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SAP Fiori: the hidden manual

Secret key combinations, URL switches, a filter syntax few people type, and the transactions consultants reach for when an app will not open. All of it is written down somewhere in SAP’s documentation. Almost nobody reads that far.

  • SAP S/4HANA 2023 and 2025
  • SAP S/4HANA Cloud
  • SAP Fiori elements
  • /UI2/FLIA

By · Updated

Twelve things almost nobody knows

Each card is one small discovery. Try a few today in your own launchpad, then read the details further down.

Keyboard

Shortcuts, including three that open hidden tools

SAPUI5, the technology under most SAP Fiori apps, ships with diagnostic windows that no menu shows. SAP Fiori elements apps, the list reports and object pages you use every day, share one official set of shortcuts.

KeysWhat happens
CtrlShiftAltPTechnical InformationSAPUI5 version and build, user agent, app root URL and a Copy button for incidents. From here you switch on debug sources, the Support Assistant or the Test Recorder.
CtrlShiftAltSDiagnosticsControl tree, end-to-end trace, OData statistics and, in SAP Fiori elements apps, a Copy button that collects the manifest, the metadata URL and the application component.
CtrlShiftAltTTest RecorderRecords what you click, as the starting point of an automated UI test.
CtrlShiftAltClickPick a control in DiagnosticsWith Diagnostics open, hold the three keys and click any field or button: it is selected in the control tree.

Only the left Alt key works. On a Mac press Ctrl+Shift+Option. On a phone or tablet, hold two fingers on an empty area for three seconds, then tap with a third.

KeysWhat happens
EnterGoIn any filter field of a list report.
CtrlEnterGo, Edit or SaveGo on a list report, Edit on an object page in display mode, Save in edit mode.
CtrlEEdit
CtrlSSave
EscCancel or discard the draftOn an object page in edit mode.
CtrlAltNCreate
CtrlShiftEExport AsThe table must have the focus.
Ctrl,Table settingsColumns, sort, group and filter.
CtrlShiftMOpen the message list
CtrlDelDelete the objectObject page in display mode.
CtrlDDelete a table entry
ShiftSpaceSelect a rowGrid and analytical tables.
CtrlF9orCtrlShiftF9Next or previous sectionObject pages of OData V4 apps.

The official list for SAP Fiori elements apps. On a Mac use Cmd in place of Ctrl. A few shortcuts differ between OData V2 and V4 apps.

KeysWhat happens
F1Help for the current screenContext help, plus SAP Companion guided tours where your system has them.
AltNNotifications
F6orShiftF6Jump between screen areasHeader, filter bar, table, footer.
F4orAlt↓Open the value help or a dropdown
F2Edit a table cellSwitches between moving across cells and editing the cell.
CtrlF1List the launchpad shortcutsShows the shortcuts of your launchpad release.

Launchpad shortcuts have changed between releases, so check Ctrl+F1 on your own system.

URL switches

Build a launchpad link that does more

Everything after the ? in the launchpad address is a switch. Language, theme, client and analysis tools can all be set there, only for the page you open. Nothing is saved to your settings. Pick the switches and copy the result.

Your link

https://s4.example.com/sap/bc/ui2/flp?sap-client=100&sap-language=PT&sap-theme=sap_horizon_dark&sap-statistics=true#Shell-home

  • Launchpad address
  • Switches
  • Where to go (intent)
    What each switch does
    SwitchWhat it doesGood for
    sap-language=PTOpens in another logon language, over the one in your user master (SU01)Checking translations; an English screenshot for an SAP incident
    sap-theme=sap_horizon_darkOpens with another theme. sap-ui-theme works too; if both are there, sap-theme winsPresentations, accessibility checks, testing a custom theme
    sap-client=100Logs on to that client (on-premise)One bookmark per client of the same system
    sap-ui-debug=trueLoads readable, non-minified sources and raises the log levelDebugging with the browser developer tools
    sap-ui-support=trueStarts the Support Assistant, which checks the app against SAP’s rulesReviewing custom apps before go-live
    sap-statistics=trueAdds SAP Gateway, framework and application times to each OData call“Is it the network, the browser or the back end?”
    sap-ui-animation-mode=minimalCuts animations to the minimum (also none, basic, full)Remote desktops and slow machines

    An app can be configured to ignore URL switches. Older theme IDs such as sap_belize no longer exist: since SAPUI5 1.136 apps that ask for them open in SAP Horizon.

    Filter bar

    The filter syntax hiding in plain sight

    You do not need the value help dialog to build a range or an exclusion. Type the condition straight into the filter field and press Enter: SAP Fiori turns it into a token. Pick an example to see how it is read.

    Cost Center:1000...1999Enter1000...1999Between

    Cost centers from 1000 to 1999.

    G/L Account:4*Enter4*Starts with

    Every G/L account that starts with 4.

    Reference:*NFE*Enter*NFE*Contains

    Any reference with NFE anywhere in it.

    Amount in Company Code Currency:>=10000Enter>=10000Greater than or equal to

    Amounts of 10,000 or more.

    Journal Entry Type:!(=SA)Enter!(=SA)Exclude: equal to

    Every journal entry type except SA.

    Assignment:<empty>Enter<empty>Empty

    Only items where Assignment is blank.

    Supplier Name:!(*TEST*)Enter!(*TEST*)Exclude: contains

    Leaves out every supplier with TEST in the name.

    Company Code:=1000Enter=1000Equal to

    Exactly company code 1000.

    ConditionTypeExample
    Betweena...b1000...1999
    Equal to=a=0001
    Contains*a**NFE*
    Starts witha*4*
    Ends with*a*00
    Less than, at most<a<=a<100
    Greater than, at least>a>=a>=500
    Empty<empty><empty>
    Exclude any of the above!( )!(=SA)

    Paste a whole Excel column into a filter field

    Copy the cells, click the filter field and paste: each line becomes its own token. Pasted into the value help, each value gets its own row under Define Conditions. It works with SAPUI5 1.116 and later. A single pasted value stays as plain text, and very long lists can slow the app down.

    Everyday use

    Power-user habits

    The features are there in every SAP Fiori elements app. Most people stop at the filter bar and the Go button.

    • Views that think for themselves

      Save View offers Set as Default, Apply Automatically and Public. Apply Automatically loads the data without pressing Go, so leave it off for slow reports. A public view is shared with everyone who can open the app. An asterisk next to the view name means unsaved changes.

    • A tile that is never out of date

      Filter with a relative date (Today, Last 30 days, This quarter, Year to date), then Share › Save as Tile. The dates are worked out again every time the tile opens, so “last 30 days” always means the last 30 days.

    • Export like an analyst

      Ctrl+Shift+E opens Export As. “Include filter settings” adds a second sheet with the filters you used, which auditors love. Keep “Split cells with multiple values” on to calculate, off for a presentation. SAP recommends at most a million cells per export.

    • Mass edit

      In draft-enabled list reports, select several rows and choose Edit. One dialog changes a field on all of them, with options to keep, leave blank or clear the current values. Objects still in draft can’t be included, and any object that returns an error is left unchanged.

    • Drafts save themselves

      An object in edit mode is saved as a draft about every 20 seconds, but it only becomes real when you press Save. The Editing Status filter finds Own Draft, Locked by Another User and Unsaved Changes by Another User. In apps built with the ABAP RESTful application programming model, an untouched draft is deleted after 28 days by default.

    • Your SU3 values, imported once

      The first time you start the launchpad, your SET/GET parameters from SU3 are copied into Settings › Default Values. Single values you change later are written back to SU3; multiple values and ranges are not. SAP GUI transactions keep reading SU3.

    • Copy and paste whole rows

      Copy to Clipboard takes several rows, or a cell range in grid tables, and an amount travels together with its currency. In apps with inline creation, click the table (not a cell) and press Ctrl+V to paste rows straight from a spreadsheet.

    • Search more than apps

      The search in the shell bar finds business objects too: type an object type to narrow it, or * to search everything. An app ID such as F0717 finds the app. Settings › User Activities turns off or clears Recent Activities and Frequently Used.

    • Share to Microsoft Teams

      Where the integration is switched on, Share sends an object to a Teams chat or pins it as a Teams tab. In SAP S/4HANA 2023 on-premise it is the launchpad plug-in COLLABORATION_MSTEAMS, set in /UI2/FLP_CUS_CONF.

    New to the launchpad? My Home, default values, themes and the App Finder are covered step by step on SAP Optimization.

    For consultants

    The consultant toolbox

    The transactions and reports behind the launchpad, in the order you usually need them. Reports run in SE38; transactions with /n in the command field of the back-end or front-end server.

    CodeNameWhen to use it
    /UI2/FLPD_CUSTTransactionLaunchpad Designer, client-specificCatalogs, tiles and target mappings for one client. Not deprecated, but App Manager has taken over technical catalogs.
    /UI2/FLPD_CONFTransactionLaunchpad Designer, cross-clientThe same, for content all clients share.
    /UI2/FLPAMTransactionLaunchpad App ManagerTechnical catalogs: apps, tiles and target mappings in one table.
    /UI2/FLPCM_CUSTTransactionLaunchpad Content Manager, client-specificBrowse catalogs, tiles, target mappings and the roles that use them. The quickest way to find where an app lives.
    /UI2/FLPCM_CONFTransactionLaunchpad Content Manager, cross-clientThe same, for cross-client content.
    /UI2/RSP_LISTTransactionRoles, spaces and pagesWhich role carries which space and page (SAP S/4HANA 2021 and later).
    /UI2/SEMOBJTransactionSemantic objectsDefine your own semantic objects. SAP’s are in /UI2/SEMOBJ_SAP.
    /UI2/FLIATransactionLaunchpad Intent AnalysisEvery intent (semantic object and action) a user or role gets, and the duplicates. Restrict it to one user: a full run is slow.
    /UI2/FLCTransactionLaunchpad ChecksConsistency of SAP and customer catalogs and groups: broken tiles, missing target mappings.
    /UI2/FSACTransactionSystem alias checksChecks the system aliases apps use to reach the back end.
    /UI2/FLPAM_LOGTransactionApp Manager change logWho changed which technical catalog, from SAP S/4HANA 2023. Earlier changes are in SLG1, object FLPAM.
    /UI2/FLP_CUS_CONFTransactionLaunchpad settings, one clientCustomer settings, recommended since 1809: plug-ins such as App Support or Microsoft Teams, My Home and more.
    /UI2/FLP_SYS_CONFTransactionLaunchpad settings, all clientsStored in the SAP namespace, so a change here counts as a modification.
    /UI2/FLP_CONF_DEFTransactionLaunchpad settings definitionsEvery plug-in must be defined here before customizing can switch it on.
    /UI2/CUSTTransactionUI customizingOpens only the UI part of the IMG.
    /IWFND/MAINT_SERVICETransactionActivate and Maintain ServicesRegister and activate OData V2 services on the front-end server.
    /IWFND/V4_ADMINTransactionSAP Gateway Service AdministrationPublish OData V4 service groups.
    /IWFND/ERROR_LOGTransactionGateway error log, front endThe first stop when an app shows a service error.
    /IWBEP/ERROR_LOGTransactionGateway error log, back endErrors raised in the system behind the service.
    /IWFND/GW_CLIENTTransactionSAP Gateway ClientReplay an OData call and read the full response, without the app.
    /UI2/GW_SYS_ALIASTransactionManage SAP system aliasWhere a service sends its calls in the back end.
    /UI2/INVALIDATE_GLOBAL_CACHESReportLaunchpad caches, all clientsAfter transporting launchpad content.
    /UI2/INVALIDATE_CLIENT_CACHESReportLaunchpad caches, one clientThe same, limited to one client.
    /UI2/DELETE_CACHE_AFTER_IMPReportLaunchpad caches after an importClears the launchpad caches after an import.
    /UI5/APP_INDEX_CALCULATEReportSAPUI5 application indexRecalculate after deploying or changing an app.
    /UI5/UPDATE_CACHEBUSTERReportSAPUI5 cache busterMakes browsers fetch the new version of changed files.
    /IWFND/CACHE_CLEANUPTransactionOData metadata cache, front endAfter changing a service’s model or annotations.
    /IWBEP/CACHE_CLEANUPTransactionOData metadata cache, back endThe same, on the back-end system.
    SMICMTransactionHTTP server cacheGoto › HTTP Server Cache › Invalidate: the last step, after the others.
    STC01TransactionTask Manager for Technical ConfigurationTask lists such as SAP_FIORI_FOUNDATION_S4 and SAP_FIORI_CONTENT_ACTIVATION activate whole business roles in one run.
    /UI5/THEME_DESIGNERTransactionUI Theme DesignerBuild a company theme on top of SAP Horizon.
    PFCGTransactionRole maintenanceBusiness catalogs, spaces and pages reach users through roles.
    SICFTransactionHTTP servicesFind and activate the ICF node behind an app or service.
    SU53TransactionLast failed authorization checkRight after the error. App Support shows a similar log.
    STAUTHTRACETransactionAuthorization traceRecords every authorization check of a user while the app runs.

    Codes checked against SAP Learning, SAP Help and SAP knowledge base articles. Availability depends on your SAP_UI release; /UI2/FLPAM_LOG, for example, exists from SAP S/4HANA 2023.

    Troubleshooting

    "Could not open app": find the layer that broke

    Between your browser and the database a Fiori app crosses five layers, and the message on screen rarely says which one failed. Pick a layer to see what goes wrong there and which tool shows it.

    Start with App Support. Inside the app that fails, open the user menu and choose App Support. It checks the front-end and back-end servers and counts the authorization errors, both SAP Gateway error logs and the short dumps, ready to export to a spreadsheet. It needs SAP_UI 7.54 SP06 or 7.55 SP02 and the plug-in switched on. About, in the same menu, gives the app ID and application component for the incident.

    Layer 1

    Browser and SAPUI5

    What you see

    • A blank page, or a spinner that never stops
    • An old version of the app after a transport
    • Odd layout or theme glitches

    Check with

    • Ctrl+Shift+Alt+PSAPUI5 version and the app’s root URL
    • /UI5/APP_INDEX_CALCULATErebuild the application index after a deployment
    • /UI5/UPDATE_CACHEBUSTERmake browsers load the changed files

    Tip. Open the app in a private browser window first. If it works there, the problem is cached files, not the system.

    Layer 2

    Launchpad content

    What you see

    • The tile is there for one user and missing for another
    • “Could not open app. Please try again later.”
    • The browser console says “Failed to resolve navigation target”

    Check with

    • /UI2/FLIAthe intents the user’s roles really give
    • /UI2/FLCbroken tiles and missing target mappings
    • /UI2/FLPCM_CUSTwhich catalogs and roles contain the app
    • PFCGthe role carries the business catalog, space and page

    Tip. SAP knowledge base article 2604800 names a missing target mapping or a missing role as the usual cause of this message.

    Layer 3

    App deployment

    What you see

    • The launchpad finds the app, but its files do not load
    • HTTP 403 or 404 errors in the browser’s network tab

    Check with

    • SICFthe app’s ICF node is active
    • /UI5/APP_INDEX_CALCULATEthe app is in the application index

    Tip. The Implementation Information tab of each app in the SAP Fiori apps reference library lists the ICF nodes and OData services it needs.

    Layer 4

    OData service

    What you see

    • The app opens, but the list stays empty or shows a service error
    • Metadata or annotation errors after a change

    Check with

    • /IWFND/MAINT_SERVICEthe service is registered and active (OData V2)
    • /IWFND/V4_ADMINthe service group is published (OData V4)
    • /IWFND/ERROR_LOGthe exact error and the call that caused it
    • /IWFND/GW_CLIENTreplay the call without the app
    • /IWFND/CACHE_CLEANUPclear stale metadata

    Tip. App Support runs the front-end and back-end server checks for you, including an inactive OData service.

    Layer 5

    Back end

    What you see

    • “You are not authorized”, or fewer rows than expected
    • A short dump while saving

    Check with

    • SU53the last failed authorization check
    • STAUTHTRACEevery check during the app run
    • /IWBEP/ERROR_LOGerrors raised in the back end
    • ST22short dumps

    Tip. Launchpad roles (catalogs) and back-end roles (data) are often different roles. A user who sees the tile but no data usually has one and not the other.

    Finance

    SAP Fiori for finance teams

    Several finance functions in SAP S/4HANA were built for Fiori first, Universal Allocation among them. These are the apps worth a bookmark, with the SAP GUI transaction people usually compare them with.

    • Find

      Search by transaction code

      In the SAP Fiori apps reference library a classic transaction is an app whose ID is its code, so you can search for FB50 or KSU5 directly.

    • Match

      Upload what your users run

      Upload a CSV list of the transactions your users run under Get SAP Fiori App Recommendations in the library. Each suggested app comes back with a relevance score from 1 to 3. An SAP login is needed.

    • Upgrade

      Check before you upgrade

      SAP Readiness Check looks at the apps used in the last 12 months and flags the ones that are deprecated, unavailable or replaced by a successor in the target release.

    Finance apps worth a bookmark
    AppApp IDCompare with (SAP GUI)
    General ledger
    Manage Journal EntriesF0717FB03, FB08
    Post General Journal EntriesF0718FB50
    Upload General Journal EntriesF2548No direct twin
    Display Line Items in General LedgerF2217FAGLL03H
    Trial BalanceF0996ANo direct twin
    Journal Entry AnalyzerF0956No direct twin
    Manage Global Accounting HierarchiesF2918FSE2, KSH2, KCH2
    Receivables, payables and GR/IR
    Manage Customer Line ItemsF0711FBL5H
    Manage Supplier Line ItemsF0712FBL1H
    Reconcile GR/IR AccountsF3302MR11
    Monitor GR/IR Account ReconciliationF3303No direct twin
    Controlling and planning
    Manage AllocationsF3338KSU1
    Run AllocationsF3548KSU5
    Allocation ResultsF4363No direct twin
    Import Financial Plan DataF1711No direct twin
    Market Segment – Actuals (Margin Analysis)F0943KE30
    Assets
    Manage Fixed AssetsF1684AS03
    Extensions and reporting
    Custom FieldsF1481No direct twin
    Custom Analytical QueriesF1572No direct twin
    Manage KPIs and ReportsF2814No direct twin

    Bank accounts moved. In SAP S/4HANA, house bank accounts became bank account master data. FI12_HBANK still creates the house bank, but the accounts are kept in Bank Account Management, through the Manage Bank Accounts app or its Web Dynpro screen.

    History

    From 25 paid apps to the front door of SAP S/4HANA

    SAP Fiori started as a small set of apps for the most common tasks. Thirteen years later it is the design system SAP uses across its products, on the web, on iOS and on Android.

    1. 201315 May · SAPPHIRE NOW, OrlandoSAP unveils SAP Fiori: 25 apps for the most common tasks of four user roles, sold per user.
    2. 201311 DecemberThe core of SAPUI5 goes open source as OpenUI5, under the Apache 2.0 licence.
    3. 20143 June · SAPPHIRE NOWAfter pressure from user groups, Bill McDermott announces that SAP Fiori is included in SAP licences at no extra cost. Customers who had paid get a credit.
    4. 2015SeptemberThe SAP Fiori 2.0 design concept wins a Red Dot Award: Design Concept.
    5. 20165 MayApple and SAP announce SAP Fiori for iOS, a design language and SDK for native iPhone and iPad apps.
    6. 201631 October · SAP S/4HANA 1610SAP Fiori 2.0 is released, with notifications and the Belize theme.
    7. 2018JuneSAP Fiori for Android is announced with Google.
    8. 2019AprilThe first parts of SAP Fiori 3 ship with SAPUI5 1.65, including the Quartz theme.
    9. 2020SAP S/4HANA 2020Spaces and pages arrive as the alternative to groups on the home page.
    10. 2021Mobile Start, Horizon previewSAP Mobile Start launches. Horizon appears as a preview in SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2111. Groups are deprecated from SAP S/4HANA 2021 FPS01.
    11. 2022Horizon for realHorizon is released for productive use with SAPUI5 1.102. The SAP Fiori Client app leaves the app stores, and the new My Home arrives in SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2208.
    12. 2023JanuarySAP Launchpad service is renamed SAP Build Work Zone, standard edition.
    13. 2024Cloud 2402 and on-premise 2023 FPS01Spaces and pages become the only home page layout in the public cloud. On-premise systems get My Home with SAP S/4HANA 2023 FPS01.
    14. 2025SAPUI5 1.136Belize and Blue Crystal are removed. Apps that still ask for them open in Horizon.
    15. TodayOctober 2026In SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Joule waits behind the diamond icon at the top right, and SAP lists more than 3,000 SAP Fiori apps for SAP S/4HANA in over 600 business roles.

    Four themes in thirteen years

    • Blue Crystalsap_bluecrystal · 2013Removed
    • Belizesap_belize · 2016Removed
    • Quartzsap_fiori_3 · 2019Still available
    • Horizonsap_horizon · 2022Default

    SAPUI5 1.136 removed Belize and Blue Crystal; apps that still ask for them open in Horizon. The launchpad’s default comes from the parameter THEMING_DEFAULT_THEME, which is sap_horizon unless someone changed it.

    Myths

    Six things people get wrong about SAP Fiori

    • MythSAP Fiori is SAPUI5.

      FactSAP Fiori is a design system. SAPUI5 is one way to build it; there are SAP Fiori SDKs for iOS and Android and the framework-free UI5 Web Components.

    • MythThere was an SAP Fiori 1.0.

      FactSAP itself says there never was an SAP Fiori “1”. The first version with a number was 2.0, in 2016.

    • MythSAP Fiori was always free.

      FactThe 25 launch apps were sold per user in 2013. They became part of the SAP licence in June 2014, after pressure from customers and user groups.

    • Myth!= excludes a value in a filter.

      FactExclusions are typed as !(=value). The same wrapper excludes ranges, patterns and empty values.

    • MythGroups are gone from the launchpad.

      FactOnly in the public cloud, since 2402. On-premise, groups are deprecated since SAP S/4HANA 2021 FPS01 and may be removed in a future release.

    • Myth“Fiori” means flower.

      FactIt is Italian for flowers, in the plural. One flower is “fiore”.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the difference between SAP Fiori, SAPUI5 and SAP Fiori elements?

    SAP Fiori is the design system: how SAP screens look and behave. SAPUI5 is the JavaScript framework most SAP Fiori web apps are built with. SAP Fiori elements are ready-made floorplans (list report, object page, overview page, analytical list page and worklist) that build an app from an OData service and its annotations, with little or no UI code.

    How do I find the SAP Fiori app that replaces a transaction?

    Search the SAP Fiori apps reference library by transaction code, or upload the list of transactions your users run under Get SAP Fiori App Recommendations. Before an upgrade, SAP Readiness Check shows which of the apps you use are deprecated or have a successor.

    How do I find the ID of the app I am in?

    Open the user menu and choose About: it shows the app ID, the application component and the SAPUI5 version. Put the app ID in the library search to see its business roles, catalogs and OData services. Ctrl+Shift+Alt+P adds the user agent and the app’s root URL.

    Can I still run SAP GUI transactions from the launchpad?

    Yes. Classic transactions open inside the launchpad as SAP GUI for HTML apps, and the App Finder can show the SAP Easy Access and user menus, where you can search by transaction code. What you can open still depends on your roles.

    The launchpad shows old content after a transport. What should be cleared?

    Launchpad content: report /UI2/INVALIDATE_GLOBAL_CACHES (or /UI2/INVALIDATE_CLIENT_CACHES for one client). A changed app: /UI5/APP_INDEX_CALCULATE. Changed OData metadata: /IWFND/CACHE_CLEANUP on the front-end server and /IWBEP/CACHE_CLEANUP on the back end. Then the HTTP server cache in SMICM. SAP knowledge base article 2517585 lists them all.

    Where is Joule in the launchpad?

    In SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Joule opens from the diamond icon at the top right of the launchpad, once it has been set up for the system.

    References

    Checked in October 2026. Knowledge base articles need an SAP for Me login.