Did you know that you can create an app without writing any code? With AI, building apps has never been easier.
This guide will walk you through how to create an app using AI features in no-code platforms like Adalo, covering everything from customizing templates to publishing to the app stores.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How no-code platforms work with AI
- How to design, build, and customize your app
- Publishing and promoting your app using AI
Let’s start with an overview of no-code builders.
What Is a No-Code App Builder?
These are tools that let you create your very own app without typing code. No-code app builders use drag-and-drop interfaces that function like the design tool Canva. Using your mouse, you’ll slide pictures, text boxes, buttons, and other elements on a building canvas.
Most no-code app builders now come with AI features that help automate tasks such as generating content or suggesting design elements based on user inputs.
These tools also allow you to publish your app as a web app that is accessible on internet browsers. A few no-code app builders also let you publish a native mobile app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Native mobile apps pack the most punch because they’re downloaded directly onto users’ phones. This means native mobile apps can easily use a phone's mobile drivers, camera, GPS, and more.
Additionally, the app stores have over 1 billion combined monthly users searching the app store exclusively for an app. So, getting your app on the app store could give you serious marketing traction.
What Is AI App Development?
Let’s make one thing clear: AI hasn’t reached the point where it can take a simple 300-word prompt and spin up a ready-to-publish app, just like Dall-e and Midjourney can draw pictures on command.
You might be asking if AI can build an app for me. While AI cannot yet fully create an app on its own, it plays a significant supporting role. From creating custom templates to organizing your database, AI can assist you throughout the app development process without any coding.
Here are just a few ways AI can be leveraged in app development:
- Sorting or structuring data automatically saves tons of time.
- Jumpstart your app-building by generating a unique template from your prompt. However, you’ll need to edit and customize everything to ensure the app truly meets your needs.
- Generating unique text and images for your app with a simple prompt.
- An AI feature can be a functionality for your app, such as a translation tool connected to an AI service like Open AI (the makers of Chat GPT).
In sum, AI in app development is best described as a powerful tool that can bolster no-code app development. You can also plug AI services into your app that users can leverage, giving your app some serious power. But AI won’t create your app for you.
How To Use AI To Create an App: The Tools You’ll Need
Before we get into the meat of no-code app development with an AI power-up, you’ll need to draw up an app-building plan. Doing this will guide you through building your app. So, get these 3 things sorted out first:
- Adalo, a no-code app builder with AI functionalities: It is one of the leading no-code app building platforms on the market today. It leverages AI tools, such as a data sorting tool, that you can use while building your app.
Adalo is the no-code platform we’ve recommended most over the years because it provides a seamless and intuitive user experience with the perfect balance of power. You’ll have all the tools and functionalities to bring almost any app idea to life.
- The app type you want and its features: Are you building a booking app for your gym or nail salon, an ordering app for your restaurant, or a slick client-management system?
While it may seem obvious, knowing the exact type of app you want to build will tie up any loose ends, providing you with a solid foundation. You’ll also want to list out your features.
List the specific features you wish to include, such as an automated chatbot, editing for written content, data analysis, or anything else.
- Wireframes (digital blueprints): Creating plans for how your screens will appear and what functions will go on each one will help you visualize how your app will appear, resulting in a smooth app-building process.
To streamline your process, use a free online wireframing service like Miro. You’ll be able to see your app’s structure on screens and rejig it using a drag-and-drop interface.
The 3 Pieces of Any App
When you build your app with Adalo, you’ll be able to create every piece of it — you won’t need to use a third-party platform to build your database or backend. Here’s an overview of the 3 parts of any app:
- The Frontend: This is the part of the app that users will see, tap, and interact with. It’s sometimes called the “User Interface” (UI), and it’s made up of every picture, button, screen, and more.
You’ll need a frontend that balances beauty and simplicity — if not, users might ditch your app. Luckily, Adalo provides the tools to craft an eye-catching frontend. You’ll have tons of templates to get started with, along with loads of premade screens and other elements.
- The Backend: Although you won’t see your backend, you’ll see what it does. Commonly known as an app’s brain, it will connect to third-party programs like ChatGPT, pull up data from your database, switch screens, and much more.
- The Database: All the information users enter into your app is stored in the database. You’ll be able to structure your data to your tastes and get a little help organizing your database with Adalo’s AI tool, Magic Text.
We’ll talk more about your database in detail in Step 3.
As we said earlier, your backend and database are all pre-packaged in Adalo. However, if you already have a backend and a database through a tool like Xano, Google Sheets, or Airtable, you’ll be able to integrate it with your Adalo account in a few seamless clicks of the mouse.
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7 Simple Steps: Creating Your App with AI in Adalo
Step 1: Pick an App Template
Adalo lets you create your app using a premade template, which has all the screens, elements, databases, and backend functions you need. Adalo has dozens of templates — here are some popular ones:
- An appointment app template for creating a booking app is great for salons, barbershops, and other service providers.
- Ordering app template for restaurants, cafes, and other food businesses.
- Real-estate template to list properties for rent and for sale properties.
- A template for building e-commerce apps.
While Adalo also lets you create your app from scratch, we recommend you start with a template because doing so will accelerate your app building. You’ll already have the components and tools you need right before you — all you need to do is customize it.
Step 2: Customizing Your Template
We can’t mention enough that Adalo allows you to transform your template into an app that looks and feels exactly how you want it. You’ll do this with Adalo’s powerful app-building interface, which has all the tools for crafting your app.
Adalo’s app-building interface has all the pieces for you to customize, configure, re-size, and re-organize your app. It’s made up of these 3 parts:
- The Building Canvas: Located in the center of your screen, your building canvas is essentially your app’s blueprint — it displays all your app screens.
Click on a screen, and you can also reposition and resize elements such as images, text boxes, and buttons by using your mouse to drag, expand, or shrink them. Any change you make will happen in real time and live on your Building Canvas.
- The Horizontal Ribbon: This horizontal bar stretches across the top of your screen, and it’s the part of your Building Interface that you’ll use the least. It allows you to edit your Adalo profile and send a link to people to download your app. It also has a “Preview App” function.
- The Editing Dashboard: This essential part of Adalo’s Building Interface is where you’ll spend most of your time editing and customizing your app. It drops down vertically on the left-hand side of your screen.
You’ll find tools for adding or deleting elements, publishing to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, customizing colors and elements, and other critical functions.
The Editing Dashboard’s Functionalities
Float your cursor above each functionality’s icon to see the tasks it executes. Here’s a list of each function and its job, starting from the very top:
- Add Component/Add Screen (a large “+” icon in a colorful circle): This button will create new pages (also called screens), plugins, forms, buttons, and more. You’ll use this function more than any other when building your app, which is why it’s so large and at the top of the Editing Dashboard.
- Branding Button (artist’s palette icon): This function switches your app’s color theme and font type.
- Screens (screen icon): Click this for rapid navigation between your app’s screens — this is particularly useful if you’re building a complex app with loads of screens.
- Database Collections (spreadsheet icon): This is where all your app’s data, which will grow continuously as people use your app, lives. We’ll discuss customizing your data more in Step 3.
- Settings (gear/cog icon): This function lets you write up a description of your app, connect to an API, upload your app’s icon, and more.
- Publish (double checkmark icon): You’ll visit this function when you’re publishing your app, which we’ll discuss in greater detail in Step 7.
- Analytics (chart icon): After you’ve published your app, use this function to see your app’s users, where they’re from, most popular screens, and more.
- Version History (circled check mark inside a rectangle icon): You can make up to 10 iterations of your app — use this to access each one.
- Hire an expert (check mark inside a spiked circle icon): If you want to hire an Adalo pro to build out your app, do so here.
Step 3: Configuring Your Database and Using Magic Text
Before we walk you through Adalo’s nifty AI database feature, Magic Text, we’ll walk you through the database itself. You’ll access your database by pushing the “Screens” button on the Editing dashboard.
Each Adalo template has its database, which is made up of the 3 following parts:
1. Collections: These data groups, stored in a spreadsheet, can be changed and customized by clicking the collection’s name in the editing box that appears when you select the “Database” button.
To make a brand new collection, click “Add to Database” and start customizing.
2. Properties: Your properties are the row titles at the top of each collection. You can add or delete them by pushing the “Add to Properties” button from your “Database” function on the Editing Dashboard.
3. Records: These are the actual data that live inside each cell in your collections. Every time a user enters info, it’s stored as a record in your app. Examples can be payment amounts, order types, shared pictures, and much more.
How to Plug In an External Database
Connecting your pre-existing database to your Adalo app is simple: Push the “Add External Collection” button from the “Database” function and follow the instructions for connecting your third-party database.
Magic Text: Adalo’s AI Tool
Adalo’s AI feature, Magic Text, works with your database by automatically bringing info to needed components. For instance, let’s say you’re building an e-commerce app.
You just entered all your products and information, such as prices, pictures, and descriptions, into your database as collections and properties. Now, you need to list your products’ prices and info on a simple screen so clients can see your selection.
Magic Text makes this easy. Here’s how to use it for a Simple List:
- Find the simple list component from the components tab by pressing the “+” button.
- Drag it over to a screen and click on it.
- In the editing box that pops up, scroll down to “title.”
- Click on the tab. Below the bar where you’ll enter text, you’ll see a red “T” icon with a star on its upper right hand side — this is your Magic Text Button.
- Press the Magic Text Button to see a list of your collections and properties. Select the property you want to add to your list. For our e-commerce example, you can pull out the name of the merchandise in properties for the title.
- Next, for “subtitle,” press the Magic Text Button and select the Price from properties. Magic text will sort and match each item on the list with items in your database, so you won’t need to do it manually.
Magic text will save time when you’re working on displaying items from your database, making it easier to build your app.
Step 4: Adding Components and Screens
You’ll most likely want to add new screens or features that aren’t already included in the template screens. Do this by following these steps:
- Press the all-important “+” button and select the “Add New Screen” tab. Scroll through the screen options, then drag the one you want over to your building canvas.
- Return to the “+” button and hit the “Add New Component” tab to find the elements you need. You’ll have an array of lists, forms, buttons, and other components to add to your app by dragging them onto your Building Canvas.
- Customize each component, list, form, and image by clicking on it in the Building Canvas and editing it to your taste using the editing box that configures the color, contents, and other elements.
- Want a specialized component or plugin like a star ranking tool, messaging bot, or slide-screen function? Just scroll down to the “Explore Marketplace” button, push it, and you’ll find dozens of free and paid plugins and add-ons.
- To delete a screen, press the “Screens” button, find your unwanted screen, press the 3 vertical dots, and select “Delete Screen.”
- Deleting components is even more straightforward: From your Building Canvas, click on the form, button, image, or element, then press “Delete” on your keyboard. Uh-oh, delete something on accident? Just use the time-tested “Ctrl+z” command, and you’re saved.
Step 5: App Previews
To see how your app looks on devices like a desktop, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, or iPhone, click the “View App” button on the right side of your Horizontal Ribbon. Press “Staging Preview,” and a live version of your app will appear.
It’s a good idea to click through your app and see how everything looks. When you find any issues, fix them immediately. An app that appears poorly will tarnish your reputation as an app developer.
Step 6: Integrating Adalo’s Ask ChatGPT Custom Action
Adalo comes packed with 1,000s of integrations, and ChatGPT is one of them. You can use ChatGPT to execute various tasks, from creating an automated chatbot that answers user questions to providing a translation feature and more.
Here’s how to integrate ChatGPT into your Adalo app:
- First things first: You’ll need to get an OpenAI (the folks who make ChatGPT) account.
- In your settings tab, OpenAI, find the OpenAI API key. Copy it.
- Return to Adalo; on your Editing Dashboard, push the “Settings” icon and scroll down to “Connect APIs.” Paste your OpenAI key in the available space.
- Click on a screen’s component, then scroll down to “Add Action.” Find the ChatGPT integration and add it to your app.
Step 7: Taking Payments
If your app requires users to pay for goods or services, Adalo’s Stripe integration offers an efficient payment solution. Setting this up is simple — just go to Stripe’s account setup page, follow the instructions, and create an account.
Now, navigate back to your Adalo’s Editing Dashboard and press the all-important “+” button. After clicking the “Add Components” tab, find the Stripe form and drag it over to the screen you have set up for payments. After providing the needed info, you’re ready to get paid.
Step 8: Publishing on the Web in the App Stores
Adalo lets you publish your app on the web, the Apple App Store, and Google Play Store. This allows users to find your app with a Google search and puts your app in front of the billion-plus monthly app-store visitors.
First, let’s walk through the steps for publishing a web app:
- Select your profile in the Horizontal Ribbon.
- Select “Settings,” navigate down to “Domain,” and enter your web address (www.domain.co). Don’t have a domain? Get one from GoDaddy.
- On your Editing Dashboard, scroll down to “Publishing,” select “Web App, ” and follow the instructions.
Once you finish, your app will be live on Google!
Publishing to the Apple App and Google Play Stores
Publishing your app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store is a bit more complex than publishing to the web. But we’ve already mentioned the advantages having a native mobile app brings — so let's get into the publishing steps:
- Research and description writing: In the app store’s search bar, find other apps that perform the same function as yours. For instance, if you’re making a real-estate app for small apartment rentals, type in “small apartment rental app.”
Read through the titles and descriptions, and note the keywords they use. Then, use these keywords in your descriptions and your synonyms, such as “one-bedroom apartments for rent.”
And, if you’re appealing to a certain geographic area, include it in your description so you can reach your target audience more quickly.
Both app stores allow descriptions of up to 4,000 characters — but we recommend you keep your description short and to the point. Include bullet-point lists of features and functions to keep readers engaged. Readers tend to avoid large blocks of text.
- Make an attention-grabbing icon: You’ll need an icon that will go right beside your app title in the app store search results. If you create an eye-grabbing icon, your app will stand out from the rest.
Don’t worry: You needn’t be a graphic design expert to create a compelling icon. Sign up for an app-icon-building tool like Looka and make something cool.
- Submit the best screenshots and videos: Screenshots and videos illustrate your app’s unique features and functionalities. It goes without saying, but ensure these are high-quality, clear, and useful in communicating how your app works.
Screenshots and videos that don’t show how certain features work will frustrate people searching for an app they need to improve their lives, and they’ll most likely avoid downloading a poorly described product.
Ok! Let’s get into publishing.
Publishing to the Apple App Store
Create an Apple developer account on the iOS developer page and pay the annual recurring fee of $99. You must sign up for Testflight, an Apple program. Apple will enlist hundreds of people to test your app and provide feedback — you can also invite up to 10,000 of your testers.
The testers will give you feedback about your app, which you should meticulously review. Make the necessary changes and updates. Then, return to Adalo, press “Publish” on the Editing Dashboard, and follow the iOS directions.
Apple’s app approval time typically takes between 24 to 48 hours.
Publishing to the Google Play Store
Find the Android developer account page, make an account, pay the one-time $25 fee, and sign up for the app-testing program Google offers.
After the testing and you’ve made changes, press the “Publish” button on your Adalo Editing Dashboard and follow Android’s instructions. Generally, Google has a shorter app approval period, which can be as short as a few hours or as long as a few days.
Next Steps: Expanding Your User Base, Checking Analytics, and Upkeep
After releasing your app, your job shifts from “app builder” to “app maintainer.” Importantly, watch for issues your app encounters, such as bugs, glitches, or crashing screens. Fix these immediately — a malfunctioning app will upset users and make you look bad.
Use the “Analytics” button on your Editing Dashboard to see how your app performs, where your users are from, and your most popular screens. You can use the information you learn from your analytics function to improve your app or reach a wider audience.
One of the best ways to reach a wider audience is by undertaking an app-marketing strategy. If you’re unsure how to start, look at our guide for app marketing, which illustrates different tools and tactics you can implement to get more app downloads.
Ultimately, maintaining and marketing the app you created using AI takes daily effort. But if you’re consistent and thoroughly monitor your app while following our marketing advice daily, you’ll most likely succeed at your goals and provide folks with a high-quality and useful app.
