Master Retool Faster with a Guided Explainer Tool

What Retool Explainer is in plain words

Retool Explainer is an AI powered Retool learning tool that reads an exported app JSON and produces guided Retool tutorials. It highlights the main components, the queries behind them, and the actions that run when users click. You get a step by step story that describes how the app works and how to rebuild or extend it. It is built for internal learning and for safer onboarding.

The explainer works from your JSON export. It does not touch your live environment. It focuses on structure, not your private data. It turns complex screens into clear sections you can follow.

Why this approach is safer for real world teams

Security always comes first for internal tools. A Retool onboarding assistant must respect boundaries. With the explainer you upload a JSON export, not credentials or secrets. You can scrub any sensitive defaults or example values before upload. You control what is shared. Role based access in your workspace stays the same. For many teams that is the only way to share knowledge without risk.

How Retool Explainer works end to end

The flow is simple. You export the app JSON, you upload it to the explainer, and you receive a tutorial that explains structure and behavior in natural language. The tutorial usually includes component lists, data sources, query flow, event handlers, and a summary of how the screen is meant to be used. You can share that tutorial with your team for training or for code review before you ship changes.

If you are brand new to Retool, this is a perfect way to learn by reverse study. You learn how production apps use tables, forms, charts, and resource queries without reading every single property panel.

Quick start from an empty app

You said you are a designer, so here is a simple path that needs almost zero code. We will make a tiny app only so you can export it and see what the explainer produces.

Create a tiny sample app

1. Create a new app in Retool and pick a blank canvas.
2. Drag a Table to the canvas. Keep the default sample data for now.
3. Drag a Chart to the right side. Set type to line. Bind the data property to the same table rows so it plots a few values.
4. Drag a Text Input above the table. Name it searchInput.
5. In the Table filter field paste this tiny formula‍
   
   • {{ searchInput.value ? formatDataAsArray(table1.data).filter(r => JSON.stringify(r).toLowerCase().includes(searchInput.value.toLowerCase())) : table1.data }}
   • You do not need to understand the code. It only filters rows by the search box so the app has a small interaction the explainer can describe.
6. Click Save. Name the app Sample Dashboard.

Export JSON for the explainer

1. In the top bar open the menu with three dots.
2. Choose Export.
3. Choose JSON. Save the file to your desktop.

Upload and generate

1. Open the explainer page in your Retool workspace or Retool University.
2. Upload your JSON.
3. Wait for the guided Retool tutorial to render.
4. Read the tutorial and notice the sections. Components. Queries. Event flow.
5. Share the tutorial with your team if you want feedback.

What you get in the tutorial

The output reads like documentation that someone wished existed from day one. You see the main components and where they pull data from. You see what runs on page load. You see which clicks or changes trigger queries or set values. For many teams this becomes the starting point for proper docs. You can paste the tutorial in an internal doc, attach it to a pull request, or add it to onboarding material.

This is where guided Retool tutorials shine. New hires can learn faster. Senior builders can review structure without opening the editor. Product can understand what is possible before asking for a change that would take days.

Best ways to use the explainer in a growing team

Use it during onboarding week so new designers and analysts understand your internal tools. Use it during handoff so no context gets lost. Use it during audits so you can prove what the app is doing and where the data flows. Use it when you refactor old screens because the tutorial highlights dead queries and unused components that you can remove.

Our clients also use it as a Retool onboarding assistant for non technical teams. Support leads, finance managers, and operations coordinators can read a tutorial and feel confident using and suggesting changes to an app.

Limitations and notes

Retool Explainer is made for learning and documentation. It does not replace test coverage or formal reviews. If your JSON includes hard coded sample values, scrub them before upload. If the app is very large, generate separate tutorials per screen. The quality of the output improves when component names are descriptive. Rename table1 to Customers Table for example. Clean labels help the AI produce clearer guidance.

Ready to try it yourself?

Export any Retool app JSON and upload it to the Explainer today. In minutes, you’ll have clear documentation you can share with your team. Perfect for onboarding, audits, or just understanding your apps better.

Generate your first Retool Explainer tutorial → Book a call