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

Building a Reddit-style community platform from scratch traditionally requires extensive programming knowledge—from setting up complex database relationships for threaded comments to implementing voting systems and managing multiple subreddit communities. The challenge intensifies when you need your app to work seamlessly across web browsers, iOS devices, and Android phones, typically demanding separate codebases and development teams for each platform.

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. With Adalo's visual interface, you can create the voting systems, threaded comments, and community features that make Reddit so engaging—all without writing a single line of code.

Why Adalo Works for Building a Reddit-Style Community 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 an excellent choice for building a Reddit clone, where users need to access community discussions, voting systems, and threaded comments from any device without you having to maintain separate codebases.

Publishing your community app to the app stores opens up powerful engagement opportunities. With native distribution, you can leverage push notifications to alert users when someone replies to their posts or comments, driving the kind of active participation that makes community platforms thrive. Whether your users prefer browsing on desktop or scrolling through their phones, they'll have a seamless experience across all platforms.

This comprehensive tutorial will walk you through building a Reddit-style community platform using Adalo's platform. While some features like real-time updates and complex algorithms aren't possible, you'll create a functional app with voting systems, threaded comments, and subreddit communities. 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. Navigate to Adalo.com and create an account
2. Click "Create New App" from your dashboard
3. Select "Web App" (recommended for Reddit-style browsing experience)
4. Name your app (e.g., "RedditClone" or "Community Hub")
5. Choose "Start from Scratch" for full customization control

Step 2: Configure App Settings

1. Set primary color scheme (orange/white for Reddit-style appearance)
2. Choose light theme with optional dark mode toggle
3. Select readable fonts like Arial or Roboto
4. Enable responsive design for multiple screen sizes
5. Click "Continue" to access the main editor

Setting Up the Database

Step 3: Enhance the Users Collection

1. Click the Database icon in left sidebar
2. Select the default "Users" collection
3. Add these properties (click "+ Add Property"):
   
   • Username (Text - unique identifier for public display)
   • Avatar (Image)
   • Bio (Text - check "Multiline")
   • Post Karma (Number - default: 0)
   • Comment Karma (Number - default: 0)
   • Total Karma (Number)
   • Account Created (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Is Verified (True/False - default: false)
   • Is Banned (True/False - default: false)

Database documentation provides additional setup guidance.

Step 4: Create Subreddits Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Subreddits"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Name (Text - unique subreddit identifier)
   • Display Name (Text - public-facing title)
   • Description (Text - Multiline)
   • Icon (Image)
   • Banner (Image)
   • Rules (Text - Multiline)
   • Created Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Member Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Is Private (True/False - default: false)
   • Is NSFW (True/False - default: false)

Step 5: Create Posts Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Posts"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Title (Text - required field)
   • Content Type (Text) - Values: "text", "link", "image"
   • Text Content (Text - Multiline)
   • Link URL (Text)
   • Media (Image)
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Score (Number - default: 0)
   • Upvotes (Number - default: 0)
   • Downvotes (Number - default: 0)
   • Comment Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Is Pinned (True/False - default: false)
   • Is Locked (True/False - default: false)
   • Flair (Text - optional categorization)

Step 6: Create Comments Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Comments"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Content (Text - Multiline)
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Score (Number - default: 0)
   • Upvotes (Number - default: 0)
   • Downvotes (Number - default: 0)
   • Is Deleted (True/False - default: false)
   • Depth Level (Number - for visual nesting control)

Step 7: Create Votes Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Votes"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Vote Type (Text) - Values: "upvote", "downvote"
   • Target Type (Text) - Values: "post", "comment"
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)

Step 8: Create Memberships Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Memberships"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Role (Text) - Values: "member", "moderator", "admin"
   • Joined Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Is Banned (True/False - default: false)
   • Ban Reason (Text)

Step 9: Set Up Database Relationships

1. In Posts:
   
   
   
   • Add "Author" → Users (Many to One)
   • Add "Subreddit" → Subreddits (Many to One)
2. In Comments:
   
   
   
   • Add "Author" → Users (Many to One)
   • Add "Post" → Posts (Many to One)
   • Add "Parent Comment" → Comments (Many to One - enables threading)
3. In Votes:
   
   
   
   • Add "User" → Users (Many to One)
   • Add "Post" → Posts (Many to One)
   • Add "Comment" → Comments (Many to One)
4. In Memberships:
   
   
   
   • Add "User" → Users (Many to One)
   • Add "Subreddit" → Subreddits (Many to One)
5. In Subreddits:
   
   
   
   • Add "Creator" → Users (Many to One)

Building the Home Feed

Step 10: Create Home Screen Layout

1. Add new screen "Home"
2. Add App Bar component at top:
   
   • Logo/title positioned left
   • Search icon center
   • User avatar right side
3. Add Tab Bar below app bar:
   
   • "Hot" tab (default active)
   • "New" tab
   • "Top" tab
   • "Rising" tab

Step 11: Build Post Feed List

1. Add Custom List component:
   
   • Data source: Posts collection
   • Filter: Is Deleted = false
   • Sort: By Score (descending) for "Hot" tab
2. For each list item display:
   
   • Subreddit name and icon
   • Post title (truncated after 2 lines)
   • Author username
   • Posted date/time
   • Vote buttons with current score
   • Comment count badge
   • Share button

Custom Lists guide explains advanced filtering options.

Step 12: Implement Voting System

1. Add upvote/downvote buttons to each post
2. On upvote button click:
   
   • Check if existing vote record exists for this user/post
   • If no vote: Create new vote (type: "upvote"), increment post score
   • If downvote exists: Delete existing, create upvote, add 2 to score
   • If upvote exists: Delete vote, decrement score by 1
3. On downvote button click:
   
   • Apply same logic but with opposite values
4. Update the post’s Score only (karma calculations are handled in Step 24)

Step 13: Add Feed Sorting Algorithms

1. For "Hot" tab sorting:  
   
   • Sort posts by **Score** (descending)
2. For "New" tab sorting:
   
   • Sort by Created At (most recent first)
3. For "Top" tab sorting:
   
   • Add time filter dropdown (today, week, month, year, all)
   • Sort by Score value descending within time frame

Creating Subreddit Communities

Step 14: Build Subreddit Screen

1. Add new screen "Subreddit"
2. Add header section containing:
   
   • Banner image (full width)
   • Subreddit icon (circular)
   • Community name and member count
   • Join/Leave button (conditional text)
3. Add description text area
4. Add community rules sidebar (web only, conditional visibility)

Step 15: Create Join/Leave Functionality

1. Add Button component with conditional text
2. Set text conditions:
   
   • "Join" when no membership record exists
   • "Leave" when membership record found
3. Configure click actions:
   
   • If joining: Create new Membership record
   • If leaving: Delete existing Membership record
   • Update Subreddit member count (+1 or -1)

Step 16: Build Create Subreddit Screen

1. Add new screen "Create Subreddit"
2. Add form elements:
   
   • Name input with uniqueness validation
   • Display name input field
   • Description textarea (multiline)
   • Icon image picker component
   • Banner image picker component
   • Community rules textarea
   • Privacy settings toggle
3. On form submission:
   
   • Create new Subreddit record
   • Create initial Membership (creator as admin role)
   • Navigate to newly created subreddit

Implementing Post Creation

Step 17: Create Submit Post Screen

1. Add new screen "Submit Post"
2. Add Dropdown for subreddit selection:
   
   • Data source: Current user's memberships
   • Display field: Subreddit name
3. Add post type selector using tabs:
   
   • Text post option
   • Link post option
   • Image post option

Step 18: Build Post Type Forms

1. For text posts:
   
   • Title input (required, 300 character limit)
   • Text editor component (multiline textarea)
   • Flair selector dropdown (optional)
2. For link posts:
   
   • Title input field
   • URL input with format validation
   • Link preview generation
3. For image posts:
   
   • Title input field
   • Image picker component
   • Caption field (optional text area)

Step 19: Add Post Validation

1. Before submission, verify:
   
   • User has membership in selected subreddit
   • Title length meets requirements (minimum 3, maximum 300)
   • Content field not empty
   • User account not banned
2. On successful validation:
   
   • Create new Post record
   • Increment user's post karma (+1)
   • Navigate to post detail screen

Building the Comment System

Step 20: Create Post Detail Screen

1. Add new screen "Post Detail"
2. Display complete post information:
   
   • Full title and content
   • Expanded media display
   • Vote buttons and current score
   • Action buttons (share, save, report)
3. Add comment input field at bottom
4. Add comments list below post content

Step 21: Implement Threaded Comments

1. Add Custom List for top-level comments:
   
   • Filter: Post = Current Post AND Parent Comment is empty
   • Sort options: Score descending OR Created At
2. For each comment item show:
   
   • Author username and avatar
   • Comment content text
   • Upvote/downvote buttons with score
   • Reply button
   • Timestamp (posted date/time)
3. Add nested comment list for replies:
   
   • Filter: Parent Comment = Current Comment
   • Apply indentation using margin/padding styles

Step 22: Create Comment Reply System

1. Add "Reply" button to each comment
2. On reply button click:
   
   • Show inline text input field
   • Add submit and cancel buttons
   • On submit: Create comment with Parent Comment relationship
   • Increment comment's Depth Level by 1
   • Update parent post's comment count
3. Limit visual nesting to 5-7 levels for readability

User Profiles and Karma

Step 23: Build User Profile Screen

1. Add new screen "User Profile"
2. Display user information section:
   
   • Avatar image and username
   • Total Karma (plus Post Karma and Comment Karma)
   • Account creation date
   • Bio text area
3. Add profile tabs for different content:
   
   • User's posts list
   • User's comments list
   • Saved items list
   • About/info section

Step 24: Implement Karma Calculation

1. On upvote received by user:
   
   • If vote target is post: Add 1 to author's post karma
   • If vote target is comment: Add 1 to author's comment karma
2. On downvote received by user:
   
   • Subtract 1 from appropriate karma type (minimum value 0)
3. 3. Update Total Karma alongside the specific type (post/comment) on each vote, then display Total Karma prominently in the interface.

Step 25: Create User Settings

1. Add new screen "Settings"
2. Include configuration sections:
   
   • Profile editing (avatar upload, bio editing)
   • Email notification preferences
   • Push notification settings
   • Privacy and visibility options
   • Account management tools

Search and Discovery

Step 26: Build Search Functionality

1. Add new screen "Search"
2. Add Text Input component for search queries
3. Add search scope tabs:
   
   • Posts search results
   • Subreddits search results
   • Users search results
   • Comments search results
4. Implement content filtering:
   
   • Filter posts/comments containing search query text
   • Filter subreddits by name or description match
   • Filter users by username match

Step 27: Create Discover Screen

1. Add new screen "Discover"
2. Add discovery sections:
   
   • Trending subreddits (sorted by member count)
   • Popular posts across all subreddits
   • Recommended subreddits based on user's current memberships
3. Use Custom Lists with appropriate data filters

Moderation Features

Step 28: Add Moderator Tools

1. Create "Mod Tools" screen
2. Set visibility: Memberships → Role for the current subreddit is "moderator" or "admin"
3. Add moderation sections:
   
   • Reported content review queue
   • User ban/unban interface
   • Post pin/unpin controls
   • Comment lock/unlock options
   • Subreddit settings editor

Step 29: Implement Reporting System

1. Add "Report" button to posts and comments
2. Create Reports collection with properties:
   
   • Report reason (dropdown selection)
   • Additional details (text area)
   • Reporter user relationship
   • Reported content relationship
3. Display reported items in moderation queue for action

Working with Platform Limitations

Step 30: Handle Missing Features

Cannot Implement:

• True real-time updates (use manual refresh buttons)
• Complex markdown text formatting
• Live vote/comment counters
• Native video hosting capabilities
• Advanced search ranking algorithms

Workarounds:

• Manual refresh buttons for feed updates
• Basic text formatting using simple markers
• Manual refresh button for lists
• External video embedding via URL links
• Simple text-matching search functionality

Step 31: Optimize Performance

1. Limit initial list loads to 20-25 items maximum
2. Implement "Load More" button for pagination
3. Use conditional visibility strategically to reduce render load
4. See Optimize performance
5. Minimize database relationship calls per screen load

Testing and Launch

Step 32: Test Core Features

1. Create multiple test user accounts
2. Test post creation across different subreddits
3. Verify voting system affects karma calculations correctly
4. Test comment threading at various depth levels
5. Verify moderator tools function properly
6. Test search functionality across all content types

Step 33: Prepare for Publishing

1. Upgrade to a paid plan  
2. Configure custom domain
3. Create comprehensive content moderation policy
4. Draft community guidelines and rules
5. Build user onboarding flow for new accounts

Additional Resources

• App Academy - Advanced development tutorials
• Component documentation - Comprehensive component guides
• YouTube tutorials - Video learning content
• Template library - Pre-built components and templates

Important Considerations

Cost Breakdown:

• Plans & limits: see Pricing

Performance Guidelines:

• Target screen load times under 3 seconds
• Implement lazy loading for image content
• Compress images before upload
• Use External collections for large data sets

Third-Party Enhancements:

• Automation via Custom actions  
• External data via External collections

Note: This Reddit clone provides comprehensive community platform functionality within Adalo's no-code constraints. While it won't replicate Reddit's advanced real-time features and complex algorithms, it delivers essential functionality for engaging community discussions, content sharing, and social interaction.

FAQ