Frontly AI - The Best AI App Builder?
Education
Introduction
In this article, we explore what many consider to be the best AI app builder available today: Frontly. Developed out of Canada and initially launched on AppSumo, Frontly empowers users to create applications for their teams using Google Sheets as a backend. Recently, they have expanded their offerings with support for Superbase and are set to introduce Airtable integration in the near future.
As a proponent of optimizing client projects through AI to save time and enhance efficiency, I’m excited to share how Frontly can revolutionize the development process. Let’s delve into the three main applications of AI within Frontly: creating new applications, designing custom blocks, and establishing custom actions.
Creating an App with AI
To kick things off, let’s walk through the onboarding process for building a new app using AI. For demonstration purposes, we'll develop a residential real estate listings page. Upon pressing submit, Frontly analyzes your input to determine the necessary tables or spreadsheets for backend data management—typically just one table for our listings.
Next, it identifies required fields for data entry. In our case, this includes address, price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, listing date, agent name, and status. What sets Frontly apart is the feedback mechanism: users can suggest additional fields, such as "neighborhood," enabling customization beyond the initial recommendation.
Following field generation, sample records populate the table, allowing for immediate application testing. The next step involves page setup. For our listings, Frontly suggests a property listings view, a listings table, and a listings map, making it easy to visualize how users will interact with the app.
Once satisfied with the previews, users can open the editor to fine-tune the app. The ability to alter layouts and block types enhances the user experience, allowing for the assembly of visually engaging data interfaces.
Designing Custom Blocks
The second key feature of Frontly is the creation of custom blocks through AI. Unlike traditional no-code tools with rigid structures, Frontly allows users to generate custom blocks without requiring technical knowledge.
For instance, if we want to create a three-column real estate listing block showcasing price, beds, and baths, we simply enter our criteria. The AI generates a visually-oriented block with placeholders for images and attributes. This flexibility and power in customization make Frontly a strong contender in the no-code space.
Once the block is created and customized, it can be saved for future use, allowing developers to build applications efficiently without reinventing the wheel each time a new project begins.
Creating Custom Actions with OpenAI
The third application of AI in Frontly revolves around creating custom actions powered by OpenAI. While many tools claim to offer integrations with ChatGPT, Frontly goes a step further by allowing users to implement these functionalities directly into their applications.
Let’s take the example of a blog post generator. By using a pre-built template, users can generate a blog post with an automatic title and body. After generating the blog post, you can map this information back into your app.
In this feature, users can customize how data is stored and displayed, allowing them to cater the outputs to their specific needs. For instance, developers can manipulate the structure of the generated content to create tags and additional metadata, thus enhancing searchability and categorization.
Conclusion
Frontly serves as a powerful tool for creating web applications, seamlessly integrating AI features and user-friendliness that bridges the gap many face in app development. With capabilities ranging from rapidly creating app structures to designing custom functionality without needing extensive coding knowledge, Frontly is positioned as a leader in the no-code AI app builder space. If you’re considering enhancing your automation processes or developing internal applications, the automation helpers team is here to help.
Keyword
Frontly, AI app builder, Google Sheets, Superbase, Airtable integration, custom blocks, OpenAI, no-code tools, blog post generator, automation.
FAQ
What is Frontly?
Frontly is an AI app builder that allows users to create applications using Google Sheets as a backend, with planned support for Superbase and Airtable.
What are the main features of Frontly?
Frontly allows users to create apps using AI, design custom blocks, and implement custom actions powered by OpenAI.
Do I need coding skills to use Frontly?
No, Frontly is designed to be user-friendly and does not require coding skills to create and customize applications.
How does Frontly support real estate applications?
Frontly enables users to quickly build residential real estate listings pages by generating the necessary data structures and visual components.
Can I save custom blocks in Frontly for future use?
Yes, once you create a custom block in Frontly, you can save it and easily reuse it in future applications.
