Softr builds client portals, directories, and web apps on top of Airtable or Google Sheets. It turns your spreadsheet into a fully functional website with user authentication, forms, and dynamic content in minutes.
Create Your Account
Visit softr.io and click Get Started for Free. Sign up with your email or Google account. Softr sends a verification email, so confirm your account to unlock full access.
After logging in, Softr opens your dashboard. Click Create New App and choose a template or start from scratch. Templates include “Client Portal,” “Membership Site,” and “Job Board,” each pre-configured with pages and blocks.
Connect your data source by selecting Airtable or Google Sheets. If using Airtable, authorize Softr to access your bases. Select a base and table to use as your app’s data source. Softr syncs data in real time, so changes in your spreadsheet update instantly.
Set Up Your First Project
The Softr editor displays your app’s pages in the left sidebar, a live preview in the center, and block settings on the right. Softr uses “blocks” as building components: lists, forms, charts, and text sections.
Click Pages in the left sidebar and explore the default pages like Home, About, and Contact. Each page consists of stacked blocks. Click a block to edit its content, layout, and data source.
Go to Settings > Data Sources to confirm your Airtable or Google Sheets connection. If you haven’t connected a data source yet, do so now. Softr automatically detects tables and views, which you can bind to list or detail blocks.
Build Your First Screen
Select the Home page and click Add Block at the top. Choose a List Block to display records from your Airtable or Google Sheets table. Select the table and view you want to display, then customize which fields appear as cards or rows.
Add a Form Block below the list to let users submit data. Configure the form fields to map to your table’s columns. Enable form notifications to receive an email when someone submits data.
Click a list item to open the detail page. Softr auto-generates detail pages for each record. Customize the detail page by adding blocks like Text, Image, Button, or Related Records to show linked data from other tables.
Connect and Publish
Go to Settings > Authentication to enable user login. Choose Email/Password, Google, or Magic Link (passwordless). Softr generates login and signup pages automatically, and you can restrict page access to logged-in users.
Under Settings > Custom Domain, connect your own domain or use Softr’s free subdomain (yourapp.softr.app). If using a custom domain, update your DNS settings as instructed by Softr.
Click Publish in the top-right corner to make your app live. Softr hosts your app on its fast CDN, so there’s no need for external hosting. Share the link with your users or embed the app into your existing website.
Next Steps
You’ve built and published your first Softr app. Explore advanced features like Softr’s conditional visibility to show or hide blocks based on user roles, payment integrations with Stripe for memberships, and custom code blocks for adding unique functionality. Upgrade to a paid plan for custom domains, white-label branding, and unlimited app usage.