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

This comprehensive guide will show you how to build a fully functional review and directory app using Adalo's no-code platform. You'll create an app with business listings, user reviews, ratings, location-based search, and photos, all without writing a single line of code. You can build your own niche review platform in weeks instead of months with no-code tools.

Prerequisites and Initial Setup

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account and Project

1. Visit Adalo.com and sign up for a free account
2. Click "Create New App" from your dashboard
3. Choose "Mobile App" (recommended for review platforms, though you can publish to web too)
4. Name your app (e.g., "LocalReviews" or your specific niche)
5. Select "Start from Scratch" for maximum flexibility

The free tier allows unlimited test apps—check current record limits on Adalo's pricing page, perfect for prototyping your review platform before upgrading to a paid plan.

Step 2: Configure Your App Theme

1. Select a primary brand color (e.g., red or blue for trust and recognition)
2. Choose a secondary accent color for buttons and highlights
3. Pick a clean, readable font (sans-serif works well for mobile)
4. Click "Continue" to enter the visual editor

Your theme choices will automatically apply across all screens, ensuring consistent branding throughout your app.

Step 3: Plan Your Feature Set

Before building, define your MVP (minimum viable product) scope:

Essential Features:

• User registration and authentication
• Business listing creation and management
• Search by name, category, and location
• Star ratings (1-5 scale)
• Written reviews with photos
• Business detail pages with contact info
• User profiles and review history

Optional Features (Phase 2):

• Advanced filters (price range, hours, amenities)
• Social features (follow users, helpful votes)
• Business owner responses to reviews
• Reservation or booking system
• Payment integration for premium listings

Following an MVP approach helps you launch faster and iterate based on real user feedback.

Building the Database Structure

Step 4: Create the Users Collection

Adalo automatically provides a Users collection, but you'll need to enhance it:

1. Click the Database icon in the left sidebar
2. Click on "Users" collection
3. Add these properties (click "+ Add Property" for each):
   
   • Full Name (Text)
   • Profile Photo (Image)
   • Bio (Text - Multiline)
   • Location (Location)
   • City (Text)
   • Join Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Review Count (Number - initially 0)
   • Average Rating Given (Number)
   • Is Business Owner (True/False)

This enhanced user structure supports both regular reviewers and business owners who may respond to reviews.

Step 5: Create the Businesses Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Businesses"
3. Add these properties:
   
   • Business Name (Text)
   • Description (Text - Multiline)
   • Category (Text) - Values: "Restaurant", "Retail", "Services", "Entertainment", "Health", "Other"
   • Address (Text)
   • Location (Location)
   • City (Text)
   • State (Text)
   • Zip Code (Text)
   • Phone Number (Text)
   • Website (Text)
   • Hours (Text - Multiline)
   • Price Range (Text) - Values: "$", "$$", "$$$", "$$$$"
   • Cover Photo (Image)
   • Logo (Image)
   • Average Rating (Number)
   • Total Reviews (Number - initially 0)
   • Created Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Is Verified (True/False)
   • Is Active (True/False - default True)

The Location property is critical for enabling geolocation features that allow "businesses near me" functionality.

Step 6: Create the Reviews Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Reviews"
3. Add these properties:
   
   • Rating (Number) - Min: 1, Max: 5
   • Review Text (Text - Multiline)
   • Created Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Modified Date (Date & Time)
   • Is Helpful Count (Number - initially 0)
   • Owner Response (Text - Multiline)
   • Response Date (Date & Time)

This structure follows established database patterns for review platforms.

Step 7: Create the Photos Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Photos"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Image (Image)
   • Caption (Text)
   • Uploaded Date (Date & Time - Automatic)

Separating photos into their own collection allows multiple photos per business and per review.

Step 8: Create the Categories Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Categories"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Category Name (Text)
   • Icon (Image)
   • Description (Text)
   • Sort Order (Number)

This enables easier category management and the ability to add custom icons for each category.

Step 9: Set Up Database Relationships

Proper relationships are essential for relational database functionality:

1. In Businesses collection:

• Add relationship to Users: "Owner" (One-to-Many: A User can own many Businesses)
• Add relationship to Reviews: "Reviews" (One-to-Many: A Business can have many Reviews)
• Add relationship to Photos: "Photos" (One-to-Many: A Business can have many Photos)
• Add relationship to Categories: "Category" (Many-to-One: Many Businesses belong to one Category)

2. In Reviews collection:

• Add relationship to Users: "Reviewer" (Many-to-One: A User can write many Reviews)
• Add relationship to Businesses: "Business" (Many-to-One: A Business receives many Reviews)
• Add relationship to Photos: "Photos" (One-to-Many: A Review can have many Photos)

3. In Photos collection:

• Add relationship to Users: "Uploaded By" (Many-to-One)
• Add relationship to Businesses: "Business" (Many-to-One)
• Add relationship to Reviews: "Review" (Many-to-One)

These relationships enable queries like "show all reviews for this business" and "show all businesses this user has reviewed."

Creating User Authentication

Step 10: Build the Welcome Screen

1. Rename the default screen to "Welcome"
2. Add an Image component for your app logo
3. Add Text component: "Discover and review the best local businesses"
4. Add a Button labeled "Get Started" with styling that matches your brand
5. Below that, add Text: "Already have an account?"
6. Add a Button labeled "Login"

Configure Actions:

• "Get Started" button → Link to new screen "Sign Up"
• "Login" button → Link to new screen "Login"

Step 11: Create the Sign Up Screen

1. Add new screen named "Sign Up"
2. Add a Form component:
   
   • Connect to: Users collection
   • Include fields: Email, Password, Full Name, City
   • Add Image Picker for Profile Photo (optional)
3. Add Checkbox: "I want to add my business" (sets Is Business Owner to True)
4. Add submit Button: "Create Account"

Configure Submit Actions:

1. Create account
2. If Is Business Owner = True → Link to "Add Business" screen
3. If Is Business Owner = False → Link to "Home" screen

Adalo’s built-in authentication system is widely used across Adalo apps and suitable for production use.

Step 12: Create the Login Screen

1. Add new screen "Login"
2. Add Login Form component (built-in Adalo component)
3. Include Email and Password fields
4. Add "Forgot Password?" link
5. Submit button → Link to "Home" screen

Add validation to ensure email format is correct and password meets security requirements.

Building the Home Screen Interface

Step 13: Create the Main Home Screen

1. Add new screen "Home"

2. Add a Top Bar component with:

• App logo/name on left
• Search icon on right → Links to "Search" screen
• Profile icon → Links to "Profile" screen

3. Add a Search Bar component:

• Placeholder text: "Search businesses, categories..."
• On click → Link to "Search" screen

4. Add Text: "Browse Categories"

5. Add Horizontal Card List:

• Connect to: Categories collection
• Show: Category Name, Icon
• Sort by: Sort Order
• On click → Link to "Category Results" screen

6. Add Text: "Nearby Businesses"

7. Add Vertical List:

• Connect to: Businesses collection
• Filter: Is Active = True
• Sort by: Distance from current user location
• Show per item:
  
  • Business Name
  • Category
  • Average Rating (with star component)
  • Distance
  • Price Range
  • Cover Photo

This layout provides intuitive navigation and immediate value by showing nearby options.

Step 14: Implement the Search Screen

1. Add new screen "Search"

2. Add Search Bar at top:

• Autofocus when screen loads
• Placeholder: "Search by name or category..."

3. Add Dropdown Filter for Category:

• Options from Categories collection
• "All Categories" as default

4. Add Dropdown Filter for Price Range:

• Options: "All", "$", "$$", "$$$", "$$$$"

5. Add Dropdown Filter for Rating:

• Options: "All", "4+ stars", "3+ stars"

6. Add Segmented Control for Distance:

• Options: "Nearby" (2 miles), "5 miles", "10 miles", "25 miles"

7. Add Results List:

• Connect to: Businesses collection
• Apply all active filters
• Show: Business name, category, rating, distance, photo
• Sort by: Relevance or Distance

Following Yelp's data-driven approach to search ensures users can quickly find what they need.

Step 15: Add Location Services

To enable location-based features:

1. Go to App Settings → Permissions
2. Enable "Location Services"
3. Add the Location property type to your collections.

Requires a paid Adalo plan and a Google Maps API key per Adalo’s docs.

For the map integration on business detail pages:

1. Visit Adalo Marketplace
2. Search for "Maps" component
3. Click "Install"
4. You'll need a Google Maps API key (get one from Google Cloud Console)

Note: Since March 1, 2025, Google Maps Platform uses per-SKU free monthly call allowances (the old $200/month credit no longer applies). Check the current pricing page for your SKU’s free calls and rates.

Creating Business Detail Pages

Step 16: Build the Business Detail Screen

1. Add new screen "Business Detail"
2. Set this screen to receive "Current Business" from previous screen

Header Section: 3. Add Image component showing Business → Cover Photo (full width) 4. Add Image component for Business → Logo (overlapping cover photo) 5. Add Text: Business → Business Name (large, bold) 6. Add Star Rating component (read-only):

• Value: Business → Average Rating
• Size: Medium

7. Add Text: Business → Total Reviews + " reviews"
8. Add Text: Business → Category and Price Range

Quick Actions Bar: 9. Add Button: "Call" → Action: Call Phone Number 10. Add Button: "Website" → Action: Open URL 11. Add Button: "Directions" → Action: Open Maps with location

Business Information: 12. Add Text: "About" 13. Add Text: Business → Description 14. Add Text: "Address" 15. Add Text: Business → Full Address 16. Add Map component: * Center on: Business → Location * Show marker at business location * Height: 200px

17. Add Text: "Hours"
18. Add Text: Business → Hours

Photos Gallery: 19. Add Text: "Photos" 20. Add Horizontal Scrolling List: * Connect to: Business → Photos * Show: Photo → Image (thumbnail) * On click → Open fullscreen image viewer

Reviews Section: 21. Add Text: "Reviews" + Business → Total Reviews 22. Add Button: "Write a Review" → Link to "Write Review" screen 23. Add rating breakdown: * Calculate percentage for each star level (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) * Show horizontal bars representing distribution

24. Add List of reviews:
    
    • Connect to: Business → Reviews
    • Sort by: Created Date (newest first)
    • Show per review:
      
      • Reviewer → Profile Photo
      • Reviewer → Full Name
      • Review → Rating (stars)
      • Review → Created Date
      • Review → Review Text
      • Review → Photos (if any)
      • "Helpful" button with count
      • Owner Response (if exists)

This comprehensive detail page gives users all the information they need to make decisions.

Step 17: Create the Write Review Screen

1. Add new screen "Write Review"

2. This screen receives "Current Business" from previous screen

3. Add Text: "Review " + Business → Business Name

4. Add Star Rating component (interactive):

• Variable: Rating Value
• Required: Yes
• Size: Large

5. Add Text Input (multiline):

• Placeholder: "Share your experience..."
• Variable: Review Text
• Min length: 20 characters

6. Add Image Picker (multi-select):

• Label: "Add Photos"
• Variable: Review Photos
• Max images: 5

7. Add Button: "Submit Review"

Submit Actions:

1. Create Review record:

• Rating = Rating Value
• Review Text = Review Text
• Reviewer = Logged In User
• Business = Current Business
• Created Date = Now

2. For each Review Photo:

• Create Photo record linked to Review and Business

3. Update Business record:

• Total Reviews = Total Reviews + 1
• Average Rating = (Average Rating × (Total Reviews - 1) + Rating Value) / Total Reviews

4. Update User record:

• Review Count = Review Count + 1

5. Show success message

6. Navigate back to Business Detail screen

Following these database update patterns ensures data integrity.

Building User Profile Features

Step 18: Create the User Profile Screen

1. Add new screen "Profile"
2. Display for Logged In User:

Profile Header: 3. Add Image: User → Profile Photo 4. Add Text: User → Full Name 5. Add Text: User → City 6. Add Text: User → Review Count + " reviews" 7. Add Button: "Edit Profile" → Link to "Edit Profile" screen

User Stats: 8. Add stat cards showing:

• Total reviews written
• Average rating given
• Helpful votes received (sum of Is Helpful Count on user's reviews)

User's Reviews: 9. Add Text: "My Reviews" 10. Add List: * Connect to: Reviews where Reviewer = Logged In User * Sort by: Created Date (newest) * Show per review: - Business → Business Name - Business → Cover Photo (thumbnail) - Review → Rating - Review → Review Text (truncated) - Review → Created Date * On click → Link to Business Detail

If User Is Business Owner: 11. Add Button: "My Businesses" → Link to "My Businesses" screen 12. Add Button: "Add New Business" → Link to "Add Business" screen

Settings: 13. Add Button: "Settings" → Link to settings screen 14. Add Button: "Logout" → Action: Log Out User

Step 19: Create the Edit Profile Screen

1. Add new screen "Edit Profile"

2. Add Form component:

• Update: Logged In User
• Fields:
  
  • Full Name (Text Input)
  • Profile Photo (Image Picker)
  • Bio (Text Input - multiline)
  • City (Text Input)
  • Location (Location Input - optional for better "nearby" results)

3. Add Button: "Save Changes"

• Action: Update User
• Navigate back to Profile

Adding Business Management Features

Step 20: Create the Add Business Screen

1. Add new screen "Add Business"

2. Add Form component:

• Create: Business
• Fields:
  
  • Business Name (Text - required)
  • Category (Dropdown from Categories)
  • Description (Text - multiline, required)
  • Address (Text - required)
  • City (Text - required)
  • State (Text or Dropdown)
  • Zip Code (Text)
  • Location (Location picker - required for maps)
  • Phone Number (Text)
  • Website (Text - URL format)
  • Price Range (Dropdown: $, $$, $$$, $$$$)
  • Hours (Text - multiline)
  • Cover Photo (Image Picker)
  • Logo (Image Picker)

3. Add Button: "Add Business"

Submit Actions:

1. Create Business record with form data
2. Set Owner = Logged In User
3. Set Is Active = True
4. Set Average Rating = 0
5. Set Total Reviews = 0
6. Show success message
7. Navigate to Business Detail screen for new business

Step 21: Create the My Businesses Screen

1. Add new screen "My Businesses"

2. Add List:

• Connect to: Businesses where Owner = Logged In User
• Show per business:
  
  • Cover Photo
  • Business Name
  • Average Rating + Total Reviews
  • Category
  • Is Active status
• On click → Link to "Manage Business" screen

3. Add Floating Action Button: "+" → Link to "Add Business" screen

Step 22: Build Business Management Dashboard

1. Add new screen "Manage Business"

2. This screen receives "Current Business"

3. Show business stats:

• Total reviews
• Average rating
• Rating distribution
• Recent review trends

4. Add Button: "Edit Business" → Link to edit form

5. Add Button: "Toggle Active/Inactive" → Updates Is Active status

6. Add List of recent reviews:

• Show reviews needing responses highlighted
• Add Button per review: "Respond" → Opens response form

7. Add response form modal:

• Text input for owner response
• Submit updates Review → Owner Response

This allows business owners to engage with customer feedback, which improves ratings over time.

Implementing Advanced Search and Filters

Step 23: Add Filter Logic to Search

Building on the Search screen from Step 14, add advanced filtering:

1. Create filter variables for each criterion
2. Build conditional list filters:

Filter: Businesses where

- Is Active = True

AND (if search text exists) Business Name contains Search Text OR Description contains Search Text

AND (if category selected) Category = Selected Category

AND (if price filter) Price Range = Selected Price

AND (if rating filter) Average Rating >= Selected Rating

AND (if distance filter) Distance from user < Selected Distance

3. Add Toggle for "Open Now":

• When enabled, filter by current time matching business hours
• Requires parsing Hours field (consider structured hours in database)

4. Add sort options:

• Segmented Control: "Relevance", "Distance", "Rating", "Most Reviewed"
• Apply sort to results list

Step 24: Implement "Near Me" Functionality

1. On app launch, request location permission
2. Store user's current location
3. For "Nearby Businesses" lists:
   
   • Calculate distance between user location and each business
   • Sort by distance ascending
   • Show distance in results ("0.3 mi", "1.2 mi")

Location-based apps often generate higher engagement because they provide immediate local value.

Step 25: Add Saved Businesses Feature

1. Create "Favorites" relationship:

• In Users collection, add relationship to Businesses: "Saved Businesses" (Many-to-Many)

2. On Business Detail screen, add Button: Heart icon

• If business is in user's Saved Businesses → Show filled heart
• If not → Show outline heart
• On click → Toggle saved status

3. Add "Saved" tab to Profile:

• Show list of user's saved businesses
• Enable quick access to favorites

Adding Photos and Media

Step 26: Enhance Photo Galleries

1. On Business Detail screen, improve photo display:

• Show count: "247 photos"
• Add Button: "Add Photos" → Link to photo upload screen

2. Create "Add Photos" screen:

• Image Picker (multi-select, up to 10)
• Optional caption for each
• Submit creates Photo records linked to business and user

3. Create fullscreen photo viewer:

• Swipeable gallery
• Show photo captions
• Show uploader name and date
• Navigation arrows

4. Add photo moderation for business owners:

• Allow flagging inappropriate photos
• Business owners can hide photos (sets visibility flag)

Testing Your Yelp Clone

Step 27: Create Test Data

1. Create test user accounts:

• 5-6 regular users with profiles
• 2-3 business owner accounts

2. Add sample businesses:

• 20-30 businesses across different categories
• Various locations, price ranges, hours
• Include cover photos and logos

3. Generate sample reviews:

• Mix of ratings (1-5 stars)
• Various review lengths and styles
• Include photos on some reviews
• Test edge cases (very long reviews, special characters)

4. Test relationships:

• Verify review counts update correctly
• Check average ratings calculate properly
• Ensure photos link to correct businesses and reviews

Step 28: Test Core User Flows

Reviewer Flow:

1. Sign up as new user
2. Grant location permissions
3. Browse nearby businesses
4. Search for specific category
5. Apply filters
6. View business detail
7. Write review with photos
8. Edit review
9. Save favorite businesses
10. View profile and review history

Business Owner Flow:

1. Sign up with "add business" option
2. Complete business listing
3. Upload photos
4. Receive review notification
5. Respond to review
6. View business stats
7. Edit business information
8. Toggle business active status

Edge Cases:

• Empty states (no reviews yet, no nearby businesses)
• Offline behavior
• Invalid inputs (negative ratings, missing required fields)
• Duplicate business submissions
• Very long business names or descriptions

Step 29: Preview and Debug

1. Use Adalo Previewer in browser:

• Test desktop responsive layout
• Verify all buttons and links work
• Check conditional visibility

2. Download Adalo mobile app:

• Test on iOS device
• Test on Android device
• Verify location permissions work
• Test map integration
• Check photo uploads from camera

3. Monitor for issues:

• Slow loading lists (optimize with filters)
• Image upload failures
• Location permission denials
• Rating calculation errors

Adalo's infrastructure provides strong reliability for production apps, but application logic should be thoroughly tested.

Publishing Your Review App

Step 30: Prepare for App Store Submission

iOS Requirements:

1. Enroll in Apple Developer Program ($99/per membership year)

2. Create App Store Connect app listing

3. Prepare required assets:

• App icon (1024x1024px)
• Screenshots for iPhone (multiple sizes)
• Screenshots for iPad (if supporting)
• App preview video (optional, 30 seconds)

4. Complete App Store metadata:

• App name and subtitle
• Keywords (business reviews, local directory, etc.)
• Description highlighting key features
• Privacy policy URL (required)
• Support URL

5. Submit through Adalo:

• Go to Publish tab in Adalo
• Select iOS
• Enter App Store Connect credentials
• Upload your app

Apple app review times vary—plan buffer time for your launch schedule.

Android Requirements:

1. Create Google Play Developer account (one-time $25 Registration Fee)

2. Prepare assets:

• App icon (512x512px)
• Feature graphic (1024x500px)
• Screenshots (multiple sizes)

3. Complete Play Store listing:

• Title and short description
• Full description
• Category selection
• Content rating questionnaire

4. Submit through Adalo:

• Go to Publish tab
• Select Android
• Enter Play Console credentials
• Upload your app

Step 31: Publish as Web App

For immediate launch without app store approval:

1. In Adalo, go to Publish → Web
2. Choose custom domain or use Adalo subdomain
3. Configure domain settings
4. Click "Publish"
5. Your app is live immediately at your URL

Web deployment lets you gather user feedback while app store submissions are pending. Apple periodically requires apps to be built with the latest SDK by specified deadlines—check current requirements before submission.

Step 32: Optimize for App Store Success

Keyword Strategy:

• Research keywords using Apple Search Ads
• Target terms like: business reviews, local restaurants, find services, city guides
• Incorporate naturally in title and subtitle
• For Google Play, use keywords in description (Google indexes full text)

Visual Optimization:

• First 2-3 screenshots are critical for driving conversions
• Show core features: search, business details, reviews, maps
• Use text overlays explaining key benefits
• Show real app screenshots, not generic imagery

Rating Management:

• Apps with 4.0+ star ratings typically see significantly higher conversion rates
• Prompt satisfied users to rate after positive interactions
• Respond professionally to negative reviews
• Fix reported issues quickly and communicate updates

Why Adalo is Perfect for Building Your Review Platform

Building a Yelp-style app with Adalo's no-code platform offers distinct advantages for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to create location-based directory applications:

Rapid Development Without Technical Barriers

Adalo enables you to build and launch your review platform in weeks instead of months. Many custom apps are now built by people with limited technical skills outside traditional IT departments, allowing you to validate your niche review concept quickly. The platform's drag-and-drop interface means if you can make a slide deck, you can build an app—no coding knowledge required.

True Cross-Platform Publishing

Unlike web-only builders, Adalo publishes your app to iOS, Android, and web from a single build. Most components work across platforms, but check each component’s notes for any platform-specific limits.

Cost-Effective Development

Based on typical no-code pricing and industry ranges, you can often launch for a fraction of traditional custom development costs, confirm current plan pricing and budget according to your scope.

Built-in Database and Scalability

Adalo's relational database handles complex data relationships between users, businesses, and reviews without requiring SQL knowledge, providing enterprise-grade reliability for your growing user base.

Extensible Through Marketplace

The Adalo Marketplace offers dozens of pre-built components for features like maps, payments, and advanced search—letting you add sophisticated functionality without custom development. Integration with services like Xano provides scalable backend options as your app grows.

Get Started Today!

Explore Adalo's pricing plans starting with a free tier that includes unlimited test apps, perfect for prototyping your review platform before launch. Paid plans add custom domains and publishing to app stores, enabling you to bring your local business directory vision to life without compromise

Resources for Continued Learning:

• Adalo Documentation - Complete platform guides and tutorials
• No-Code App Development - Fundamentals and best practices
• How to Build a Mobile App - Comprehensive development methodology
• Adalo Marketplace - Additional components and integrations
• Responsive Design Guide - Multi-device optimization techniques

Building a review platform like Yelp with Adalo gives you a competitive advantage: speed to market, cost efficiency, and the flexibility to iterate based on real user feedback. Start with your MVP, launch to your target niche, and scale as you validate your business model.