If you’re building Glide apps there’s always Glide University, a large library of YouTube Tutorials, structured Certification Courses, and Glide Docs for reference. But sometimes you just need some inspiration. Here we have 95 useful tips for building in Glide from A to Z, supplied by some of the top Glide Experts and team members. Bookmark this guide for use whenever you want new ideas.
Tip 1: Choose your data source before building your app to avoid rebuilds
While it's possible to change data sources in Glide apps, doing so may require parts of the app to be rebuilt. We recommend considering your data requirements and making a decision about where to host your data before you start building your app in Glide.
Tip 2: Add multiple data sources by clicking the plus (+) icon in the Tables panel
You can add multiple data sources to a single app, connecting many different sources together. To do this, click on the plus (+) icon in the Tables panel of the Data Editor. From there, you can create new Glide Tables and connect to existing tables in other sources.
Tip 3: Recreate Excel VLOOKUP functions as Relations in Glide
For example, VLOOKUPS in Excel become Relations in Glide. While the VLOOKUP column will not come through to the data editor when a spreadsheet is synced, it can be recreated as a Relation directly in Glide.
Read more about Data Sources
Tip 4: Preview column type changes before committing to see how your data will be affected
The values in the column will automatically adjust based on the type you select. This is just a preview and won't be saved until you click Done. This lets you test how changing a Text column to Number or Date will transform your existing data before making
Tip 5: Enable "Column is user-specific" when adding columns, but know it's irreversible
Once a column is set to user-specific, you can't turn it back to a basic column. This is a permanent decision that creates personalized data storage, so choose carefully during column creation.
Read more about Basic Columns
Tip 6: Use Command/Control+Z to recover accidentally deleted components
If you accidentally delete a Component, you can hit Command Z (Mac) or Control Z (PC) to bring it back. This also works for many other steps you take as you build your app. You can also use the Undo or Redo buttons in the bottom left of your screen for the same functionality.
Tip 7: Copy components between apps by staying in the same browser tab
Components can be copy/pasted from one screen to another, as well as from one app to another. To do this, you must stay in the same tab in your web browser. This lets you reuse complex component configurations across different projects without rebuilding them from scratch.
Read more about Components
Tip 8: Use the trash icon to delete prompts in thet AI component and revert to previous component iterations
If you prompt the component and don't like a change that it made, you can click the trash icon to the right of a prompt to delete it and revert back to the previous iteration of the component. This lets you experiment with AI prompts safely, knowing you can always go back to a working version.
Tip 9: Share AI Custom components via generated links that include a preview page
Once you've finalized all the visual and functional configurations of the AI Custom component, you can give it a final name in the component list on the left. Select Share in the right-hand configuration menu. A link will be generated and copied to your clipboard. The component preview page allows users to adjust field values and see how they change the results before copying.
Read more about the AI Custom Component
Tip 10: Configure multiple Action Row components independently with different actions on the same screen
Each Action Row component is configured independently of any other Action Row components on the screen. So, if you use multiple Action Row components together, you can configure them with the same action (e.g. Open Link) or use a different action for each one. This lets you create versatile action menus where users can perform multiple different tasks from one screen.
Tip 11: Use Action Row content elements to provide clear context about what will happen when clicked
This element is where you can add some context for users so they know what will happen when they click on the component. For example, if you add the Open Link action to the component to send users to your website, you could use the content element to display 'Visit our website.' Users will immediately know what result they'll achieve by clicking on the component. This improves user experience by setting clear expectations.
Read more about the Action Row Component
Tip 12: Use the "Viewing as user" menu to test different user experiences during development
The “Viewing as user” menu in Glide shows you all the users who are in your Users Table. This is an incredibly useful tool if you are building an app with lots of different user data and need to see the experience that different users will have. You can switch between users in both the Data Editor and Layout Editor to see how data and screens change for each user.
Tip 13: Remember that User Tables require at least 3 basic columns to function properly
All user tables must have at least 3 basic columns. They can be any type of basic column, but there must be at least 3. This is a technical requirement that prevents apps from breaking when setting up user authentication and profiles.
Read more about Users
Tip 14: Turn off auto-publishing to work on changes privately before pushing them live
By default, auto-publishing is set to on. This means that any change you make to your app in the layout editor will be live. If you turn auto-publishing off, you can work on the layout of your app and then push those changes to be live when you're ready. This prevents users from seeing incomplete work while you're making updates.
Tip 15: Use magic links to automatically log users in regardless of your privacy settings
They'll get an email with a magic link, allowing them to automatically log in immediately, regardless of the privacy and sign-in settings you've set up. This bypasses complex authentication setup and gets users into your app instantly when you invite them via email.
Read more about Publishing and Sharing
Tip 16: Change Collection item click actions from the default Detail Screen to custom actions
The default action for clicking on a collection item is to view that item's Detail Screen. However, you can change this to a number of other actions. For example, you could “Trigger the Dial Phone Number Action when a list of contacts is tapped”. This lets you create more dynamic interactions beyond just viewing details.
Tip 17: Add After Submit Actions to forms to trigger automation when users submit data
You can add actions that trigger when users add, edit, or submit forms. For example, you could create an action that notifies your Slack channel every time a form is submitted. This enables automatic workflows that respond immediately to user data entry.
Read more about Automation and Actions
Tip 18: Use the Instructions field to customize AI personality, tone, and response format
Instructions are the way to seed the AI with the personality or the context you want it to consider when responding to the message, so it will be more adaptive to your business. You can get more from Glide AI and tweak the flavor of the response if you specify the instructions: adjust the tone, format (bullet points, numbered list, array, comma-separated values), length, code, and more. This transforms generic AI responses into brand-specific, contextually relevant outputs.
Learn how to use Workflows and AI to create intelligent automation in Glide
Take the CertificationTip 19: Create structured data from unstructured text using AI Text to Boolean, Choice, Date, and Number features
With features like Text to Boolean, Text to Choice, Text to Date, and Text to Number, you can use AI to analyze unstructured text and return valuable data that you can repurpose throughout your apps. This enables you to extract meaningful, actionable data from messy text inputs automatically.
Read more about Automation and AI
Keep building your apps…
If you’ve looked through all these tips and want to keep learning in a more structured way, take the three levels of Glide Certification or challenge yourself with the advanced AI Certification or Intelligent Automation Certification.
