every element should lead somewhere: link it to the page where the user can resolve the item. Resist cramming. A page with twelve elements and ten refresh queries becomes slow and ignored. Create separate lobbies per role, such as planner, buyer and quality lead, rather than one page for everybody. ### Security and sharing **Body:** A lobby does not bypass IFS security. Users see only rows and columns they are permitted to see through the underlying objects, which is why two people can open the same lobby and see different numbers. That is correct behaviour but surprises stakeholders who expect one shared figure. Sharing is separate from data access. You can share the page with a role, but if the role lacks permission for the information source, its elements will show nothing or an access message. Verify with a test user whose permission sets match the real audience. ### When an element shows no data **Body:** Work through the chain. Does the information source return rows when tested on its own? Is a filter on the element excluding everything, often a date or site default? Does the viewing user have access to the source and the underlying data? Has the element been bound to the right source after you copied the page? Performance is the other usual issue. If a source scans a large table with no selective filter, the element times out or loads slowly. Add filters, restrict date ranges, and consider whether a summarised dataset refreshed on a schedule suits the use better than a live scan. ## Pitfalls - Building one overloaded lobby for every role instead of role-specific pages. - Creating a new information source when a suitable one already exists. - Testing only as an administrator, then discovering users see empty elements. - Leaving elements without navigation, so they report problems nobody can act on. - Using unfiltered sources over large transaction tables with frequent refresh. - Expecting every user to see the same totals despite row-level security. ## Ai Angle Lobbies answer the questions you thought of in advance. An assistant such as ERPray handles the follow-up that was not on the page, for example why a particular order is late, by running a read-only query over the same IFS data, showing the SQL, and respecting the asking user's permissions. It complements the lobby rather than replacing it, and it can be used to prototype the query that later becomes an information source. ## Faq ### What is the difference between a lobby and an information source? **Answer:** An information source is the defined query and its columns, filters and security. A lobby is the page that arranges elements, such as lists and charts, which display data from information sources. You normally design the source first and then bind lobby elements to it. ### Why do two users see different numbers on the same lobby? **Answer:** IFS applies the permissions and data restrictions of each user to the underlying data. If their permission sets, sites or companies differ, the same element returns different rows. That is intended security behaviour, not a lobby fault. ### Can I share a lobby page with a whole department? **Answer:** Yes, a page can be shared with roles or users. Make sure those users also have access to the information sources the page uses; sharing the page alone does not grant data access, and elements may appear empty without it. ### How do I make a lobby load faster? **Answer:** Limit the columns and date range in the information source, put selective filters in the source, reduce the number of elements, and avoid aggressive refresh. For heavy aggregations, consider a pre-summarised dataset rather than a live scan of a large transaction table. ## Search terms IFS Cloud lobby, IFS lobby designer, IFS information source, IFS Cloud dashboard, IFS lobby element no data, IFS lobby page sharing, IFS Cloud reporting, create lobby page IFS --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json