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

Building a professional networking platform like LinkedIn seems like a project reserved for well-funded startups with dedicated engineering teams. The complexity of user profiles, connection systems, job boards, and real-time feeds traditionally requires months of development and significant technical expertise. For entrepreneurs and businesses looking to create niche professional communities, the barrier to entry has historically been too high.

That's where Adalo comes in. Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms. AI-assisted building and streamlined publishing enable launch to the Apple App Store and Google Play in days rather than months. This means you can build a fully functional LinkedIn-style networking app complete with professional profiles, connection features, and job listings—all without writing a single line of code.

Why Adalo Works for Building a Professional Networking App

Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This makes it the perfect choice for creating a LinkedIn-style professional networking app, where users expect seamless access across their desktop browsers, iPhones, and Android devices without any compromises in functionality.

For a professional networking app, app store distribution is essential—your users want to receive push notifications about new connection requests, job opportunities, and messages directly on their phones. With Adalo, you can build once and reach professionals everywhere they are, whether they're browsing on their laptop at work or checking updates on their mobile device during their commute.

This comprehensive tutorial will walk you through building a professional networking app using Adalo's no-code platform. While some advanced features like AI recommendations aren't possible, you'll create a functional app with professional profiles, job boards, and networking capabilities. You can even publish the same app to the web, native iOS, and native Android with Adalo, all without writing a line of code or rebuilding anything.

Prerequisites and Initial Setup

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account

1. Go to Adalo.com and sign up
2. Click "Create New App"
3. Choose "Mobile App" for professional networking features
4. Name your app (e.g., "ProfessionalConnect")
5. Select "Social Media Feed" from app templates

Step 2: Configure App Settings

1. Choose professional color scheme (LinkedIn blue: #0077B5)
2. Select clean, business-appropriate font
3. Set light theme for professional appearance
4. Configure app icon and branding elements
5. Click "Continue" to enter editor

Setting Up the Professional Database

Step 3: Enhance the Users Collection

1. Click Database icon in left sidebar
2. Select the default "Users" collection
3. Add these professional properties (click "+ Add Property"):
   
   • Profile Picture (Image)
   • Professional Headline (Text)
   • Current Company (Text)
   • Current Position (Text)
   • Industry (Text)
   • Location (Text)
   • Professional Bio (Text - check "Multiline")
   • Years Experience (Number)
   • Skills (Text - for JSON array)
   • Phone Number (Text)
   • LinkedIn URL (Text)
   • Is Premium (True/False - default: false)

Learn about Users collection

Step 4: Create Professional Posts Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Professional Posts"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Content (Text - check "Multiline")
   • Post Type (Text) - Values: "text", "image", "article", "job_share"
   • Media (Image)
   • Article Link (Text)
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Like Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Comment Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Is Promoted (True/False - default: false)

Step 5: Create Jobs Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Jobs"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Job Title (Text)
   • Company Name (Text)
   • Job Description (Text - check "Multiline")
   • Location (Text)
   • Job Type (Text) - Values: "full-time", "part-time", "contract", "remote"
   • Salary Range (Text)
   • Requirements (Text - check "Multiline")
   • Posted Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Application Deadline (Date & Time)
   • Is Active (True/False - default: true)
   • Application Count (Number - default: 0)

Step 6: Create Professional Connections Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Connections"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Connection Status (Text) - Values: "pending", "connected", "blocked"
   • Connected Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Connection Note (Text)
   • How Met (Text)

Step 7: Create Job Applications Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Job Applications"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Cover Letter (Text - check "Multiline")
   • Resume URL (Text)
   • Applied Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Application Status (Text) - Values: "applied", "reviewed", "interviewing", "hired", "rejected"
   • Interview Date (Date & Time)
   • Notes (Text - check "Multiline")

Step 8: Create Messages Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Messages"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Message Text (Text - check "Multiline")
   • Sent At (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Is Read (True/False - default: false)
   • Read At (Date & Time)
   • Message Type (Text) - Values: "text", "image", "file"

Step 9: Set Up Database Relationships

1. In Professional Posts:
   
   • Add "Author" → Users (Many to One)
   • Add "Liked By" → Users (Many to Many)
2. In Jobs:
   
   • Add "Posted By" → Users (Many to One)
   • Add "Company" → Users (Many to One)
3. In Connections:
   
   • Add "Requester" → Users (Many to One)
   • Add "Recipient" → Users (Many to One)
4. In Job Applications:
   
   • Add "Job" → Jobs (Many to One)
   • Add "Applicant" → Users (Many to One)
5. In Messages:
   
   • Add "Sender" → Users (Many to One)
   • Add "Recipient" → Users (Many to One)

Database guide

Building Professional Profiles

Step 10: Create Profile Screen

1. Add new screen "Profile"
2. Add Avatar component:
   
   • Connect to Users → Profile Picture
   • Size: Large (120px)
3. Add Text components for:
   
   • Users → Professional Headline
   • Users → Current Company
   • Users → Current Position
   • Users → Location
   • Users → Professional Bio

Step 11: Add Profile Actions

1. Add Button "Connect":
   
   • Action: Create Connection record
   • Set Requester = Logged In User
   • Set Recipient = Current User
   • Set Status = "pending"
2. Add Button "Message":
   
   • Navigate to "New Message" screen
3. Add Button "Edit Profile" (if own profile):
   
   • Navigate to "Edit Profile" screen

Step 12: Create Edit Profile Screen

1. Add new screen "Edit Profile"
2. Add Form with inputs for:
   
   • Professional Headline
   • Current Company
   • Current Position
   • Industry (dropdown)
   • Location
   • Professional Bio
   • Skills (text input)
3. Add Image Picker for profile picture
4. Connect form to update Users collection

Implementing the Professional Feed

Step 13: Build Main Feed Screen

1. Add new screen "Feed" (set as home screen)
2. Add Custom List:
   
   • Data: Professional Posts
   • Filter: Author is in Logged In User's connections OR Author = Logged In User
   • Sort by: Created At (descending)
3. For each list item include:
   
   • Author profile picture (small avatar)
   • Author name and headline
   • Post content
   • Media (if exists)
   • Like and comment counts
   • Timestamp

Step 14: Add Post Interaction Features

1. Add Like Button:
   
   • Update Professional Posts → Liked By (add/remove user)
   • Display Like Count as the count of “Liked By”
2. Add Comment Button:
   
   • Navigate to "Post Detail" screen
3. Add Share Button:
   
   • Copy link functionality
   • Share to external apps

Step 15: Create New Post Screen

1. Add new screen "Create Post"
2. Add Form with:
   
   • Text area for post content
   • Dropdown for post type
   • Image picker for media
   • Text input for article links
3. Add Publish Button:
   
   • Create Professional Posts record
   • Set Author = Logged In User
   • Navigate back to Feed

Building Job Board Functionality

Step 16: Create Jobs Feed Screen

1. Add new screen "Jobs"
2. Add Search Bar component
3. Add Filter dropdowns for:
   
   • Job Type
   • Location
   • Industry
4. Add Custom List:
   
   • Data: Jobs
   • Filter: Is Active = true
   • Search by Job Title and Company Name
   • Sort by: Posted Date (descending)

Step 17: Design Job Card Layout

1. For each job list item show:
   
   • Job Title (large text)
   • Company Name (medium text)
   • Location and Job Type
   • Salary Range (if provided)
   • Posted date
   • Application count
2. Add Apply Button:
   
   • Navigate to "Job Application" screen

Step 18: Create Job Application Screen

1. Add new screen "Job Application"
2. Display job details at top
3. Add Form with:
   
   • Cover letter text area
   • Resume upload (File Picker → saves to Resume URL)
   • Additional notes
4. Add Submit Application Button:
   
   • Create Job Applications record
   • Update Jobs → Application Count (+1)
   • Send notification to job poster

Step 19: Build Job Posting Screen

1. Add new screen "Post Job"
2. Add Form with inputs for:
   
   • Job Title
   • Company Name
   • Job Description
   • Location
   • Job Type (dropdown)
   • Salary Range
   • Requirements
   • Application Deadline
3. Connect to create Jobs record

Implementing Professional Networking

Step 20: Create Connections Screen

1. Add new screen "My Network"
2. Add Tab Bar with sections:
   
   • "Connections" (accepted connections)
   • "Requests" (pending requests)
   • "Suggestions" (recommended connections)
3. Add Custom Lists for each tab

Step 21: Build Connection Requests

1. For "Requests" tab:
   
   • Filter: Recipient = Logged In User AND Status = "pending"
   • Show requester profile info
   • Add Accept and Decline buttons
2. Accept action:
   
   • Update Status to "connected"
   • Create reverse connection record
3. Decline action:
   
   • Delete connection record

Step 22: Create People Search

1. Add new screen "Find People"
2. Add Search Bar
3. Add Custom List:
   
   • Data: Users
   • Exclude existing connections
   • Search by name, company, position
   • Filter by industry (optional)
4. Add Connect Button for each person

Step 23: Implement Messaging System

1. Add new screen "Messages"
2. Add Custom List of conversations:
   
   • Group messages by sender/recipient pairs
   • Show last message preview
   • Display unread indicator
3. Add Floating Action Button for new message

Step 24: Create Chat Screen

1. Add new screen "Chat"
2. Add Custom List for messages:
   
   • Filter by conversation participants
   • Sort by Sent At (ascending)
   • Different styling for sent/received
3. Add input bar with:
   
   • Text input field
   • Send button
   • Image picker for attachments

Chat implementation guide

Adding Professional Features

Step 25: Create Skills Endorsement

1. Add "Endorsements" collection:
   
   • Endorser → Users
   • Endorsed User → Users
   • Skill Name (Text)
   • Created At (Date & Time)
2. On profile screen, display skills
3. Add Endorse Button for each skill

Step 26: Implement Professional Recommendations

1. Add "Recommendations" collection:
   
   • Recommender → Users
   • Recommended User → Users
   • Recommendation Text
   • Relationship Type
   • Created At
2. Add "Request Recommendation" feature
3. Display recommendations on profiles

Step 27: Add Company Pages

1. Create "Companies" collection:
   
   • Company Name
   • Description
   • Industry
   • Size
   • Logo
   • Website
2. Link users to companies
3. Create company profile screens

Optimization and Performance

Step 28: Implement Performance Best Practices

1. Limit list items to 20-30 per screen
2. Use “Load more” for long lists  
3. Compress images before upload
4. Use simple lists instead of custom lists where possible
5. Minimize nested components (max 4 levels)

Step 29: Configure Push Notifications

1. Go to Settings → Push Notifications
2. Upload certificates for iOS/Android
3. Add notification triggers:
   
   • New connection request
   • New message received
   • Job application status update
   • Post likes and comments
4. Set up notification templates

Push notification setup

Working with Platform Limitations

Step 30: Handle Missing Features

Cannot Implement:

• AI-powered job recommendations
• Advanced analytics dashboards
• Video calling capabilities
• Real-time typing indicators
• Advanced search filters
• Offline functionality

Workarounds:

• Manual job recommendations based on skills
• Basic engagement metrics
• External video call integration
• Refresh for real-time updates
• Simple text-based search
• Require internet connectivity

Step 31: Plan for Scaling

1. Monitor usage (App Actions) and list sizes  
2. For external backends/APIs, see Integrations  
3. Hybrid approach: keep UI in Adalo; move heavy data/logic to a backend if needed

Testing and Quality Assurance

Step 32: Test Core Professional Features

1. Create multiple test accounts
2. Test connection request flow
3. Verify job application process
4. Check messaging functionality
5. Test profile updates
6. Validate notification delivery
7. Test search and discovery

Step 33: Performance Testing

1. Follow Optimize performance to identify bottlenecks
2. Test with multiple users simultaneously
3. Monitor database query times
4. Check image loading speeds
5. Validate app responsiveness

Launch Preparation

Step 34: Prepare for App Store

1. Upgrade to paid plan:
   
   • Starter ($45/month): Basic features
   • Team ($65/month): Custom actions needed
   • Business ($200/month): Advanced integrations
2. Configure app store settings
3. Create privacy policy
4. Add terms of service
5. Set up customer support system

Step 35: Post-Launch Monitoring

1. Track user engagement metrics
2. Monitor database performance
3. Collect user feedback
4. Plan feature iterations
5. Consider migration timeline if scaling beyond Adalo

Additional Resources

• Adalo Learning Hub
• Component
• Database Documentation
• YouTube Tutorials
• App Academy

Cost Breakdown and Considerations

Development Costs:

• Plans & limits: see Pricing

Additional Costs:

• Apple Developer Account: $99/year
• Google Play Console: $25 one-time
• Components: see Marketplace
• External integrations: varies by service

Timeline Expectations:

• MVP Development: 2-4 weeks
• App Store Approval: 1-2 weeks
• User Testing: 2-3 weeks
• Full Launch: 6-8 weeks total

Note: This LinkedIn clone will provide core professional networking functionality within Adalo's capabilities. While it won't match LinkedIn's advanced features like AI recommendations or complex analytics, it serves as a solid foundation for professional networking MVPs and niche professional communities.

FAQ