Disclosed are examples of systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for overriding component attributes in a web application builder. A database system maintains a multi-tenant database associated with a number of users and a number of web application components each with one or more component attributes. The system displays a user interface for the web application builder framework with a layout including a number of web application components, and processes decorator rules for rendering the components. The system also processes decorator override rules for some attributes of the components. The system displays the prepared user interface with decorator rules and overrides, and, based on a user request to access one or more attributes of the components, presents those attributes for display with the decorator override rules applied.