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Start for freeHow to Build a Document Management System
Create a centralised document management system to store, organise, version, and control access to company documents.
Step-by-step guide
6 steps
- 1
Define your folder and taxonomy structure
Organise documents into categories: Finance, HR, Legal, Operations, Client Files. A consistent structure makes retrieval fast.
- 2
Build the system with Appaca
Tell Appaca "Build a document management system with category folders, version control, access permissions, and a document request workflow." Appaca builds the system.
- 3
Set up document records
Each document needs: title, category, type, owner, version number, status (draft/approved/archived), and the file attachment.
- 4
Add version control
Track document versions with change notes. Previous versions are archived so the history is preserved.
- 5
Configure access permissions
Set folder and document-level permissions so sensitive files (legal, HR, financial) are only visible to authorised users.
- 6
Add a check-out/check-in workflow
When someone is editing a document, they check it out to prevent conflicting edits. Check-in creates a new version.
Ready to build?
Build your a Document Management System now
Describe your app to Appaca and get your first working version in minutes - no coding, no config, no templates.
What Appaca gives you out of the box
Your app comes fully equipped - no hosting, no external database, no extra setup required.
Build and update by chatting with AI
Describe changes in plain language and Appaca applies them instantly. Add new fields, change layouts, build automations - all without touching code.

A real database, built in
Every app you build on Appaca gets its own secure database. Your data stays structured, backed up, and accessible - no spreadsheets or external tools needed.

Connect to tools you already use
Link your app to Google Sheets, Slack, Airtable, or any service via API or webhook. Your Appaca app becomes part of your existing workflow.

Share with your team instantly
Invite teammates, assign roles, and start using the app together. You control who sees what - individual apps or the whole workspace.

Frequently asked questions
Yes. Full-text search across document titles, descriptions, and tags makes finding files fast.
Yes. Every version of every document is stored. You can view and restore any previous version.
Yes. Folder and document-level permissions control exactly who can view, edit, and delete each document.
Yes. Draft documents go through a review and approval workflow before being published as an approved version.
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