Demo Mode

Demo mode lets you explore every dashboard page with realistic sample data — no integrations required. It is designed for evaluating the product, taking screenshots, and running presentations.

Enabling Demo Mode

Set the environment variable in gridwork-hq/.env.local:

DEMO_MODE=true

When DEMO_MODE=true, API routes that depend on external services (Notion, Stripe, GitHub) return mock responses instead of making real API calls. This lets the entire dashboard render without any configured integrations.

What Changes in Demo Mode

Seeding Demo Data

You do not need to set DEMO_MODE=true to use seeded data. From the dashboard:

1. Log in and navigate to Mission Control
2. The WelcomeBanner appears on first run
3. Click Load Demo Data
4. The seed function populates the SQLite database with sample records

Seeded records include:

• 3 demo clients
• 5 pipeline jobs
• 8 cron entries
• 10 activity items

All seeded records are marked with is_demo: true in the database.

Clearing Demo Data

To remove all seeded data:

1. Click Clear Demo Data in the WelcomeBanner
2. The clearDemoData function removes every record where is_demo = true
3. Your real data (if any) is untouched

This is a safe operation — only records explicitly flagged as demo data are deleted.

Use Cases

• Evaluating before purchase — see what every page looks like with data
• Screenshots and marketing — capture polished dashboard views
• Presentations — demo the product to your team without exposing real client data
• Development — work on UI changes without needing live integrations

Combining with Real Data

You can load demo data alongside real integrations. Demo records appear in the same views as your real data. When you are done, click Clear Demo Data to remove only the sample records.