# Create and publish a Station

> Choose the graph inputs and results visitors receive, check node compatibility, preview a frozen draft, and make a Station live at a stable link.

Source: https://kaitoi.io/docs/stations/creating/
Section: Kaitoi Studio / Stations
Written for: Anyone publishing an editable project as a simple runnable tool.
Prerequisites: A saved project with at least one result you can expose
Last reviewed: 2026-10-24

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A Station lets people run a project through a form and result viewer. Visitors
do not edit its graph. Each visitor runs on their own account and pays their own
applicable costs.

## Choose the interface

1. Open the saved project and click **Station** in the toolbar.
2. Expose the input and output pin labels that visitors should see.
3. In **Setup**, rename fields for visitors and arrange their order using the
   drag handles or their up/down keyboard controls.
4. Check which inputs are required. Empty inputs that allow omission can switch
   between **Required** and **Optional**; mandatory inputs stay required.
5. Add an optional company name and logo under Branding, then save branding.

At least one exposed output must be a result visitors can see. A **Node** output
alone does not satisfy that requirement. Use the check in Setup to find problems
before publishing.

## Understand the check

Publishing freezes the graph, supporting files, and applicable custom or
community packages into a version. Unlocked test outputs are cleared so visitors
make fresh results. Locked nodes can keep outputs for visitors to reuse.

Some operations cannot run in Stations, including ones that need the visitor's
connected accounts, local services, or certain persistent tools. The check
names incompatible nodes. Compatible approved community nodes can be used, including their
applicable fees. Your own code makes the Station invite only and has additional
authoring capability requirements.

Start with a small, compatible graph. For branching and step-based interfaces,
follow the check's guidance about the exposed controls and results.

## Publish, preview, then make live

**Publish** saves a frozen **draft**. Open its preview and test the visitor
experience. **Make live** shows the form changes and then switches the version
used by the stable Station link.

Editing the source project does not change that live version. Use **Publish
update** for another draft, then make it live when ready. The Versions tab can
also make an older version live to roll back.

Branding changes are saved separately and do not need another graph version.
Field order and requirement changes do need a newly published live version.

## Set access and share the link

Choose **Anyone signed in** or **Invited only** in Access. An invitation matches
the email a visitor signs in with; adding it sends no email, so share the link
yourself. Custom-code restrictions can require invitation-only access.

**Take down Station** stops its link, while **Restore Station** brings it back
at the same address. Visitors keep the files they already made. In team
workspaces, publishing and management also depend on the member's role.

## Keep draft, live version, and discovery separate


**Edit the source:** the live Station still serves version 1. **Publish
update:** version 2 becomes a frozen draft for preview; preview runs can
incur real charges. **Make live:** the stable Station link now serves
version 2. Version 1 remains available as a rollback target in Versions.
Gallery review and visitor access settings are separate from this version
selection. This diagram illustrates the lifecycle, without publishing a Station.

*Figure: Follow a source edit through a frozen draft to the version served by the stable Station link.*

## Checks and next steps

Preview is a real execution, not a free simulation: the runner can incur
provider, community, and other applicable charges. Read its estimate, use
small test inputs, and inspect the resulting files before making a version
live. A published draft is not yet the stable link's live version.

Compatibility checks still apply to approved community code. Community
subgraphs are not currently supported in Stations. If the check refuses a
node or capability, resolve that requirement rather than assuming approval
alone guarantees compatibility.

After making a version live, test the intended visitor form and access
settings. Gallery submission is another action, documented in
[List a Station in the gallery](/docs/stations/gallery/). A gallery card is
discovery; the Station version and access controls determine the runnable tool.