Updated Oct 01, 2025

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

Table of Contents

This comprehensive tutorial walks you through creating a functional, profile-driven dating app (à la OkCupid) using Adalo’s no-code platform. You’ll design rich profiles and questionnaires, implement compatibility scoring and swipe discovery, add chat and premium tiers, and publish to iOS, Android, and the web — without writing traditional code.

Prerequisites and Initial Setup

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account

Go to Adalo.com and sign up.
Start on the Free plan for prototyping; upgrade later as needed. See current pricing for limits and features.
Verify your email and complete onboarding.

Step 2: Start Your Project

Click Create New App → Mobile App.
Name your project (e.g., OkCupidClone).
Choose Start from Scratch or browse app templates for a head start.

Step 3: Configure App Settings

Targets: iOS, Android, and Web App (PWA).
Responsive: Enable responsive design to support phones, tablets, and desktop.
Locale: Set default language and region.
Branding: Colors, typography, icons, and splash screens.

Designing the Data Model (Profiles, Preferences, Q&A)

Step 4: Enhance the Users Collection

Open Database → Users and add:

Display Name (Text)
Date of Birth (Date) → compute age with a Formula
Gender (Text / options)
Sexual Orientation (Multi-select Text)
Bio (Multiline Text, ~500 chars)
Location (Location) + City (Text)
Distance Preference (Number, miles/km)
Age Range Min/Max (Numbers)
Looking For (Text: Dating, Friendship, etc.)
Verification Status (Text)
Premium Member (True/False)
Account Created (Date & Time – automatic)
Last Active (Date & Time)

Step 5: Profile Enhancements (Optional but Useful)

Photos (up to 6 Image fields or a separate Photos collection)
Education Level (Text / options)
Occupation / Company (Text)
Religion / Politics (Text / options)
Lifestyle: Drinking, Smoking, Has Kids, Wants Kids (Text / True/False)
Any other attributes relevant to your niche.

Step 6: Questions (OkCupid-style)

Create Questions collection:

Question Text (Text)
Category (Text: Lifestyle, Values, Dating, etc.)
Type (Text: Multiple Choice, Scale, Yes/No)
Answer Options (Text; store JSON or pipe-separated choices)
Weight (Number; importance for scoring)
Active (True/False)

Step 7: User Answers

Create UserAnswers collection:

Answer Value (Text)
Importance (Number: 1–5)
Created Date (Date & Time)
User → Users (Many-to-One)
Question → Questions (Many-to-One)

Authentication & Onboarding

Step 8: Welcome Screen

Logo + tagline (“Find your most compatible matches”).
Buttons: Sign Up, Log In, Learn More.

Step 9: Multi-Step Registration

Screen 1 – Account

Email, Password, Display Name → Submit → next.

Screen 2 – Personal

DOB (compute Age), Gender, Orientation, Location (device or manual).

Screen 3 – Preferences

Looking For, Age Range dual slider, Distance slider, Relationship Type.

Step 10: Photo Upload & Verification

Image Picker with 1–6 photos and “Set Primary” toggle.
Verification flow (optional): selfie prompt using Camera component; store verification image and set Verification Status.

Phone verification: implement via a third-party service (e.g., Twilio Verify) using Custom Actions.

Matching Engine (Scoring, Filters, and Mutual Likes)

Step 11: Matches Collection

Match Score (Number, 0–100)
Match Date (Date & Time)
User 1 Liked / User 2 Liked (True/False)
Is Mutual (True/False)
Last Interaction (Date & Time)
User 1 → Users (Many-to-One)
User 2 → Users (Many-to-One)

Step 12: Compatibility Scoring

Implement with Formulas + logic:

Inputs: shared answers, answer compatibility %, distance, age preference fit, profile completeness, recent activity.
Weight with Question.Weight and UserAnswers.Importance.
Save Match Score to show as a badge (e.g., “86% compatible”).

Step 13: Criteria & Exclusions

Must match (AND):

Both users within each other’s Age Range
Within Distance Preference
Gender/Orientation compatibility
Not blocked/reported

Should match (OR):

Shared interests/lifestyle values
Similar education or habits
Recent activity

Discovery, Profiles, and Swipe UI

Step 14: Discovery (Swipe) Screen

Add a Card/Stack component bound to Users.
Filter:
- Not already liked/passed by the current user
- Meets mutual age and distance preferences
- Exclude blocked/reported
Card content: primary photo, name + age, city/distance, match %.

Gestures & actions:

Right = Like → create “like” interaction, check for mutual like → if mutual, create Matches record and open It’s a Match screen.
Left = Pass → create “pass” record.
Up = Super Like (premium) → record and notify.

Step 15: Detailed Profile

Screen: View Profile
Sections: photo carousel, basic info, bio, lifestyle tags, “Top answers” to key questions.
Buttons: Like, Pass, Super Like, Report.

Step 16: Match Celebration

“It’s a Match!” overlay with both photos, match %, and actions: Send Message / Keep Swiping.

Messaging (Conversations & Notifications)

Step 17: Messages Collection

Message Text (Multiline Text)
Sent Date (Date & Time)
Is Read (True/False)
Message Type (Text: text/image/gif)
Sender → Users
Conversation → Conversations

Step 18: Conversations Collection

Last Message (Text)
Last Message Date (Date & Time)
Unread Count User 1 / User 2 (Numbers)
Is Active (True/False)
Participant 1 / Participant 2 → Users

Step 19: Chat Screen

Header with match’s photo/name and Unmatch menu.
Messages list (sort ascending), distinct styling for sent/received.
Input bar: text, send, image attach (and optional GIF via Custom Action).
Push notifications for new messages and matches:
- Trigger push notifications

Premium Features & Monetization

Step 20: Subscription Tiers

Suggested tiers:

Basic (Free): limited daily swipes (e.g., 25), standard filters, basic messaging.
Premium (example pricing): unlimited swipes, See Who Liked You, advanced filters, Rewind.
Gold (example pricing): Premium + Super Likes (daily), monthly Boost, priority support.

Step 21: Payments Implementation

iOS/Android in-app purchases (digital goods): integrate IAPHUB with Adalo for native IAP flows:
- IAPHUB on Adalo
Stripe for web payments or eligible non-digital services via Marketplace components:
- Adalo Marketplace

Step 22: Premium Gating

Conditional visibility for premium UI.
Usage tracking for daily limit counters, Super Likes, Boosts.
Upsell modals when a non-premium user taps gated features.

Location & Proximity Matching

Step 23: Location Permissions

Prompt users for permission; provide manual location fallback.
Store Location (lat/long) and update on app open or at suitable intervals.

Step 24: Distance Filtering

Store each user’s coordinates with the Location property (lat/long are available via Magic Text). Compute straight-line distances using Adalo’s Latitude, Longitude, and Special Formulas guide, or call a small external API if you need driving distance. Adalo Help
- Latitude, Longitude, and Special Formulas
To compare two saved locations (e.g., “within X miles/km”), follow Adalo’s Comparing Locations walkthrough and apply your app’s Distance Preference filter (e.g., 1–100 miles/km; premium could offer “Travel Mode” or a global radius). Adalo Help
- Comparing Locations

Step 25: Location-Driven Features (Optional)

Nearby Matches, Travel Mode (set a virtual location), Local Events screens.

Safety & Moderation

Step 26: Reports & Blocks

Reports collection: type (Fake Profile/Harassment/etc.), description, evidence (image), status.
Blocked Users relation on Users; exclude blocked users from discovery and messages.
Add a Safety screen with tips, reporting access, and links to policies.

Installing Essential Components

Step 27: Marketplace Components

Visit the Adalo Marketplace:

Card Stack / Swipe for discovery
Image Carousel for profile photos
Maps (for location views)
Chat UI (or build custom with lists)
Camera/File upload for verification flows

Testing Your App (Flows, Edge Cases, Payments)

Step 28: Test Users & Data

Seed 20–30 test profiles covering ages, orientations, locations, and mixed match % values.
Include edge cases: incomplete profiles, inactive accounts, premium vs. free.

Step 29: Core Flow Tests

Onboarding: registration, photos, preference setup.
Discovery: swipe logic, mutual match creation, gated features.
Chat: message send/receive, notifications, unread counts.
Payments: purchase, entitlement unlock, renewal, cancellation.
Safety: report/block flows and visibility exclusions.

Step 30: Preview & Device Testing

Use Adalo’s previewer and test on physical devices for UI and performance.
Verify conditional visibility, formulas, and all notification triggers.

Optimization, Limitations & Workarounds

Platform Limitations and Workarounds

Critical constraints to address

Performance considerations

Large collections and complex relationships can slow screens.
Deeply nested lists (lists within lists) increase render time.
Heavy image/video usage impacts load times and storage.

Real-time limitations

Continuous background sockets and native live tracking aren’t built-in.
Foreground refresh (polling) is typical; background updates are limited.

Workaround strategies

Keep each list to ~20–30 items and use “Load more” pagination.
Offload heavy datasets/logic via External Collections or a lightweight backend API.
Use Custom Actions to fetch computed results (e.g., distance, recommendations).
Simulate “real-time” with timed list refresh + push notifications for events.
Split roles into separate apps (e.g., user vs. admin) to keep screens lean.
Pre-compress images; prefer carousels over large grids.

Helpful references

Publishing to App Stores & Web

Step 31: iOS Submission

Apple Developer Program: $99/year.
Prepare screenshots, privacy policy, and metadata.
Determine age rating using Apple’s questionnaire (many dating apps end up 17+ due to user-generated content).
Publish guide: Apple App Store

Step 32: Google Play Submission

Play Console: $25 one-time fee.
Complete listing, upload AAB/APK, content rating.
Publish guide: Google Play

Step 33: Web (PWA) Launch

Choose Adalo subdomain or set a custom domain.
Configure SSL, analytics, and SEO basics.
Web publishing

Cost Breakdown and Resources

Adalo Subscription Costs

Plans and limits change; see Adalo Pricing for current details.

Additional Service Costs (as applicable)

Apple Developer Program: $99/year — Apple Programs
Google Play Console: $25 one-time — Play Console Help
Stripe processing fees — Stripe Pricing
Maps/Geocoding (distance/ETA) — Google Maps Platform Pricing
In-app purchases — IAPHUB for Adalo
External databases/APIs — varies by provider

Marketplace Components

Availability and pricing vary — see the Adalo Component Marketplace

Additional Resources

Component Marketplace: prebuilt UI and utilities — Marketplace
Database docs: relationships, formulas, performance — Database Docs
Custom Actions: connect external APIs and services — Custom Actions Guide
Push Notifications: triggers and setup — Notifications
Templates & Learning: App Templates · Learning Hub

Notes: This guide focuses on what’s achievable with Adalo’s native features and light integrations. Real-time GPS tracking, continuous background updates, and complex server-side algorithms are not native; use Custom Actions, External Collections, or a small backend for those.

For larger-scale apps, prioritize: lean screens, progressive list loading, externalized heavy queries, and strict media optimization. Always verify plan features/limits and store policies at publication time, as they change periodically.

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