This section covers the Control Panel, the central admin interface for self-hosted instances where administrators handle user management, instance-wide settings, licensing, and SSO configuration. Designed for self-hosting administrators (not end users creating polls), it provides secure, web-based controls to maintain and customize your deployment. Access it after initial setup via 9.1 Configuration Options. For user-facing preferences, see 7. User Settings and Preferences and 6.1. Managing Members. Related billing for hosted plans is in 8. Billing and Subscriptions.

Overview

The Control Panel offers a dashboard-style interface with tabs or sections for key admin tasks: viewing and editing users, adjusting instance behavior like logging and database connections, entering license keys for premium features, and configuring single sign-on providers. Changes apply instance-wide and require admin privileges. Use the search bar at the top to quickly find users or settings, and the Save Changes button (per section) to apply updates.

Accessing the Control Panel

1. Log in to your self-hosted instance as an administrator.
2. Navigate to the main menu and select Admin > Control Panel (often locked behind role-based access).
3. Authenticate if prompted with your admin credentials.

[!NOTE] Only users with admin role can access this area. Revoke access via user management if needed.

User Management

This section lists all registered users in a searchable table with columns for Email, Name, Role, Created Date, and Last Active. Use the Search Users field to filter by email or name. Actions include creating new users, editing details, or removing them.

Adding or Editing a User

1. Click Add User or select a user row and click Edit.
2. Fill in the form fields (see table below).
3. Click Create User or Update User.

Field	Required	Accepted Values	Description
Email	Yes	Valid email address (e.g., user@example.com)	Unique identifier for login and notifications. Must not duplicate existing users.
Name	No	Text up to 100 characters	Display name shown in polls and spaces. Defaults to Email prefix if blank.
Role	Yes	admin, user, viewer	Controls access: admin for Control Panel; user for creating polls; viewer for read-only.
Password (new users only)	Yes	Password strength rules (min 8 chars, mix case/numbers)	Initial login password; users can change later via 7. User Settings and Preferences.

[!WARNING] Deleting a user (Delete User button after confirmation) removes their polls and space access permanently. Back up data first.

Populate initial users via the Seed Database tool below for testing.

Instance Settings

Adjust global behaviors like logging, error display, and database connections. Changes require a restart notification (auto-applied where possible).

Setting	Default	Options	What It Controls
Log Level	info	query, info, warn, error; multi-select	Verbosity of logs: query shows all database operations; error only failures. View logs in your server console.
Error Format	pretty	pretty, colorless, minimal	How errors appear in logs or UI: pretty with colors/icons; minimal plain text.
Database URL	(empty)	Full connection string (e.g., postgresql://…)	Connection to your database instance. Update after migration. Test with Validate Connection.
Transaction Timeout	10000 ms	Number (1-60000)	Max duration for database operations before failure.

Click Test Settings to verify without saving.

Licensing

Enter or renew keys for premium features like unlimited spaces or advanced integrations.

1. Paste your License Key (from provider email).
2. Click Validate License.
3. If valid, click Apply License—status updates to Active with expiry date.

Field	Required	Accepted Values	Description
License Key	Yes	Alphanumeric string	Uniquely validates your subscription tier. Invalid keys show Expired or Invalid.

[!NOTE] Free tier has no key needed; see 8. Billing and Subscriptions for upgrades.

SSO Setup

Enable single sign-on for team logins (e.g., Google, Okta). Toggle Enable SSO first.

Setting	Default	Options	What It Controls
SSO Provider	None	Google, Okta, Custom OIDC	Selects integration; Custom OIDC for others.
Client ID	(empty)	Alphanumeric string	From your SSO provider dashboard.
Client Secret	(empty)	Secure string	Keep confidential; enables auth flow.
Redirect URI	Auto	Custom URL (optional)	Where SSO redirects after login (pre-fills with your instance URL).

1. Configure in your SSO provider.
2. Enter details and click Test SSO Login.
3. Save—users see Login with SSO button on login page.

Database Management

Tools for maintaining your database: seeding initial data and applying updates safely.

Seeding the Database

Populates test users/polls. Safe to re-run (idempotent).

1. Select Seed Database tab.
2. Optional: Enter Custom Config Path or Arguments (e.g., –environment test).
3. Click Run Seed.

Field	Required	Accepted Values	Description
Custom Config Path	No	File path	Overrides default config for seeding.
Arguments	No	Text string	Passed to seed process (e.g., for env-specific data).

Deploying Migrations

Applies pending database changes (no new creation here—do locally first).

graph TB
  subgraph "Preparation"
    A["Check Status<br/>Click **Check Migration Status**"] --> B["Review pending<br/>Fix issues if any"]
  end
  subgraph "Deployment"
    B --> C["Click **Deploy Migrations**"]
    C -->|"Applies all pending"| D{"Success?"}
    D -->|No| E["Resolve (edit DB or mark resolved via **Mark as Applied** field)"]
    E --> C
    D -->|Yes| F["Database updated<br/>Status: Applied"]
  end

Action/Button	Description
Check Migration Status	Lists applied, pending, or failed.
Deploy Migrations	Applies all pending; fails on errors.
Mark as Applied	For failed ones: enter migration name, resolve manually first.

[!WARNING] Run in staging first; back up database before deploying.

Troubleshooting

Common messages in server logs, browser console, or View Logs button.

Message	Severity	Meaning
“Seed script completed successfully”	Info	Initial data populated; safe to re-run. Check users list.
“Migration applied successfully”	Info	Database schema updated; verify polls/spaces work.
“Failed to connect to database”	Error	Invalid Database URL; check credentials and restart.
“Migration failed: ”	Error	Pending change incompatible; use Mark as Applied after manual fix or rollback.
“License validation failed”	Warning	Key expired/invalid; renew via provider or contact support.
“SSO auth error: invalid client”	Error	Mismatch in Client ID/Secret; re-copy from provider.

Summary

• Control Panel centralizes admin tasks: manage users, tweak settings, license features, set up SSO, and handle database ops.
• Key workflows: Add users via form, deploy migrations step-by-step, seed for testing.
• Secure and instance-wide: Always validate/test before saving.
• For setup basics, see 9.1 Configuration Options; team management in 6.1. Managing Members; advanced self-hosting in 10. Advanced Features and Integrations.