diff --git a/api.py b/api.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea41356
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+from datetime import datetime
+from typing import Any
+
+from fastapi import APIRouter
+import pandas as pd
+
+from singletons import grids, lib, PGroup
+
+
+router = APIRouter()
+
+
+@router.post("/tables/{pgroup}/append")
+def append(pgroup: PGroup, row: dict[str, Any]):
+    now = datetime.now()
+
+    df = pd.DataFrame(row, index=[now])
+    lib.append(pgroup, df)
+
+    now = str(now) # nicegui converts datetime to str
+    row = {"index": now, **row} # setdefault would not force index to be the first column
+
+    res = []
+    for grid in grids[pgroup]:
+        grid.append(row)
+        res.append(grid.options)
+
+    return res
+
+
+
diff --git a/singletons.py b/singletons.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3280ee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/singletons.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+from collections import defaultdict
+from typing import Annotated
+
+import arcticdb as adb
+from fastapi import Path
+
+from registry import Registry
+
+
+PGroup = Annotated[str, Path(pattern=r"^p\d{5}$")]
+
+
+uri = "lmdb://adb"
+ac = adb.Arctic(uri)
+
+lib = ac.get_library(
+    "stand",
+    create_if_missing=True,
+    library_options=adb.LibraryOptions(dynamic_schema=True)
+)
+
+
+grids = defaultdict(Registry)
+
+
+
diff --git a/stand.py b/stand.py
index fabd3ae..ff9643f 100755
--- a/stand.py
+++ b/stand.py
@@ -1,44 +1,26 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
-from collections import defaultdict
 from datetime import datetime
-from typing import Annotated, Any
 
 import arcticdb as adb
 import pandas as pd
-from fastapi import APIRouter, Path
 from nicegui import app, ui
 
+from api import router as api_router
+
 from auth.login import router as login_router
 from auth.logout import logout
 from auth.mw import AuthMiddleware
 from auth.secret import get_secret
 
 from aggridx import aggridx
-from registry import Registry
+from singletons import grids, lib, PGroup
 
 
 app.include_router(login_router)
 app.add_middleware(AuthMiddleware)
 
 
-PGroup = Annotated[str, Path(pattern=r"^p\d{5}$")]
-
-
-uri = "lmdb://adb"
-ac = adb.Arctic(uri)
-
-lib = ac.get_library(
-    "stand",
-    create_if_missing=True,
-    library_options=adb.LibraryOptions(dynamic_schema=True)
-)
-
-
-router = APIRouter()
-grids = defaultdict(Registry)
-
-
 OPTIONS = {
     ":getRowId": "(params) => params.data.index", # set row ID to index column
     "context": {"pgroup": None},
@@ -145,25 +127,8 @@ def table_deny(pgroup):
         ui.label(f"access to {pgroup} denied").classes("text-2xl")
 
 
-@router.post("/tables/{pgroup}/append")
-def append(pgroup: PGroup, row: dict[str, Any]):
-    now = datetime.now()
 
-    df = pd.DataFrame(row, index=[now])
-    lib.append(pgroup, df)
-
-    now = str(now) # nicegui converts datetime to str
-    row = {"index": now, **row} # setdefault would not force index to be the first column
-
-    res = []
-    for grid in grids[pgroup]:
-        grid.append(row)
-        res.append(grid.options)
-
-    return res
-
-
-app.include_router(router)
+app.include_router(api_router)
 
 ui.run(
     title="stand",