Step-by-Step Guide: Building a Udemy Clone with Adalo

Building an online course platform has never been more accessible. With Adalo's no-code builder, you can create a fully functional educational marketplace similar to Udemy without writing a single line of code. This comprehensive guide will walk you through building a course platform featuring instructor dashboards, student enrollment, video lessons, progress tracking, payment processing, and certificates, all using visual development tools.

Coursera alone reported over 92 million registered learners by 2021. Whether you're an educator, training provider, or entrepreneur, this guide will show you how to launch your own course marketplace in 2-5 weeks.

What Is a No-Code App Builder and Why Use It for an Online Course Platform

Understanding No-Code Development

A no-code app builder is a visual platform that enables users to create functional applications through drag-and-drop interfaces rather than traditional programming. These tools provide pre-built components, database management, and deployment capabilities—eliminating the need for coding expertise while maintaining professional functionality.

No-code platforms function by allowing you to:

• Design relational databases visually
• Create user flows and navigation
• Deploy interactive features like video lessons and quizzes
• Publish to multiple platforms (web, iOS, Android)

All through a graphical user interface that feels more like designing a presentation than writing software.

How No-Code Platforms Differ from Traditional Development

Traditional app development requires:

• Hiring developers or learning programming languages (JavaScript, Swift, Kotlin)
• Managing separate frontend and backend systems
• Configuring servers and deployment infrastructure
• Extensive testing and debugging cycles
• Significantly higher development costs than no-code solutions

No-code development with Adalo provides:

• Visual drag-and-drop interface for all components
• Integrated database management
• One-click publishing to web and app stores
• Built-in user authentication and security
• Typical development time of 2-5 weeks for no-code platforms vs. months for custom code

Why Adalo Is Ideal for Building Course Platforms

Adalo excels at educational platforms because it offers:

• Built-in relational database for managing courses, students, instructors, and enrollments
• Unlimited screens and actions to create complex learning workflows
• Video and media support for course content delivery
• Payment integration with Stripe for course monetization
• Responsive design that works seamlessly across devices
• Component marketplace with educational-specific add-ons

Planning Your Udemy Clone: Features Every Online Learning Platform Needs

Before building, map out your platform's core functionality. A successful course marketplace needs features for three user types: students, instructors, and administrators.

Core Features: Course Browsing and Enrollment

For Students:

• Browse course catalog with search and filters
• View course details (description, curriculum, instructor bio, reviews)
• Preview sample lessons
• Enroll in courses (free or paid)
• Access purchased courses
• Track learning progress
• Download certificates upon completion

For Instructors:

• Create and publish courses
• Upload video lessons and supplementary materials
• Organize content into sections and lectures
• Set course pricing and enrollment options
• View student enrollment and progress
• Respond to student questions
• Track earnings

For Platform Owners:

• User management (students and instructors)
• Content moderation and approval
• Payment processing and revenue sharing
• Analytics and reporting
• Platform settings and customization

Advanced Features: Certificates and Progress Tracking

Enhanced learning platforms include:

• Progress tracking: Lesson completion status, overall course percentage, last accessed content
• Certificate generation: Automated certificates with student name, course title, completion date
• Quiz and assessment tools: Knowledge checks, final exams, passing criteria
• Discussion forums: Course-specific Q&A, peer interaction
• Wishlists and favorites: Save courses for later
• Learning paths: Curated course sequences for specific skills

Coursera and Gallup research shows 81% of learners report skill improvement after completing online courses, making effective progress tracking essential for learner outcomes.

Monetization: Integrating Payment Systems

Your platform needs flexible payment options:

• One-time course purchases: Fixed price per course
• Subscription access: Monthly/annual all-access passes
• Freemium model: Free courses with premium upgrades
• Revenue sharing: Split payments between platform and instructors
• Promotional codes: Discount and marketing capabilities

Ensuring your payment flow works smoothly across all devices is critical for conversion.

Setting Up Your Adalo Account and Choosing the Right Plan

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account

1. Visit Adalo.com
2. Click "Get Started Free"
3. Sign up with email or Google account
4. Verify your email address
5. Complete the welcome survey (optional)

Step 2: Start Your Course Platform App

1. From your dashboard, click "Create New App"
2. Choose "Mobile App" for cross-platform compatibility
3. Name your app (e.g., "LearnHub" or "EduMarket")
4. Start from scratch or explore Adalo's marketplace and cloneable kits for potential starting templates
5. Click "Continue" to enter the app builder

Free Plan: Testing Your Udemy Clone Concept

The Adalo free plan is perfect for prototyping:

What's Included:

• Unlimited test apps
• 200 records per app (current Free plan limit per Adalo’s pricing). 
• 1 editor seat
• Unlimited screens and actions
• Web publishing on Adalo subdomain
• Access to Component Marketplace
• Community forum support

Limitations:

• No custom domain
• Cannot publish to app stores
• Limited database records
• Adalo branding on app

This tier lets you build and test your entire course platform structure before investing in a paid plan.

When to Upgrade: Starter vs Professional Plans

Note: Verify current pricing, storage limits, and features on Adalo's pricing page as these details change regularly.

Starter Plan (approximately $36/month annually, $45 monthly):

• 1 published app
• Custom domain for web apps
• Remove Adalo branding
• Storage for course content
• Publish to App Store and Google Play

Professional Plan (approximately $52/month annually, $65 monthly):

• 2 published apps
• 5 collaborator seats
• Increased storage per app
• Custom integrations via API
• Geolocation features
• Priority support

Team Plan (approximately $160/month annually, $200 monthly):

• 5 published apps
• 10 editor seats
• Xano integration for advanced backends (verify availability on pricing page)
• Priority support

For a course platform with video content, start with the Starter plan to accommodate media storage needs, then upgrade to Professional as you add instructors and collaborators.

Designing Your Database Structure for Courses, Students, and Instructors

The database is your app's foundation. Adalo's relational database makes complex data modeling accessible without SQL knowledge.

Step 3: Enhance the Users Collection

Adalo automatically creates a Users collection. Customize it for your platform:

1. Click the Database icon in the left sidebar
2. Select the Users collection
3. Add these properties (click "+ Add Property"):

Basic Profile:

• Full Name (Text) - already exists
• Email (Email) - already exists
• Password (Password) - already exists
• Profile Photo (Image)
• Bio (Text - Multiline)
• User Type (Text) - Options: "Student", "Instructor", "Admin"

Instructor-Specific:

• Instructor Title (Text) - e.g., "Marketing Expert"
• Expertise Areas (Text)
• Total Students (Number)
• Average Rating (Number)
• Total Earnings (Number)
• Payout Email (Email)

Student-Specific:

• Enrolled Courses Count (Number)
• Completed Courses (Number)
• Learning Hours (Number)

Creating the Users Table: Students and Instructors

Your Users collection serves both students and instructors. Use the User Type property to:

• Show different dashboards based on user type
• Filter displayed content
• Control permissions and access
• Track role-specific metrics

This single-table approach simplifies authentication while maintaining flexibility.

Step 4: Create the Courses Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Courses"
3. Add these properties:

Course Information:

• Title (Text)
• Subtitle (Text)
• Description (Text - Multiline)
• Course Image (Image)
• Promo Video (Video or Text URL)
• Category (Text) - Options: "Business", "Technology", "Design", "Marketing", etc.
• Difficulty Level (Text) - Options: "Beginner", "Intermediate", "Advanced", "All Levels"
• Language (Text)
• Duration Minutes (Number)
• Last Updated (Date & Time)
• Created Date (Date & Time - Automatic)

Enrollment & Pricing:

• Price (Number)
• Is Free (True/False)
• Discount Price (Number)
• Total Enrollments (Number)
• Course Status (Text) - Options: "Draft", "Published", "Archived"

Quality Metrics:

• Average Rating (Number)
• Total Reviews (Number)
• Certificate Included (True/False)

Step 5: Create the Sections Collection

Courses need organized curriculum structure:

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Sections"
3. Add properties:

• Section Title (Text)
• Section Number (Number)
• Description (Text)
• Created Date (Date & Time - Automatic)

Step 6: Create the Lessons Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Lessons"
3. Add properties:

Lesson Content:

• Lesson Title (Text)
• Lesson Number (Number)
• Video URL (Text) - For externally hosted videos
• Video File (Video) - For Adalo-hosted videos (limited by storage)
• Lesson Duration (Number) - in minutes
• Description (Text - Multiline)
• Is Preview (True/False) - Allow free preview
• Downloadable Resources (File)

Note: For video hosting, consider using YouTube, Vimeo, or external collections to avoid storage limits. Adalo storage is better suited for course images and PDFs.

Step 7: Create the Enrollments Collection

Track student-course relationships:

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Enrollments"
3. Add properties:

• Enrollment Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
• Progress Percentage (Number)
• Last Accessed (Date & Time)
• Completed (True/False)
• Completion Date (Date & Time)
• Certificate Issued (True/False)

Step 8: Create the Lesson Progress Collection

Track individual lesson completion:

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Lesson Progress"
3. Add properties:

• Completed (True/False)
• Completed Date (Date & Time)
• Watch Time (Number) - seconds watched
• Last Position (Number) - resume playback point

Step 9: Create the Reviews Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Reviews"
3. Add properties:

• Rating (Number) - 1-5 scale
• Review Text (Text - Multiline)
• Created Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
• Helpful Count (Number) - for "Was this helpful?" feature

Step 10: Create the Payments Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Payments"
3. Add properties:

• Amount (Number)
• Currency (Text)
• Payment Method (Text)
• Stripe Payment ID (Text)
• Status (Text) - Options: "Pending", "Completed", "Failed", "Refunded"
• Payment Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
• Platform Fee (Number)
• Instructor Payout (Number)

Step 11: Set Up Database Relationships

Relationships connect your collections. Set these up carefully:

Courses Collection:

1. Add relationship to Users: "Instructor" (A User can have many Courses)
2. Add relationship to Sections: One-to-Many (A Course has many Sections)
3. Add relationship to Reviews: One-to-Many

Sections Collection:

1. Relationship to Courses: Many-to-One (already created above)
2. Add relationship to Lessons: One-to-Many (A Section has many Lessons)

Lessons Collection:

1. Relationship to Sections: Many-to-One (already created)

Enrollments Collection:

1. Add relationship to Users: "Student" (Many-to-One)
2. Add relationship to Courses: Many-to-One
3. Add relationship to Lesson Progress: One-to-Many

Lesson Progress Collection:

1. Relationship to Enrollments: Many-to-One (already created)
2. Add relationship to Lessons: Many-to-One

Reviews Collection:

1. Relationship to Courses: Many-to-One (already created)
2. Add relationship to Users: "Reviewer" (Many-to-One)

Payments Collection:

1. Add relationship to Users: "Student" (who paid)
2. Add relationship to Users: "Instructor" (who receives payout)
3. Add relationship to Courses: Many-to-One
4. Add relationship to Enrollments: One-to-One

This relational structure enables complex queries like "Show all courses by this instructor" or "Calculate total earnings per instructor."

Building the User Interface: Course Catalog and Browse Screens

Step 12: Set Your App Theme

1. Click the Settings gear icon
2. Navigate to Branding
3. Choose colors:
   
   • Primary color: Your brand color (e.g., deep blue for trust)
   • Secondary color: Accent for CTAs (e.g., orange for enrollment buttons)
   • Background: White or light gray for readability
4. Select fonts:
   
   • Heading font: Bold, modern sans-serif
   • Body font: Clean, readable sans-serif
5. Upload your logo

Step 13: Build the Welcome Screen

1. Rename the default screen to "Welcome"
2. Add components:
   
   • Image: Your platform logo
   • Text (Headline): "Learn Anything, Anywhere"
   • Text (Subheading): "Join thousands of learners mastering new skills"
   • Button: "Browse Courses" → Link to "Course Catalog"
   • Button: "Sign Up" → Link to "Sign Up"
   • Button: "Login" → Link to "Login"

Step 14: Create Authentication Screens

Sign Up Screen:

1. Add new screen "Sign Up"
2. Add Form component:
   
   • Connect to: Users collection
   • Fields: Email, Password, Full Name
3. Add Dropdown for User Type:
   
   • Options: "I want to learn" (Student), "I want to teach" (Instructor)
4. Add Submit Button: "Create Account"
5. Actions on submit:
   
   • Create User
   • If User Type = Instructor → Navigate to "Instructor Setup"
   • If User Type = Student → Navigate to "Student Dashboard"

Login Screen:

1. Add new screen "Login"
2. Add Login Form:
   
   • Email field
   • Password field
   • "Forgot Password?" link
3. Submit actions:
   
   • Log in user
   • If User Type = Instructor → "Instructor Dashboard"
   • If User Type = Student → "Student Dashboard"

Creating the Home Screen with Featured Courses

Step 15: Build the Course Catalog

1. Add new screen "Course Catalog"

2. Add Search Bar at top:

• Placeholder: "Search courses..."
• Search: Courses collection
• Search by: Title, Description, Category

3. Add Horizontal List for categories:

• Source: Create a static list or use course categories
• Display: Category buttons
• Filter courses when clicked

4. Add List component for courses:

• Source: Courses collection
• Filter: Course Status = "Published"
• Sort by: Most popular or Newest

5. For each course in list, display:

• Image: Course Image
• Text: Course Title
• Text: Instructor Name (Course → Instructor → Full Name)
• Text: Price (or "Free" if Is Free = true)
• Star Rating: Average Rating
• Text: Total Enrollments
• Click Action: Navigate to "Course Detail" screen, send current course

Adding Search and Filter Functionality

Step 16: Add Advanced Filters

1. On Course Catalog screen, add filter section:

• Dropdown: Category filter
• Dropdown: Price (Free, Paid, All)
• Dropdown: Difficulty Level
• Dropdown: Rating (4+ stars, 3+ stars, etc.)

2. Update List component filters to use selected values

3. Add "Clear Filters" button to reset

Designing Course Detail Pages

Step 17: Create Course Detail Screen

1. Add new screen "Course Detail"
2. This screen receives: Current Course (from previous screen)
3. Add components:

Header Section:

• Image: Course Image (full width)
• Text (H1): Course Title
• Text: Course Subtitle
• Text: "By [Instructor Name]"
• Link: Instructor profile (navigate to Instructor Profile screen)

Quick Info Bar:

• Star Rating: Average Rating
• Text: "([Total Reviews] reviews)"
• Text: "[Total Enrollments] students"
• Text: "Last updated: [Last Updated date]"
• Icon + Text: Duration
• Icon + Text: Difficulty Level
• Icon + Text: Language

Description Section:

• Text (H2): "What you'll learn"
• Text: Description
• Button: "Show more/less" (for long descriptions)

Curriculum Section:

• Text (H2): "Course Content"
• Text: "[X] sections • [Y] lectures • [Z]h total"
• List: Sections
  
  • For each section:
    
    • Text: Section Title
    • Expandable List: Lessons in this section
      
      • Text: Lesson Title
      • Icon: Play icon if video
      • Text: Duration
      • Lock Icon: If not enrolled and not preview lesson
      • "Preview" badge: If Is Preview = true

Reviews Section:

• Text (H2): "Student Reviews"
• Average Rating Display: Large star rating + number
• List: Recent reviews (limit 5)
  
  • Student name
  • Rating
  • Review text
  • Date
• Button: "See all reviews"

Instructor Section:

• Image: Instructor Profile Photo
• Text: Instructor Full Name
• Text: Instructor Title
• Text: Brief bio
• Button: "View full profile"

Enrollment Section (Sticky footer or prominent card):

• Text: Price (or "Free")
• Text: Discount Price (if applicable)
• Button: "Enroll Now" or "Start Learning" if free
  
  • Action: If not logged in → Navigate to Login
  • If logged in → Create Enrollment → Navigate to Course Player
• Button: "Add to Wishlist" (heart icon)

Step 18: Build the Course Player

1. Add new screen "Course Player"
2. This screen receives: Current Enrollment
3. Layout:

Left Sidebar (30% width on desktop, collapsible on mobile):

• Text: Course Title
• Progress Bar: Enrollment → Progress Percentage
• List: Sections → Lessons
  
  • Show completion checkmarks
  • Highlight current lesson
  • Click to change lesson

Main Content Area (70% width):

• Video Player: Current Lesson → Video URL or Video File
• Text (H2): Lesson Title
• Text: Lesson Description
• Button: "Mark as Complete"
  
  • Action: Update Lesson Progress → Completed = True
  • Recalculate enrollment progress
• Downloadable Resources: If lesson has files
• Tabs: "Overview", "Resources", "Q&A"

Navigation:

• Button: "Previous Lesson"
• Button: "Next Lesson"
• Auto-advance option (toggle)

Step 19: Implement Progress Tracking Logic

Mark Lesson Complete Action:

1. Find or Create Lesson Progress record:

• Enrollment = Current Enrollment
• Lesson = Current Lesson

2. Update Lesson Progress:

• Completed = True
• Completed Date = Now

3. Calculate and update enrollment progress:

• Count total lessons in course
• Count completed lesson progress for this enrollment
• Progress Percentage = (Completed / Total) × 100

4. Check for course completion:

• If Progress Percentage = 100:
  
  • Update Enrollment → Completed = True
  • Update Enrollment → Completion Date = Now
  • Navigate to Certificate screen

Effective progress tracking contributes to higher learner engagement, as visual feedback motivates continued learning.

Creating Instructor Dashboards and Course Upload Workflows

Step 20: Build Instructor Dashboard

1. Add new screen "Instructor Dashboard"

2. Add welcome section:

• Text: "Welcome back, [Instructor Name]"
• Image: Profile photo

3. Add stats cards:

• Total Students: Count of all Enrollments for instructor's courses
• Total Courses: Count of instructor's courses
• Total Earnings: Sum of Payments → Instructor Payout where Instructor = Logged In User
• Average Rating: Average of instructor's courses' ratings

4. Add quick actions:

• Button: "Create New Course" → Navigate to Course Builder
• Button: "View Earnings" → Navigate to Earnings screen

5. Add List: Instructor's courses

• For each course show:
  
  • Course title and image
  • Total enrollments
  • Revenue
  • Status (Draft/Published)
  • Button: "Edit" → Navigate to Course Editor
  • Button: "View Students" → Navigate to Course Students screen

Building Multi-Step Course Creation Forms

Step 21: Create Course Builder (Part 1: Basic Info)

1. Add new screen "Course Builder - Basics"

2. Add Form connected to Courses:

• Text Input: Title
• Text Input: Subtitle
• Text Area: Description
• Image Picker: Course Image
• Dropdown: Category
• Dropdown: Difficulty Level
• Dropdown: Language
• Number Input: Price
• Toggle: Is Free
• Submit Button: "Next"

3. On submit:

• Create Course record
• Set Instructor = Logged In User
• Set Course Status = "Draft"
• Navigate to "Course Builder - Curriculum"
• Send newly created course

Step 22: Course Builder (Part 2: Curriculum)

1. Add new screen "Course Builder - Curriculum"

2. This screen receives: Current Course (being created)

3. Display:

• Text: "Build Your Curriculum"
• Button: "Add Section"

4. Add List: Sections for this course

• For each section:
  
  • Text: Section Title
  • Button: "Add Lesson" → Opens lesson form
  • Button: "Edit Section"
  • Button: "Delete Section"
  • List: Lessons in this section
    
    • Lesson title
    • Duration
    • Edit/Delete buttons

5. Add navigation:

• Button: "Back" → Previous screen
• Button: "Save as Draft"
• Button: "Preview Course"
• Button: "Publish Course" → Update Course Status to "Published"

Managing Video Content and Lesson Structure

Step 23: Create Add/Edit Lesson Modal

1. Add new screen "Add Lesson" (or use modal)

2. Add Form connected to Lessons:

• Text Input: Lesson Title
• Number Input: Lesson Number (for ordering)
• Text Area: Description
• Text Input: Video URL (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
• Number Input: Lesson Duration (minutes)
• Toggle: Is Preview (allow free viewing)
• File Picker: Downloadable Resources

3. On submit:

• Create Lesson
• Connect to current Section
• Navigate back to Course Builder

Important: For video hosting, use external platforms (YouTube (free hosting with unlisted/private options; review YouTube's policies for paid course content), Vimeo, Wistia) and store URLs rather than uploading large video files to Adalo. This preserves your storage limits for other assets.

Setting Course Pricing and Visibility

Step 24: Add Publishing Controls

1. On Course Builder screen, add:

• Toggle: "Published" vs "Draft"
• Button: "Preview as Student" → Show course detail view
• Validation: Ensure course has:
  
  • At least 1 section
  • At least 3 lessons
  • Course image
  • Complete description
  • Price set (if not free)

2. Publish action:

• Check validation criteria
• If passes → Update Course Status = "Published"
• If fails → Show error messages listing missing items
• Success message → Navigate to Instructor Dashboard

Implementing Student Enrollment, Progress Tracking, and Certificates

Building the Enrollment and Payment Flow

Step 25: Create Enrollment Process

1. On Course Detail screen, configure "Enroll Now" button:

If course is free:

Actions:

1. Check if user is logged in

   - If not → Navigate to Login screen

2. Check if already enrolled

   - Query Enrollments: Student = Logged In User AND Course = Current Course

   - If exists → Navigate directly to Course Player

3. Create new Enrollment record:

   - Student = Logged In User

   - Course = Current Course

   - Progress Percentage = 0

   - Completed = False

4. Update Course → Total Enrollments (add 1)

5. Navigate to Course Player with new enrollment

If course is paid:

Actions:

1. Check if logged in (same as above)

2. Check if already enrolled (same as above)

3. Navigate to Checkout screen

   - Send Current Course

Step 26: Create Checkout Screen

1. Add new screen "Checkout"

2. This screen receives: Current Course

3. Display:

• Text (H2): "Complete Your Purchase"
• Course summary card:
  
  • Course image
  • Course title
  • Instructor name
  • Price

4. Add Stripe payment component:

• Amount: Course → Price
• Currency: USD (or your currency)
• Customer Email: Logged In User → Email

5. Add payment form:

• Card number
• Expiry date
• CVC
• Billing name
• Billing zip code
• Checkbox: "Save card for future purchases"

6. Add Submit Button: "Complete Enrollment"

7. On successful payment:

• Create Payment record:
  
  • Amount = Course Price
  • Student = Logged In User
  • Instructor = Course → Instructor
  • Stripe Payment ID = [from Stripe response]
  • Status = "Completed"
  • Calculate Platform Fee (e.g., 15%)
  • Calculate Instructor Payout (85%)
• Create Enrollment record (same as free courses)
• Show success message
• Navigate to Course Player

8. On payment failure:

• Show error message
• Allow retry

Tracking Lesson Completion and Overall Progress

Step 27: Build Progress Dashboard for Students

1. Add new screen "My Learning"

2. Add tabs or sections:

• "In Progress"
• "Completed"
• "Wishlist"

3. Add List: Enrollments where Student = Logged In User

• Filter by: Completed status for each tab
• Sort by: Last Accessed

4. For each enrollment, display:

• Image: Course → Course Image
• Text: Course → Title
• Progress Bar: Progress Percentage
• Text: "X of Y lessons complete"
• Text: Last Accessed date
• Button: "Continue Learning" → Navigate to Course Player
• Button: "Download Certificate" (if completed and certificate available)

Generating and Delivering Course Certificates

Step 28: Create Certificate Screen

1. Add new screen "Certificate"

2. This screen receives: Current Enrollment (where Completed = True)

3. Design certificate layout:

• Image: Certificate border/template background
• Text (Large): "Certificate of Completion"
• Text: "This certifies that"
• Text (Large): [Student Full Name]
• Text: "has successfully completed"
• Text (Large): [Course Title]
• Text: "Completed on [Completion Date]"
• Text: "Instructor: [Instructor Name]"
• Image: Platform logo
• Image: Digital signature (optional)

4. Add actions:

• Button: "Download as PDF" (requires PDF component from marketplace)
• Button: "Share on LinkedIn" → Deep link to LinkedIn certification
• Button: "Back to Dashboard"

5. Update enrollment record:

• Certificate Issued = True

‍

Platforms offering certificates see significantly higher completion rates, as credentials provide tangible proof of achievement.

Integrating Payment Systems with Stripe for Course Monetization

Setting Up Stripe in Your Adalo App

Step 29: Configure Stripe Integration

1. Install Stripe component from Adalo Marketplace

2. Get Stripe API keys:

• Go to Stripe Dashboard
• Navigate to Developers → API Keys
• Copy Test keys for development
• Copy Live keys for production

3. In Adalo:

• Go to Settings → Integrations
• Click "Connect" for Stripe
• Paste Publishable Key
• Paste Secret Key
• Save

4. Test with Stripe test cards (Stripe's testing documentation):

• Success: 4242 4242 4242 4242
• Decline: 4000 0000 0000 0002

Creating One-Time and Subscription Course Options

Step 30: Build Subscription Functionality (Optional)

For all-access subscription model:

1. Create new "Subscription Plans" collection:

• Plan Name (Text) - e.g., "Monthly Pro", "Annual Pro"
• Price (Number)
• Interval (Text) - "month" or "year"
• Stripe Price ID (Text)

2. Add to User collection:

• Subscription Status (Text) - "Active", "Cancelled", "Expired"
• Subscription Expiry Date (Date & Time)

3. Create "Subscribe" screen:

• Display plan options
• Stripe subscription payment component
• On successful subscription:
  
  • Update User → Subscription Status = "Active"
  • Set expiry date
  • Grant access to all courses

4. Modify course access logic:

• Allow access if: Enrolled in course OR Subscription Status = "Active"

Managing Instructor Payouts

Step 31: Create Instructor Earnings Dashboard

1. Add new screen "Instructor Earnings"

2. Display:

• Text (H2): "Your Earnings"
• Total Pending: Sum of Instructor Payout where Status = "Pending"
• Total Paid: Sum where Status = "Paid Out"
• Available for Withdrawal: Amount ready to transfer

3. Add List: Payments where Instructor = Logged In User

• Sort by: Payment Date (newest first)
• Filter options: Date range, Status
• Display for each:
  
  • Course title
  • Student name
  • Amount
  • Platform fee
  • Instructor payout
  • Date
  • Status

4. Add Button: "Request Payout"

• Minimum threshold: $50
• Create payout request
• Admin approval workflow

Note: Actual payout processing requires:

• Stripe Connect for automated transfers
• Admin approval system
• Tax documentation (1099 forms for US)
• Payment gateway fees consideration

Adding Reviews, Ratings, and Social Features to Your Platform

Building a Review and Rating System

Step 32: Create Course Review Screen

1. Add new screen "Write Review"

2. This screen receives: Current Enrollment (must be enrolled to review)

3. Add components:

• Text: "Rate [Course Title]"
• Star Rating component (5 stars)
• Text Area: Review text (optional)
• Toggle: "This review is anonymous"
• Submit Button: "Post Review"

4. On submit:

• Create Review record:
  
  • Rating = selected stars
  • Review Text = input text
  • Reviewer = Logged In User
  • Course = Current Course
• Update Course ratings:
  
  • Total Reviews = Total Reviews + 1
  • Average Rating = (sum of all ratings) / Total Reviews
• Update Instructor ratings:
  
  • Recalculate average across all courses
• Show thank you message
• Navigate back to Course Detail

Step 33: Display Reviews on Course Page

Already covered in Step 17, but add functionality:

1. Sort reviews by: Most Recent, Highest Rated, Lowest Rated

2. Add "Helpful" voting:

• Create "Review Votes" collection
• Each vote links User to Review
• Display helpful count
• Prevent duplicate votes

3. Filter reviews:

• By rating (5 stars, 4 stars, etc.)
• Show percentage breakdown of ratings

Creating Discussion Forums for Each Course

Step 34: Build Q&A System (Optional Advanced Feature)

1. Create "Questions" collection:

• Question Text (Text - Multiline)
• Lesson (relationship to Lessons)
• Created Date (Date & Time)
• Upvotes (Number)

2. Create "Answers" collection:

• Answer Text (Text - Multiline)
• Question (relationship to Questions)
• Is Instructor Answer (True/False)
• Upvotes (Number)
• Created Date (Date & Time)

3. Add Q&A tab to Course Player:

• Display questions for current lesson
• Button: "Ask a Question"
• List: Questions
  
  • Show answers
  • Upvote buttons
  • "Answer" button (for instructors and enrolled students)

This creates engagement similar to Udemy's Q&A feature, supporting course quality improvement.

Publishing Your Udemy Clone to Web, iOS, and Android

Publishing to the Web with a Custom Domain

Step 35: Web Deployment

1. In Adalo editor, click "Publish" button (top right)
2. Select "Web App"
3. Click "Publish to Web"
4. Your app is now live at: yourappname.adalo.com

Adding Custom Domain (Starter plan or higher):

1. Purchase domain from provider (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains)

2. In Adalo:

• Go to Settings → Publishing → Web App
• Click "Add Custom Domain"
• Enter your domain: learninghub.com
• Follow Adalo's custom domain setup guide for DNS configuration steps, which vary by domain registrar

3. Back in Adalo:

• Click "Verify Domain"
• Once verified, your app is live on your domain

4. Enable HTTPS:

• Automatically provided by Adalo
• May take a few hours after domain verification

Submitting to the Apple App Store

Step 36: iOS App Store Submission

Prerequisites:

• Apple Developer Account ($99/year)
• Adalo generates your iOS build and guides App Store submission inside Adalo; you just need to approve App Store Connect sign-ins via an Apple device with 2FA enabled (no Mac/Transporter required).

Steps:

1. In Adalo:

• Go to Settings → Publishing → iOS
• Click "Publish to App Store"
• Fill in app information:
  
  • App name
  • Bundle ID (reverse domain: com.yourcompany.learninghub)
  • Version number (1.0.0)
• Upload app icon
• Click "Build App"

2. Wait for build (30-60 minutes)

3. Download .ipa file or use Adalo's automated submission

4. In App Store Connect:

• Create new app
• Fill in metadata:
  
  • App name, subtitle, description
  • Keywords
  • Screenshots (required sizes)
  • Privacy policy URL
  • Support URL
  • Category: Education
• Upload build
• Submit for review

5. Apple review process (1-7 days)

6. Address any rejections (common issues):

• Missing content or features
• Unclear app purpose
• Payment issues
• Privacy policy compliance

Apps built with no-code platforms can achieve similar approval rates as custom-coded apps when following guidelines.

Launching on Google Play Store

Step 37: Android Google Play Submission

Prerequisites:

• Google Play Developer Account ($25 one-time fee)
• App icons (512×512)
• Feature graphic (1024×500)
• Screenshots
• Privacy policy

Steps:

1. In Adalo:

• Go to Settings → Publishing → Android
• Click "Publish to Google Play"
• Fill in app information:
  
  • App name
  • Package name (com.yourcompany.learninghub)
  • Version code (1)
  • Version name (1.0.0)
• Upload app icon
• Click "Build App"

2. Wait for build (30-60 minutes)

3. Download .aab file (Android App Bundle format)

4. In Google Play Console:

• Create new app
• Fill in store listing:
  
  • App name, short description, full description
  • App icon, feature graphic
  • Screenshots (phone, tablet, TV if applicable)
  • Categorization: Education
  • Contact details
  • Privacy policy URL
• Upload .aab file to Production track
• Complete content rating questionnaire
• Set pricing (Free/Paid)
• Select countries for distribution
• Submit for review

5. Google review (typically faster than Apple, often within hours)

Cross-Platform Benefits:

Apps with responsive design that publish across all platforms enable learners to switch seamlessly between devices.

Scaling Your Online Course Platform: Storage, Users, and Performance

Understanding Storage and Data Limits by Plan

Step 38: Monitor Resource Usage

1. In Adalo dashboard:
   
   • Go to Settings → Usage
   • Check current storage
   • Monitor data requests
   • Track monthly active users

Storage by Plan:

Verify current pricing, storage limits, and features on Adalo's pricing page as these details change regularly.

• Free: 200 database records per app
• Starter: 5GB storage per team
• Professional: 25GB storage per team
• Team: 125GB storage per team
• Business: 500GB storage per team. 

Storage Considerations for Video:

• A 10-minute 1080p video = ~150-200MB
• 50 courses × 30 lessons × 200MB = 300GB

Solution: External Video Hosting

1. Host videos on:

• YouTube (free hosting with unlisted/private options; review YouTube's policies for paid course content)
• Vimeo (paid plans, privacy controls, no ads)
• Wistia (marketing focus, analytics)
• AWS S3 + CloudFront (scalable, pay-as-you-go)

2. Store only video URLs in Adalo:

• Lesson → Video URL (Text field)
• Embed using video player component

3. Keep in Adalo storage:

• Course images
• Instructor photos
• PDF resources
• Certificates

When to Upgrade from Starter to Professional or Team Plans

Starter Plan is sufficient when:

• Single platform owner
• Less than 5 active instructors
• Moderate database records
• Basic integrations only
• 1 published app

Upgrade to Professional when:

• Adding collaborators (multiple seats)
• Need multiple apps (staging + production)
• Require API integrations for:
  
  • Email marketing (Mailchimp, ConvertKit)
  • Analytics (Google Analytics)
  • CRM systems
• Growing database needs
• Need geolocation features (instructor/student matching by location)

Upgrade to Team when:

• Managing 10+ instructors/editors
• Scaling to multiple published apps (web + iOS + Android + staging)
• Require Xano integration for:
  
  • Advanced database queries
  • Custom APIs
  • Complex business logic
  • Scalable backend
• Need priority support
• Expect high concurrent users

Business Plan for:

• Many published apps
• Unlimited editors
• Enterprise-level support
• Custom add-on pricing
• Large-scale deployment

Optimizing Performance for Video Content

Step 39: Performance Best Practices

1. Image Optimization:

• Compress all images before upload
• Use WebP format where possible
• Recommended sizes:
  
  • Course thumbnails: 400×225 (16:9)
  • Instructor photos: 200×200
  • Maximum file size: 500KB

2. Video Loading:

• Use lazy loading for video embeds
• Implement thumbnail previews
• Load videos only when lesson is accessed
• Consider adaptive bitrate streaming (Vimeo, YouTube handle this automatically)

3. Database Queries:

• Limit list results (show 20 courses per page, not all 500)
• Use pagination or "Load More" buttons
• Filter data before displaying (don't load all then filter)
• Index frequently queried fields

4. Caching:

• Leverage Adalo's automatic caching
• Don't reload unchanged data
• Use visibility conditions wisely

5. Testing Performance:

• Test on actual devices (iOS, Android, web browsers)
• Test on slower connections (3G simulation)
• Monitor app responsiveness
• Address any lag over 2 seconds

Adalo maintains reliable infrastructure with high uptime, processing significant data requests daily across their platform.

Why Adalo Is the Right Choice for Building Your Online Course Platform

Creating an educational marketplace shouldn't require a computer science degree or a six-figure budget. Adalo empowers educators, subject matter experts, and entrepreneurs to launch professional course platforms that rival industry leaders—without writing code.

Rapid Development and Launch

Typical development time for a basic course marketplace using no-code is 2-5 weeks, compared to 3-6 months with traditional development. This speed-to-market advantage means you can:

• Validate your course concept quickly
• Start generating revenue sooner
• Iterate based on real student feedback
• Beat competitors to market

With Adalo's visual builder, you spend time designing the learning experience, not debugging code.

Affordable Entry Without Compromise

Traditional app development for a course platform costs $50,000-$150,000 for basic functionality. Check Adalo's pricing for current plan options, representing significantly lower development costs than hiring an agency.

You get:

• Professional web and mobile apps
• Built-in database and user management
• Payment processing integration
• Unlimited updates and iterations
• No per-student fees or transaction costs (beyond standard payment processing)

Complete Customization and Control

Unlike template-based course platforms, Adalo gives you full control over:

• Design: Match your brand perfectly, not cookie-cutter templates
• Features: Build exactly what your students need
• User Experience: Design custom learning paths and interactions
• Mobile Apps: Publish native iOS and Android apps under your brand
• Data: Own all student data and relationships

The ability to manage and adapt content easily is a practical advantage—iterating content does not require redevelopment cycles.

Proven Platform with Robust Infrastructure

Adalo powers numerous apps with reliable infrastructure. Check Adalo's performance page for current uptime and reliability metrics.

Your course platform benefits from enterprise-grade reliability without enterprise costs.

Community and Support

When building your platform, you're not alone:

• App Academy: Free video tutorials and courses
• Community Forum: Thousands of makers sharing solutions
• Expert Network: Hire certified Adalo experts if needed
• Component Marketplace: Pre-built features to accelerate development
• Cloneable kits: Starting points for common features

When Adalo Makes the Most Sense

Adalo is ideal if you:

• Have a unique course concept or niche audience
• Want to build a community around learning, not just sell courses
• Need mobile apps for on-the-go learning
• Plan to offer certificates, assessments, or custom features
• Want to avoid monthly transaction fees
• Value ownership and long-term platform control
• Are willing to invest 2-5 weeks in setup

While Adalo has limitations for enterprise-scale platforms (50,000+ concurrent users), it excels for the vast majority of course creators serving hundreds to thousands of students—exactly where most educators operate.

Getting Started Is Free

You can start building immediately with Adalo's free plan:

• Unlimited test apps
• Full feature access
• No credit card required
• Upgrade only when ready to publish

Try building a few screens, experiment with the database, and see if Adalo fits your vision—at no cost.

Ready to Build Your Course Platform? Start with Adalo's free plan today and bring your educational vision to life without code.