Updated Oct 17, 2025

Step-by-Step Guide: Building an Evernote Clone with Adalo

Table of Contents

This tutorial walks you through building a professional note-taking app using Adalo’s no-code platform. You’ll create an app with note creation/editing, tags and folders, search, and optional cloud integrations—without code.

Prerequisites & Plan Setup

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account

Visit Adalo.com → Get Started Free.
Verify your email and sign in.

Step 2: Pick a Starting Plan

Start free to build and test. When you’re ready to publish, review current plan features/limits on the live pricing page and choose the tier that fits your launch and scale needs.
Check: Adalo pricing.

Step 3: Create Your Notes App

Dashboard → Create New App.
Choose Mobile App (recommended) or Web App.
Name it (e.g., NoteMaster, MyNotes) → Start from Scratch.
Pick a theme (primary/secondary colors, readable font).

Designing Your Data Model

We’ll create Users, Notes, Folders, Tags, and Checklist Items. You can keep metadata in Adalo and later offload heavy/advanced work to external services via External Collections.

Step 4: Enhance the Users Collection

Database → Users.
Add properties:
- Profile Image (Image)
- Display Name (Text)
- Subscription Status (Text: “Free”, “Premium”)
- Storage Used (Number)
- Created Date (Date & Time – automatic)
- Last Active (Date & Time)

Step 5: Create the Notes Collection

+ Add Collection → Notes.
Properties:
- Title (Text)
- Content (Text, Multiline)
- Created Date (Date & Time – automatic)
- Modified Date (Date & Time)
- Is Favorited (True/False)
- Color (Text)
- Reminder Date (Date & Time)
- Attachment (File)
- Is Archived (True/False)
- Note Type (Text: “Text”, “Checklist”, “Voice”)

Step 6: Create the Folders Collection

+ Add Collection → Folders.
Properties: Folder Name (Text), Icon (Text), Color (Text), Sort Order (Number), Created Date (Date & Time – automatic).

Step 7: Create the Tags Collection

+ Add Collection → Tags.
Properties: Tag Name (Text), Color (Text), Usage Count (Number).

Step 8: Create the Checklist Items Collection

+ Add Collection → Checklist Items.
Properties: Item Text (Text), Is Completed (True/False), Sort Order (Number), Created Date (Date & Time – automatic).

Step 9: Define Relationships

Users ↔ Notes: A User has many Notes; Note belongs to Owner.
Users ↔ Folders: A User has many Folders; Folder belongs to Owner.
Users ↔ Tags: A User has many Tags; Tag belongs to Owner.
Notes ↔ Folders: A Folder has many Notes; Note belongs to Folder.
Notes ↔ Tags: Many-to-many (Notes can have many Tags; Tags can belong to many Notes).
Notes ↔ Checklist Items: A Note has many Checklist Items.

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Learn Adalo relational modeling: Relational data explained · Database Help

Authentication & Onboarding

Step 10: Welcome Screen

Rename default screen to Welcome.
Add logo, headline (“Your thoughts, organized”), subtitle.
Buttons: Get Started → Sign Up, I have an account → Login.

Step 11: Sign Up & Login

Sign Up

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+ Add Screen → Sign Up.
Add Form (Users) → Create Account (Email, Password, Display Name).
On submit → Link to Notes List.

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Login

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+ Add Screen → Login.
Add Form (Users) → Login (Email, Password).
On submit → Link to Notes List.

Core UX: Lists & Editors

Step 12: Notes List Screen

+ Add Screen → Notes List.
Header: title (“My Notes”), icons for Search (→ Search Notes) and Settings.
Folder filter (Horizontal List): Folders where Owner = Logged In User (tap filters notes).
Notes list:
- Collection: Notes
- Filters: Owner = Logged In User, Is Archived = false
- Sort: Modified Date (desc)
- Cells: Title, preview (first ~100 chars), “time ago”, star if Is Favorited.
- Tap → View Note (send Current Note).
Floating “+” button → Create Note (Edit Note screen).

Step 13: Edit Note Screen (Create & Update)

+ Add Screen → Edit Note (use for create & edit).
Top bar: Back, Save (checkmark), More (menu).
Fields: Title (Text Input), Content (Multiline expanding).
Toolbar (optional): Add checklist item, Attach file, Set reminder, Pick folder, Pick tags.
Save action logic:
- If creating: Create Note → set Owner, Title, Content, Modified Date.
- If editing: Update Current Note → Title, Content, Modified Date.
- Navigate back to Notes List; show “Saved”.
Optional auto-save: add a Countdown/Timer that periodically Update Current Note.

Step 14: View Note Screen

+ Add Screen → View Note (expects Note).
Show Title, Modified Date, Folder/Tags chips.
Body: Content (multiline), Checklist Items (if any), Attachment preview/icon.
Actions: Edit, Delete (soft delete), Share (optional), Star/Unstar.
Footer (optional): Created Date, simple word/char counts.

Actions, Safety & Ownership

Step 15: Create Note Actions

On Save (create): Create → Notes (Title, Content, Owner=Logged In User; dates auto).
Then: Toast (“Note created”) → Link → Notes List.

Step 16: Edit/Update Actions

On screen load: prefill inputs from Current Note (when editing).
On Save (edit): Update Current Note (Modified Date = now).
Optional auto-save: Timer every ~30s → Update Current Note.

Step 17: Delete (Soft Delete)

Add Confirm Delete modal.
On confirm: Update Current Note → Is Archived = true; go back; toast “Note deleted”.

Step 18: Enforce User Scoping

Everywhere you list/update notes, filter Owner = Logged In User.
Hide edit/delete actions if Owner ≠ Logged In User.
Always set Owner on create.

Search, Tags & Folders

Step 19: Real-Time Search

+ Add Screen → Search Notes.
Search input (updates a temporary property).
Results list (Notes): filters Owner = Logged In User, Is Archived = false, and Title contains query OR Content contains query.
Cells: title, snippet, modified date; tap → View Note.

Step 20: Tags

+ Add Screen → Manage Tags.
List Tags where Owner = Logged In User (name, color, usage).
Form to Create Tag (Tag Name, Color; Owner = Logged In User).
In Edit Note, add multi-select for Tags (many-to-many).
Add tag chips to Notes List to filter by selected tag(s).

Step 21: Folders

+ Add Screen → Manage Folders.
List user’s folders; allow “New Folder”.
In Edit Note, add single-select Folder.
In Notes List, clicking a folder filters notes by that Folder; add clear-filter (“All Notes”).

Step 22: Advanced Filters

Panel with: Sort (Date/Title), Show (All/Favorites/Recent), Date range, Toggle include Archived.
Show filter chips; “Clear all”.

Responsive Web & Multi-Device

Step 23: Optimize for Web (Windows/Desktop)

Settings → Publishing → Web App: enable; use Adalo subdomain or custom domain (paid).
Test breakpoints (desktop/tablet/phone).
Desktop tips: sidebar + two-pane (list/detail), larger font sizes, keyboard-shortcut plan.
Test in Chrome/Edge/Firefox; verify copy/paste & file uploads.

Step 24: Responsive Testing

Use Adalo preview device toggles.
Test on real devices with the Adalo Preview app.
Check: touch targets ≥ 44×44, readable text, smooth lists.
iOS/Android/web variations—adjust layouts as needed.

Responsive features: Responsive design.

Publishing (Web, iOS, Android)

Review times and store requirements vary; always verify the latest guidance before submitting.

Step 25: Web Publishing

Settings → Publishing → Web App.
Free: Adalo subdomain. Paid: custom domain + DNS/SSL.
Set SEO: title, description, favicon, social image.

Docs: Publishing overview

Step 26: Apple App Store (iOS)

Prereqs: Apple Developer Program ($99/year); appropriate Adalo plan; required assets/metadata.

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Prepare assets (verify current specs in Apple docs):
- App Icon: 1024×1024 PNG (no alpha).
- Screenshots (e.g., iPhone 6.7", iPhone 5.5", iPad Pro 12.9".
In Adalo Settings → Publishing → iOS App: upload assets & metadata.
Submit for build in Adalo, then deliver to App Store Connect; submit for review.

Step 27: Google Play (Android)

Prereqs: Google Play Developer (one-time $25 fee); appropriate Adalo plan; assets/metadata.

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Prepare assets:
- App Icon: 512×512 PNG
- Feature Graphic: 1024×500 PNG
- Screenshots (phones; tablets recommended)
In Adalo Settings → Publishing → Android App: upload assets & metadata.
Submit for build; upload the .aab to Play Console; complete listing; submit for review.

Optional: External Sync & Automations

Step 28: External Backend (Xano)

Create a Xano account; model Notes/Users; create API endpoints.
In Adalo, connect via External Collections (auth headers as needed).
Use Custom Actions for uploads/signed URLs and advanced workflows.
Keep Users/Tags/Folders in Adalo or migrate gradually; store heavy binaries externally if needed.

Step 29: Automations (Zapier/Make)

Examples: backups to Google Sheets/Drive, weekly email digests, Slack notifications, reminder events.
Integrations: Zapier / Make.

Testing & Quality

Step 30: Seed Test Data

Create 3–5 test users; add 100+ notes with varied content/attachments; verify performance.
Performance tips: Optimize performance.

Step 31: User Acceptance Testing

Recruit 5–10 testers; provide tasks; gather structured feedback (bugs, UX pain points, feature requests).
Iterate on navigation clarity, list performance, font sizes, and touch targets.

Step 32: Common Fixes

Slow lists: paginate, limit initial load, simplify list cells.
Search lag: debounce input; filter on key fields.
Uploads: add limits; show progress/loader; retry path.
Tag filters: verify many-to-many configuration and list filters.

Monetization (Optional)

If you plan subscriptions, implement a lightweight paywall and storage limits; process payments on web or via your own backend.
Payments option: Stripe via Marketplace component or server-side APIs (confirm current component capabilities).
Stripe fees overview (US online cards commonly start ~2.9% + $0.30): Stripe pricing.

Why Adalo Works for Notes

Built-in relational DB: model Users ↔ Notes ↔ Tags ↔ Folders.
Cross-platform publish: iOS, Android, and web from a single build — Adalo product.
Components & integrations: uploaders, lists, search, plus APIs/webhooks — Marketplace, Custom Actions, External Collections.
Responsive layouts: adapt UX per screen size — Responsive design.

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Cost & Resources

Adalo: see current plans/limits — https://www.adalo.com/pricing
Stripe fees: vary by region/method; in the U.S. online cards are typically ~2.9% + $0.30 — https://stripe.com/pricing
Developer programs: Apple $99/year — https://developer.apple.com/programs/ · Google Play $25 one-time — https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435

Additional Resources

Adalo Help Center — https://help.adalo.com/
Adalo Marketplace — https://www.adalo.com/marketplace
External Collections — https://help.adalo.com/integrations/external-collections-with-apis
Custom Actions — https://help.adalo.com/integrations/custom-actions
Optimize Performance — https://help.adalo.com/performance/optimize-app-performance
Xano Integration — https://www.adalo.com/integrations/xano
Airtable Integration — https://www.adalo.com/integrations/airtable
Zapier — https://www.adalo.com/integrations/zapier · Make — https://www.make.com/
Android active devices (Google) — https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2021/05/android-12-beta-1.html
Apple installed base (2024) — https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/02/apple-reports-first-quarter-results/
BLS Software Developer median wage (May 2023) — https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
Apple iOS adoption (Feb 2024) — https://developer.apple.com/support/app-store/

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Note: This Evernote-style build is a prototype using Adalo’s UI and database. For large attachments, rich offline editing/sync, full-text search at scale, and enterprise features (e.g., advanced versioning, audit logs), integrate external services (e.g., Xano, AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage) via External Collections / Custom Actions, and handle heavy processing server-side. Always test performance on real devices and review your data-privacy posture (e.g., GDPR/CCPA) before publishing.

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