Rails AI Admin A self-hosted admin for Rails

Manage records with default-deny policies and one audited write path. Enable AI when your team needs it.

Get started

Try the demo

Explicit exposure

Declare resources

Host authority

Resolve fresh sessions, complete tenant scopes and independent field permissions.

Connect policies

Atomic evidence

Commit conventional domain changes, human confirmation, receipts and audit together.

Understand operations

Everyday fields

Text to JSON, uploads and galleries, rich text, many-to-many lists and write-only passwords.

See field types

Data in and out

CSV export and checked imports, bulk delete, record history and an audit log, each behind its own grant.

Move data

AI with a human in the loop

Chat reads through your grants; every AI-suggested create, update or delete is a reviewed, audited, version-checked write.

Meet the assistant

Overview at a glance

Counts, metrics and daily trend charts, plus one search box across every resource.

Build a dashboard

Install Rails AI Admin

Add the Public Preview to the host app’s Gemfile:

gem "rails_ai_admin", "0.1.0"

Run bundle install in your host app.

The ten-minute quickstart takes an app with Rails 8 sign-in to a working Users admin; the installation guide connects other hosts. It remains closed until you supply authentication and policies.

A First Look

class CustomerAdmin < RailsAiAdmin::Resource
  model "Customer"
  key :customers
  title :name
  fields do
    id :id
    text :name, nullable: false, required: true
  end
end

The declaration narrows exposure; it grants no permission. The host owns the model, its tenant scope and every action/field decision. Writes detect concurrent edits through lock_version or updated_at and share the domain’s connection pool.

See It Running

bin/demo --assistant serves a seeded admin on 127.0.0.1 with every feature turned on: uploads, rich text, imports, history, charts, search, and AI chat and MCP against an offline fake model. Open http://127.0.0.1:3917/login and click Sign in as Admin. See Try the Demo.

Extend Scalar Fields

Field Types shows class-name registration, pure normalization/validation and field partials. The extension contract records the exact scalar/schema and rendering boundaries. Computed Fields derives readonly values from declared, recursively authorized scalar dependencies. Physical fields keep their actual-attribute guard; neither extension grants additional authority.

Customize Cataloged Templates

Template Overrides copies one allowlisted page, layout or partial into the host without replacing existing files. The catalog specifies its assigns/locals contract; doctor reports source/context drift for upgrade review. Host edits still own their permission, escaping and confirmation behavior.

Recover an Open Generic Form

Form Session Recovery can retain the current create/update DOM after marked authentication/CSRF failure. Fresh sign-in, manual Resume and explicit Save are required; refreshing or closing the page loses this memory-only preservation.

Return to a Current List

List Navigation carries bounded search/sort/page hints through native record and operation flows, with fresh query grants and bounded empty-page recovery. Return hints never choose an external URL or grant record/list authority.

Build a Host-Owned Admin Page

Custom Controllers and Status Pages connects ordinary host Rails controllers/partials to fresh admin Context, explicit scoped access and the shared Runner. Fixed status pages preserve HTTP/denial boundaries without rendering normal resource navigation.

Group Authorized Resources

Resource Navigation supplies static groups, plain labels, fixed icons and ordering for sidebar/Overview entries. A hidden menu remains subject to the same direct route permissions; cosmetic settings confer no record or operation authority.

Current Scope

The Public Preview covers native CRUD, bounded collection jobs, audited operations and optional Chat, review Surfaces and MCP. Its release notes list the supported workflows and limits.