Lesson 2 of 5
Launchpad content and roles
9 min
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In SAP GUI, a user who knows a transaction code can try to run it. In Fiori, what users can find is defined by launchpad content assigned through their roles. A missing tile is therefore almost never a browser problem. It is usually a content or role defect, and testing launchpad content per role is a distinct part of Fiori testing.
How launchpad content is structured
Current SAP S/4HANA releases organize the launchpad with spaces and pages. The older classic home page used groups of tiles; SAP has moved customers to spaces and pages, and you may still meet groups on systems that have not converted. Business catalogs remain the layer that grants app access: in Manage Launchpad Pages, a tile whose catalog is not in the role is flagged as out of role context and is not shown to users.
Navigation between apps uses intents, a semantic object and an action such as a sales order "manage" or a supplier "display". When a user clicks a link from one app to another, the launchpad resolves the intent through the target mappings in the user's catalogs. If the target is not in the user's catalogs, the link is missing, disabled or fails, even though the tile for the first app works.
- User clicks a linkIn Manage Sales Orders, Maria clicks the outbound delivery for her order.
- Intent raisedA semantic object and action, such as an outbound delivery "display".
- Resolve in user's catalogsThe launchpad looks for a matching target mapping in the catalogs of Maria's roles.
- Target app startsOnly if the mapping is found; otherwise the link is missing, disabled or fails.
- Service and authorization checksThe target app loads data, subject to backend authorizations.
Testing content per role
- Get the expected content per business role from the role design: spaces, pages, sections and the tiles on each.
- Log on as a test user holding exactly that role, not a broad tester user.
- Check that every expected space, page and tile is present, with the right title and in the expected section.
- Check that nothing unexpected appears, especially apps for other roles or plants.
- Open each tile and confirm the app starts and loads data without errors.
- Follow key navigation links between apps, for example from a purchase order to its supplier, and confirm they resolve.
- Use the launchpad search to look for an app the role should not have; it should not appear in results.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Tile missing for one role, present for another | Page not in the role's space, or catalog not in the role | Security / launchpad content admin |
| Tile present, app fails with "could not be opened" | Target mapping missing or app not activated in the system | Basis or launchpad admin |
| App opens, data load fails | Backend authorization or OData service problem | Security or development |
| Navigation link from one app to another missing | Target app's catalog not in the user's role | Security / content admin |
| Tile shows for everyone, including the wrong roles | Page or catalog assigned to a broad or shared role | Security |
Launchpad symptoms and their usual causes.
Launchpad administration differs by edition. In SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, content is maintained with apps such as Manage Launchpad Spaces and Manage Launchpad Pages, on top of business roles built from SAP templates. In private cloud and on-premise systems, those apps exist too, alongside the launchpad content manager and launchpad designer tools that administrators use for catalogs. The testing approach is the same.
Launchpad content is delivered by transport like other configuration, and it is easy to transport a page without the catalog it needs, or a role without its page. Treat each content transport as a change that needs a quick role-based check in QAS: log on with the affected role, confirm the new or changed tiles, and confirm nothing else moved. Keep a simple per-role list of expected tiles in your test repository so this check takes minutes, not a meeting.
- Content transport lands in QASA page, space, catalog or role change.
- Log on with the affected roleA clean test user, for example T_BUYER_CHI_01.
- Confirm the changeNew or changed tiles are present, open and load data.
- Confirm nothing else movedCompare against the role's expected tile list; nothing unexpected appears.
- Update the listRecord the new expected content in the test repository.
What would you do?
Maria, the order-to-cash key user, can see the Manage Sales Orders tile. When she opens an order and clicks the link to its outbound delivery, nothing happens. Her colleague with a broader role can follow the link. What is the most likely cause?
- Launchpad content is role-driven: business role, spaces, pages and sections, business catalogs, target mappings.
- A missing tile or broken navigation link is usually a content or role defect.
- Test each role with a clean test user: expected content present, unexpected content absent, apps start, links resolve.
- Personalization can change what a user sees; reset it or use fresh users for content tests.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. A user cannot see an app tile that their colleague sees. What is the most likely cause?
2. In current SAP S/4HANA releases, which structure organizes the launchpad home?
3. Which layer grants the right to launch an app?
4. Why should launchpad content tests use clean test users?