Create Your Account
Visit app.appsmith.com and click Sign Up in the header. You can register with Google, GitHub, or email. After verifying your email, Appsmith prompts you to create your first workspace. Name it after your company or team. Workspaces organize all your apps, data sources, and team members in one place.
Appsmith offers Cloud (hosted by Appsmith), Self-Hosted Community (free Docker/Kubernetes), and Self-Hosted Enterprise (for compliance and SSO). Cloud is fastest to start. Self-hosted gives you full control over data and lets you run Appsmith behind your corporate firewall. Download the Docker Compose file from the Appsmith docs if you choose self-hosted.
Connect Your Data Source
Click Datasources in the left sidebar of your workspace, then click + New Datasource. Appsmith supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, REST APIs, GraphQL, and 20+ other integrations. Select your database type and fill in the connection form with host, port, database name, username, and password.
Click Test to verify the connection. If you see “Connection Successful,” click Save. For REST APIs, enter the base URL and configure authentication headers. Use Environment Variables to store API keys securely. Navigate to Settings > Environment Variables and add key-value pairs. Reference them in queries with {{ appsmith.env.API_KEY }}.
Appsmith caches schema metadata for faster query building. If you add new tables or columns, click Refresh Schema in the datasource settings to sync the latest structure.
Build Your First App
Click + New in the workspace home and select Create New App. Name your app and choose a layout template or start with a blank canvas. Drag a Table widget from the left widget panel onto the canvas. Resize and position it using the drag handles.
Open the Queries tab at the bottom of the screen. Click + New Query and select your connected datasource. Write a SQL query like SELECT * FROM orders WHERE status = 'pending' and click Run. Bind the query result to the table by setting the table’s Table Data property to {{ Query1.data }} in the right property panel.
Add a Button widget next to the table. In the button’s onClick property, create a new query: UPDATE orders SET status = 'completed' WHERE id = {{ Table1.selectedRow.id }}. Chain the update query to re-run the select query by adding Query1.run() in the onSuccess callback. Now clicking the button updates the database and refreshes the table.
Use JavaScript anywhere in Appsmith. Add a Text widget and set its content to {{ "Total: $" + Table1.tableData.reduce((sum, row) => sum + row.amount, 0).toFixed(2) }}. Appsmith evaluates JavaScript expressions in real time, enabling dynamic calculations without backend code.
Share with Your Team
Click Share in the top right corner of the app editor. Enter team member email addresses and assign roles: Developer (can edit apps), App Viewer (can use apps but not edit), or Administrator (full workspace access). App Viewers see only the published version, not the editor interface.
Configure Public Access if you want to embed the app on a website or share with external users. Enable Make Application Public in the Share modal and copy the public URL. Set a Password or OAuth requirement to protect sensitive data even in public apps.
Deploy your app by clicking Deploy in the top right. Appsmith creates a production instance with a unique URL. Changes in the editor don’t affect the live app until you deploy again. Use Git Sync to connect your app to GitHub or GitLab for version control and pull request workflows.
Next Steps
Explore Custom Widgets to build reusable components with React. Enable Git Sync under workspace settings to track changes and collaborate with version control. Set up Appsmith Workflows for scheduled jobs and event-driven automation. Visit the Appsmith resource page for tutorials on advanced JavaScript patterns, database performance tuning, and deploying with Docker Swarm or Kubernetes.