Dashboards can help with a nearly endless number of use cases at work.
Need to keep track of progress on a key revenue-generating project?
A dashboard can give you that bird’s-eye view.
Need to give customer service an easy way to monitor the movement of high-priority tickets?
A dashboard can empower your employees to work autonomously and really enjoy ownership over their roles.
One thing a dashboard can’t do? Build itself, unfortunately.
Creating an effective dashboard the traditional way requires a lot of code and tooling expertise — or a lot of time and money to get it done by someone else.
Lucky for you, there’s a new, modern way to create a dashboard that’s a whole heckuva lot easier.
Want to know more about that? Then keep scrolling, because we’re about to cover:
The ins and outs of the modern, no-code dashboard
How to build your own no-code dashboard with Glide
Some examples of business dashboards that will get your creative juices going
What’s a No-Code Dashboard?
No-code tools enable people without any coding knowledge to create software.
Typically, creators interact with no-code platforms through easy-to-use, drag-and-drop user interfaces. Often, no-code tools also offer easy integrations to further enhance the functionality of the final product.
The types of creators who participate in no-code app development have come to be known as citizen developers — people with a passion for building tech who don’t have the typical background or experience required to build tech in a traditional way.
And one of the kinds of software that citizen developers can create via no-code tools is, of course, the dashboard.
Simply put, a dashboard is a platform for visualizing data — kind of like the dashboard in your vehicle.
Business dashboards can bring important metrics or processes together in a single place, creating a single command center for workers (operational) or a digestible overview for executives (strategic).
A dashboard can be built as a free-standing website or application that is fed data via an application programming interface (API) or another integration method. However, a dashboard can also be a screen or a page on a larger website or app that helps summarize all the key information that’s being managed.
How to Create a No-Code Dashboard for Your Business With Glide
As we touched on earlier, building custom dashboards used to be quite a feat — requiring professional software developers, trained designers, and a pocket full of cash (did you know the average traditional app building cost is over $100K?!).
But with the rise of no-code software development, it’s easier than ever for people with a little bit of passion and savvy to create business dashboards that make work a lot more awesome — without code.
And you can be just like them.
Here’s your step-by-step guide to how.
1. Sign Up for Glide’s User-Friendly, No-Code Platform
First up, you’ll need to choose the no-code platform on which you’re going to create your dashboard.
As pretty seasoned experts in this department, we’ve seen ‘em all. In fact, we did a roundup of some of the best drag-and-drop app builders not too long ago.
What we’ve learned is that the best feature to prioritize is ease of use.
And our top choice with that in mind is, no surprise, Glide.
What sets Glide apart from other no-code tooling is our laser-focus on the user experience.
We know that if we can make the process frictionless, every one of our citizen developer users will be able to express their genius ideas. And that’s something we love to see.
That’s why it’s so simple to get started with Glide.
Seriously, get signed up in seconds for free — just upgrade to your best pricing tier once you’ve had a chance to look around.
What you’ll notice once you’re in is how intuitive everything is.
Right inside your admin panel you’ll be able to create a new project or even a new template from scratch (a blueprint for your next dashboard!), invite other team members, access any existing projects as well as usage stats, and more.
It’s kind of the perfect example of a business dashboard, actually.
On that note, let’s keep going down this path to turn your jumble of data into a live, functional dashboard that will make you a superhero among your colleagues.
2. Identify and Organize Your Data
Next important decision to make — what information does your dashboard need to expose and track? If you aren’t sure, now is the time to hone in on your end user. Who in your company will be using this tool most? What should it do for them to make their day easier? You may even want to sit down with these people to make sure you’re really nailing the data that goes into your dash.
With that data in mind, it’s time to bring it all together and get it all cleaned up.
Another reason to create a dashboard with Glide is that it actually works with lots of different data sources. Google Sheets? Airtable? Excel? Yeah, we work with those — and more.
To make sure your data is organized in a way that will import flawlessly into your dashboard app and to learn more about how your info will be put to work in Glide, be sure to check out this learning resource we created.
If you’re starting from scratch and don’t have any spreadsheets or databases to integrate, that’s also fine. Software created on Glide comes with a built-in Data Editor, where you’ll be able to add and work with your data just like you would with any other spreadsheet program.
3. Create a Project in Glide
With your prep work done, it’s finally time to Glide.
To create your own dashboard from scratch, you can start a new project right from the Projects screen of your admin panel. Once you hit the “New project” button, you’ll go through a few steps like giving your project a name, choosing a data source (more on that next), and so on.
Not sure where to start? We thought that might be the case for some of our users, which is why we’ve worked to create a robust roster of templates so you don’t have to start from scratch.
When you find one that has the bones of the design and features you’re looking for, you can copy or purchase it and open it right inside the Glide Layout editor and start customizing (which we’ll explain in a few steps!).
4. Connect Data Source(s)
If you chose to begin your dash from scratch, you were asked to select a source for your data. The flow is pretty self-explanatory. Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your spreadsheet, database, etc.
Glide applies its smart programming to automatically generate your web- and mobile-friendly dashboard based on the data you provided! If you started from a dashboard template, you can hop into the Data Editor to replace the filler info with your own. If you have a lot of data to add, hop into the Settings editor, click into Data, and connect a new source.
5. Customize User Experience, Design, Settings, and Even Integrations
Whether you’re putting your own spin on a template or building dashboards from a blank slate, you can customize your new Glide dash almost infinitely.
Just visit the Layout editor, where you can take advantage of Glide’s drag-and-drop editor to add, remove, rearrange, and customize pages, features, and other components. We recommend just spending some time clicking around to see what Glide, and your app, are capable of.
And don’t forget to check out the Settings editor, where in addition to managing and refreshing your data sources you can also update your app name and icon, customize its appearance, control privacy and user access, and even activate some of Glide’s helpful integrations.
We’re not being hyperbolic when we say that Glide can do a lot — a lot more than we can explain in this article, even.
So to really take advantage of all Glide has to offer, you should really check out our Learn to Glide resource depot.
6. Launch Your App
And just like that, it’s time to put your new dashboard out into the world — or at least out into your workplace.
Just customize your link, hit the Publish button, and then follow the prompts to share your app, update your privacy and auto-publishing settings, and beyond.
7. Edit Data Anytime, Anywhere
That Data Editor we mentioned earlier? Here’s another reason it’s so extraordinary: Changes made here will sync with the original data source in real-time, and vice versa.
It’s this feature that makes Glide such a powerful platform for creating business tools. We understand the value of having a single, accurate source of truth for business data. Our Data Editor makes that possible.
Need Help? Connect With a Glide Expert
Here’s the thing, as easy as Glide is to use, not everyone has the time or the desire to create software for their business.
That’s where our Experts come in.
Glide Experts are individuals as well as agencies who we’ve personally certified and who are for hire should you need any help getting your dashboard built.
And even with the added support, you still won’t have to shell out nearly as much as traditional software development costs.
One of our agency Experts who does this for a living estimated that Glide app development still costs only one-tenth as much as traditional app development.
Examples of No-Code Dashboards at Work
Itching to get started, but need a little inspo to get your dashboard off the ground?
Check out these examples, curated from our selection of exceptional templates.
Business Stats Overview Dashboard
This business reporting template is a classic example of a dashboard. It uses our Big Numbers and Charts features to organize KPIs (key performance indicators) from a spreadsheet into a really easy-to-read display full of graphs.
Company + Individual Tasks Dashboard
Next up, the company tasks and projects template. With software built on this template, each employee — as well as managers — can keep tabs on personal and company-wide projects and tasks.
Sales Performance Dashboard
Finally, check out the field sales template, perfect for putting together a detailed dash for sales managers and personnel alike. Use it to manage sales as well as view up-to-date stats on company-wide performance, top-selling products, top-performing reps, and more.
Glide features in use: Big Numbers, Sign-In, Rich Text, and Relations.
Glide Your Way Toward a No-Code Dashboard Today
Notice anything special about the above workflow? How about how straightforward it was? How uncomplicated and maybe even delightful it made it feel to create a custom piece of software?
As you can tell, frustration, expense, and wasted time are not the name of the game here at Glide.
Instead, we’re focused on functionality and usability, so that citizen developers can make their own tools and businesses can create their own success stories.
From startups to enterprises, companies of all sizes and in all industries can glide toward their own no-code dashboards today. Just sign up and get going in seconds.
