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

Building a YouTube-style video sharing platform from scratch typically requires extensive programming knowledge, backend infrastructure expertise, and months of development time across web and mobile platforms. The complexity multiplies when you need your app to work seamlessly on iOS, Android, and the web while managing databases for videos, user channels, playlists, and subscriber relationships. For creators and entrepreneurs with a vision for a video platform, these technical barriers can feel insurmountable.

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 bring your video sharing platform to life with robust features like channel subscriptions, playlist management, and push notifications—all without writing a single line of code.

Why Adalo Is Perfect for Building a YouTube Clone

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 ideal platform for creating a YouTube-style video sharing app, where you need powerful database capabilities to organize videos, manage user channels, curate playlists, and track engagement—all while delivering a seamless experience across web browsers and mobile devices.

Building your video platform with Adalo means your audience can discover and watch content wherever they are. Native app store distribution enables push notifications to alert subscribers when their favorite creators upload new videos, driving the kind of engagement that makes video platforms thrive. Best of all, you'll build everything once and deploy everywhere—no coding required.

This comprehensive tutorial will walk you through building a YouTube-style video sharing platform using Adalo's no-code platform. While some advanced features like live streaming aren't possible, you'll create a functional app with video uploads, channels, playlists, and social features. 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.

Why Adalo Works for Building a Video Sharing App

Adalo is a no-code app builder for database-driven web, iOS, and Android apps published to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This makes it an excellent choice for creating a YouTube-style video sharing platform, where you need robust database functionality to manage videos, channels, playlists, and user interactions across multiple platforms simultaneously.

Publishing your video app to both app stores means your users can download and access content natively on their devices, complete with push notifications to alert subscribers when new videos are uploaded. This native experience is essential for video platforms where user engagement and content discovery drive success—and with Adalo, you can achieve all of this without writing any code.

Prerequisites and Initial Setup

Step 1: Create Your Adalo Account

1. Navigate to Adalo.com and click "Start Building For Free"
2. Choose email signup or Google authentication
3. Select your experience level with no-code tools
4. Complete the onboarding questionnaire
5. Verify your email if using email signup

Step 2: Create a New App

1. Click "Create New App" from your dashboard
2. Choose “Responsive App (Adalo 2.0)”
3. Select "Start from Scratch" (don't use templates)
4. Name your app "YouTube Clone" or similar
5. Pick a primary color theme (red for YouTube-style)
6. Choose dark or light mode preference
7. Click "Let's Go" to enter the editor

Step 3: Configure App Settings

1. Click the gear icon in the top bar
2. Navigate to "App Settings"
3. Set your app icon (upload a custom logo)
4. Configure splash screen settings
5. Confirm your app type is “Responsive (Adalo 2.0)” — the Video component requires Responsive apps.

Setting Up the Database

Step 4: Create the Videos Collection

1. Click Database icon in left sidebar
2. Click "+ Add Collection"
3. Name it "Videos"
4. Add these properties (click "+ Add Property"):
   
   • Title (Text) - Make this first as it becomes the record label
   • Description (Text - check "Multiline")
   • Video File (File) — Direct uploads must be < 50 MB; uploads over ~40 MB may time out
   • Video URL (Text) - For external video links
   • Thumbnail (Image)
   • Duration (Number) - Store in seconds
   • Views (Number - default: 0)
   • Upload Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Published (True/False - default: true)
   • Category (Text)
   • Tags (Text)

Learn about database setup

Step 5: Enhance the Users Collection

1. Select the default "Users" collection
2. Add these channel-specific properties:
   
   • Channel Name (Text)
   • Channel Description (Text - Multiline)
   • Channel Banner (Image)
   • Subscriber Count (Number - default: 0)
   • Total Views (Number - default: 0)
   • Join Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Verified (True/False - default: false)

Step 6: Create Comments Collection

1. Click "+ Add Collection"
2. Name it "Comments"
3. Add properties:
   
   • Comment Text (Text - Multiline)
   • Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)
   • Edited (True/False - default: false)
   • Likes (Number - default: 0)

Step 7: Create Supporting Collections

Create these additional collections with properties:

Playlists Collection:

• Playlist Name (Text)
• Description (Text - Multiline)
• Thumbnail (Image)
• Created Date (Date & Time - Automatic)
• Public (True/False - default: true)
• Video Count (Number - default: 0)

Categories Collection:

• Name (Text)
• Icon (Image)
• Description (Text)

Subscriptions Collection:

• Subscribed At (Date & Time - Automatic)

Likes Collection:

• Created At (Date & Time - Automatic)

Step 8: Set Up Relationships

Configure these essential relationships:

1. Videos to Users:
   
   • In Videos, add Relationship to Users
   • Select "A Video has one Creator"
   • Name: "Creator" in Videos, "Created Videos" in Users
2. Comments to Videos:
   
   • In Comments, add Relationship to Videos
   • Select "A Comment belongs to one Video"
   • Name: "Video" in Comments, "Comments" in Videos
3. Comments to Users:
   
   • In Comments, add Relationship to Users
   • Select "A Comment has one Author"
   • Name: "Author" in Comments, "Comments" in Users
4. Playlists to Users
   
   • In Playlists, add Relationship to Users
   • Select "A Playlist has one Creator"
   • Name: "Creator" in Playlists, "Playlists" in Users
5. Videos to Playlists (Many-to-Many):
   
   • In Videos, add Relationship to Playlists
   • Select "A Video can be in many Playlists"
   • Name: "In Playlists" in Videos, "Videos" in Playlists

Database relationships guide

Building the Home Feed

Step 9: Create the Home Screen

1. Add new screen "Home"
2. Make it your start screen
3. Add App Bar at top:
   
   • Add logo image on left
   • Add search icon (link to Search screen)
   • Add notification icon
   • Add user avatar (link to Profile)

Step 10: Add Video Feed List

1. Add Custom List component
2. Connect to Videos collection
3. Filter: Published = true
4. Sort: Upload Date (Newest First)
5. In list item, add:
   
   • Image for thumbnail
   • Text for title (2 lines max)
   • Text for channel name
   • Text for views and upload date

Step 11: Configure List Performance

1. Select the list
2. Go to Advanced section
3. Enable "Load Items as User Scrolls"
4. Set initial load to 10 items
5. Enable "Show Loading Indicator"

Optimize list performance

Step 12: Add Category Filter

1. Add horizontal Simple List above video feed
2. Connect to Categories collection
3. In each item:
   
   • Add Rectangle with rounded corners
   • Add Text for category name
   • Add click action to filter main list

Implementing Video Upload

Step 13: Create Upload Screen

1. Add new screen "Upload Video"
2. Add Form component
3. Set to create record in Videos collection
4. Add form fields:
   
   • Text Input for Title (required)
   • Text Input for Description (multiline)
   • Dropdown for Category
   • File Picker for Video File
   • Image Picker for Thumbnail

Step 14: Configure File Upload

1. Select the File Picker
2. Set label to "Select Video (Max 40 MB — >~40 MB may time out)"
3. Add help text about size limits
4. Note: No file type restrictions available

Step 15: Add Upload Actions

1. On form submit button:
   
   • Set Creator to Logged In User
   • Set Upload Date to Current Time
   • Add success notification
   • Navigate to video detail screen

Step 16: Implement External Video Option

1. For YouTube, use the YouTube component  
2. For externally hosted files, use a direct .mp4 URL in Video URL on the Video component. Note that URL-hosted videos (e.g., Vimeo links) may not play on native builds; avoid Vimeo links for native.  
3. Show conditional Text Input for URL
4. Validate URL format with conditional visibility
5. Store in Video URL field instead of File

Building the Video Player Screen

Step 17: Create Video Detail Screen

1. Add new screen "Watch Video"
2. Add Video Component at top
3. Configure video settings:
   
   • Source: Current Video > Video File (or Video URL)
   • Show controls: Yes
   • Controls: Not available on Native Android
   • Autoplay: Optional — mobile browsers may block until user interaction; when enabled, it starts muted.
   • Muted: No
   • Loop: No
   • Show Full Video (maintains aspect ratio)

Video component documentation

Step 18: Add Video Information

Below video player, add:

1. Text for video title (bold, large)
2. Text for view count and date
3. Group with like/dislike buttons
4. Rectangle divider
5. Group with channel info:
   
   • Avatar image
   • Channel name
   • Subscriber count
   • Subscribe button

Step 19: Implement View Counter

1. On screen load, add action:
   
   • Update Current Video
   • Views = Current Video > Views + 1
2. Note: This counts every load, not unique views

Step 20: Add Comments Section

1. Add Text "Comments" header
2. Add Custom List connected to Comments
3. Filter: Video = Current Video
4. Sort: Created At (Newest First)
5. In each comment show:
   
   • Author avatar
   • Author name
   • Comment text
   • Time ago
   • Like button

Step 21: Create Comment Form

1. Add Form at bottom
2. Set to create Comment record
3. Add Text Input for comment
4. On submit:
   
   • Set Video to Current Video
   • Set Author to Logged In User
   • Clear form after submit

Implementing Channels

Step 22: Create Channel Screen

1. Add new screen "Channel"
2. Add Image for channel banner
3. Add channel info section:
   
   • Avatar
   • Channel name
   • Subscriber count
   • Subscribe button
4. Add tabs for content organization

Step 23: Add Channel Videos Tab

1. Add Custom List of videos
2. Filter: Creator = Current Channel
3. Sort: Upload Date (Newest)
4. Use grid layout (2 columns)
5. Show thumbnail and title only

Step 24: Create Subscribe System

1. In Subscriptions collection, set relationships:
   
   • Subscriber (User who subscribes)
   • Channel (User being subscribed to)
2. On Subscribe button:
   
   • If subscription exists, delete it
   • If not, create new subscription
   • Update subscriber count accordingly

User relationships tutorial

Building Playlists Feature

Step 25: Create Playlist Screen

1. Add new screen "Playlist"
2. Show playlist info:
   
   • Thumbnail
   • Name
   • Description
   • Video count
   • Total duration
3. Add privacy indicator

Step 26: Build Playlist Videos List

1. Add Custom List of videos
2. Filter: In Playlists contains Current Playlist
3. Add an “Order” Number property and Sort the list by Order (low→high) for manual sequencing
4. Show video number in playlist

Step 27: Implement Add to Playlist

1. On video screen, add "Save" button
2. Opens modal with user's playlists
3. Show checkboxes for each playlist
4. Update relationships on save

Step 28: Create Playlist Management

1. Add "Create Playlist" screen
2. Form with name, description, privacy
3. Auto-add current video if creating from video page
4. Allow editing for playlist owner only

Adding Social Features

Step 29: Implement Like System

1. Create Like relationship (Many-to-Many)
2. Users can like many videos
3. Videos can have many likes
4. Toggle button changes based on like status

Step 30: Build Search Screen

1. Add new screen "Search"
2. Add Text Input at top
3. Add Custom List below
4. Filter: Title contains Input's value OR Description contains Input's value

Tip: Use “Contains” for partial text matches on Title and Description

Search implementation guide

Step 31: Add Trending Section

1. Create "Trending" screen
2. Add Custom List of videos
3. Filter: Upload Date > Current Time - 7 days
4. Sort: Views (High to Low)
5. Limit to 50 items

Step 32: Create User Profiles

1. Add profile screen
2. Show user info:
   
   • Avatar (editable for own profile)
   • Username
   • Bio
   • Stats (videos, views, subscribers)
3. Add "Edit Profile" for logged-in user

Performance Optimization

Step 33: Optimize Images

1. Compress all images before upload
2. Use Adalo's Imgix parameters:
   
   • Use Imgix params like `?w=400&q=30` for thumbnails (set `h=` only if you want cropping)
   • Reduces file size significantly
3. Upload thumbnails separately from videos

Image optimization guide

Step 34: Implement Pagination

1. Instead of infinite scroll, add "Load More" button
2. Use list pagination with 20 items per page
3. Prevents loading all videos at once
4. Better control over performance

Step 35: Database Optimization

1. Store calculated values (don't compute dynamically)
2. Adalo doesn’t expose manual indexing — instead limit list sizes, paginate, and pre-compute counts
3. Limit relationship depth
4. Clean old watch history periodically

External Storage Integration

Step 36: Set Up Video Sources (Adalo-first)

1. Use the Video component for direct uploads (files must be < 50 MB)
2. For larger or pre-hosted files, store a direct .mp4 URL in a property (e.g., `Video URL`) and bind it to the Video component. 
3. If your content is on YouTube, use the YouTube component and paste the video URL
4. (Optional) If you maintain a remote catalog (titles, durations, etc.), connect it as External Collections and bind lists/fields via Magic Text

Step 37: YouTube Integration (Alternative)

1. Open the Marketplace, install the YouTube component, then add it to your screen.  
2. Bind a YouTube URL (public or unlisted) directly, or store it in your database and insert via Magic Text.  
3. Use lists to present a feed of YouTube videos; on item tap, navigate to a detail screen with the YouTube component bound to that record’s URL.  

Step 38: Optimize Video Playback & Performance

1. Keep files small: upload videos < 50 MB when using the File property on the Video component.  
2. Paginate long lists: enable Load items as user scrolls and avoid lists-within-lists.  
3. Pre-compute counts and show them from record properties (faster than live queries).  
4. Optimize thumbnails: serve appropriately sized images to keep feeds snappy.  

Testing and Publishing

Step 39: Test Core Features

1. Upload videos under 40MB
2. Test on multiple devices
3. Verify video playback
4. Check all user flows
5. Test with 10+ concurrent users

Step 40: Platform-Specific Testing

1. Web App: Best video support
2. iOS: Test with TestFlight
3. Android: Note missing video controls
4. PWA: Good compromise option

Step 41: Prepare for Publishing

1. Create privacy policy
2. Add terms of service
3. Implement content reporting
4. Set age restrictions
5. Add content guidelines

Step 42: App Store Submission

1. Need Starter plan minimum ($45/month)
2. Apple Developer account ($99/year)
3. Google Play account ($25 one-time)
4. Prepare screenshots and descriptions
5. Submit for review

Publishing guide

Working with Platform Limitations

Cannot Implement:

• Live streaming
• Video editing/filters
• Automatic transcoding
• Multiple quality options
• Background playback
• Picture-in-picture
• Offline downloads
• Advanced analytics
• Content ID system
• Monetization/ads

Workarounds:

• Use external video hosts
• Pre-process videos before upload
• Implement manual moderation
• Create basic analytics with counters
• Use third-party services via APIs

Cost Considerations

Adalo Costs:

• Starter: $45/month — includes publishing  
• Professional: $65/month — adds Custom Actions and External Collections 
• Team: $200/month — adds Collections API, higher limits, and collaborators  
• Business: $250/month — highest limits

Additional Resources

• Adalo Video Component
• Database Setup Guide
• Performance Optimization
• YouTube Tutorials
• Adalo App Academy
• Component Marketplace

Important Considerations

Video Limitations:

Uploads must be < 40 MB (Adalo max 50 MB; >~40 MB may time out). The Video component is available in Responsive apps and lacks controls on Native Android. For larger videos, host them externally and store a direct .mp4 URL for the Video component, or use the YouTube component for YouTube content.

Performance Requirements:

Performance tips: paginate long lists; keep list items light; pre-compute counts; optimize thumbnails (use Imgix URL params like `?q=30` when possible).

Budget Planning:

Plan for $65-200/month in Adalo fees plus external storage costs for a functional video platform.

This YouTube clone will provide core video sharing functionality within Adalo's constraints. While it won't match YouTube's advanced features, it serves as a solid foundation for a video community platform.

FAQ