Stackpane Stackpane
Download

First Connection

Connect Stackpane to your Firebase, Supabase, or AWS project.

Adding a Connection

To start using Stackpane, create a connection to one of the supported providers. A connection stores the provider type, project identifiers, authentication credentials, and optional local development configuration.

  1. Click the + button in the sidebar or choose New Connection from the connection picker.
  2. Enter a connection name (e.g., “My App - Production”).
  3. Select a provider: Firebase, Supabase, or AWS.
  4. Configure the provider-specific settings described below.
  5. Click Save.

Not sure which provider to use? See Choosing a Provider for a detailed comparison.

Firebase

Firebase connections support three authentication methods depending on your environment.

Google Sign-In

The easiest way to connect to a production Firebase project:

  1. Enter your Firebase project ID (found in your Firebase Console project settings).
  2. Select Google Sign-In as the authentication method.
  3. Click Sign in with Google to open the OAuth flow in your browser.
  4. Authorize Stackpane to access your Firebase project.
  5. Your credentials are securely stored in the macOS Keychain.

Google Sign-In works for projects where your Google account has appropriate IAM permissions (Editor, Viewer, or custom roles with Firestore/Auth/Storage access).

Service Account

For automated workflows or when Google Sign-In is not suitable:

  1. Enter your Firebase project ID.
  2. Select Service Account as the authentication method.
  3. Click Choose File and select your service account JSON key file.
  4. Stackpane reads the credentials and stores them securely in the Keychain.

The service account must have the necessary roles for the Firebase services you want to access. Service accounts are recommended for CI/CD-adjacent usage and when you need consistent, user-independent access.

Emulator (No Auth Required)

When connecting to the Firebase Emulator Suite, no authentication is needed:

  1. Select Emulator as the environment type.
  2. Configure the emulator host (default: localhost) and ports for each service.
  3. Optionally configure a launch method to have Stackpane start and stop the emulator for you.

See the Emulator Suite guide for detailed configuration options.

Supabase

Supabase connections use your project URL and an API key.

Project URL and API Key

  1. Enter your Project URL (e.g., https://your-project-ref.supabase.co). For local development, use http://localhost:54321.
  2. Enter an API key:
    • Anon key — for client-level access, respects Row-Level Security policies
    • Service role key — for admin-level access, bypasses Row-Level Security
  3. Stackpane stores the key securely in the macOS Keychain.

You can find your project URL and API keys in the Supabase Dashboard under Settings > API.

Which Key to Use

  • Use the anon key when you want to test your application as a regular user and verify that RLS policies work correctly.
  • Use the service role key when you need full administrative access to browse all data, manage users, and perform operations without RLS restrictions.

AWS

AWS connections use IAM credentials and a region selection.

Access Keys

  1. Enter your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key. These can be generated in the AWS IAM Console under Security Credentials.
  2. Select the AWS Region where your resources are located (e.g., us-east-1, eu-west-1).
  3. Stackpane stores the credentials securely in the macOS Keychain.

The IAM user or role must have permissions for the AWS services you want to access (DynamoDB, S3, Cognito).

LocalStack (Local Dev)

For local AWS development with LocalStack:

  1. Set the endpoint to http://localhost:4566 (the default LocalStack port).
  2. Enter any value for the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key — LocalStack accepts arbitrary credentials by default.
  3. Select any region.

See the Local Dev Overview for instructions on setting up LocalStack.

Testing Your Connection

After saving a connection, Stackpane automatically attempts to connect. The connection status indicator in the sidebar shows:

  • Green — connected and healthy
  • Yellow — connecting or partially available
  • Red — connection failed

If the connection fails, check the following:

  • Firebase — verify the project ID is correct, your credentials have the necessary permissions, and the Firebase services are enabled
  • Supabase — confirm the project URL is reachable and the API key is valid
  • AWS — ensure the access key is active, has the required IAM permissions, and the region is correct

Multiple Connections

You can add as many connections as you need, across any combination of providers. Common setups include:

  • Production + Staging connections for the same project
  • Production + Local dev for development workflows
  • Multiple projects across different providers
  • Separate connections for different AWS regions

Switch between connections using the project picker in the sidebar. Each connection maintains its own bookmarks, pinned items, and settings.