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Developing production-ready full-stack business apps with a database, login, role systems, AI integration, and workflow automation is still not that easy. This remains true even in times like today, where things like vibe-coding or AI engineering tools already exist. It is especially difficult if you are not yet well-versed in software architectures or programming.
At the latest, when real users store sensitive data in your applications, you should know exactly how to secure your app. You also need to ensure that it continues to run stably as traffic increases. Today, I want to present a tool in a practical test that combines almost all advantages while handling security, infrastructure, and operations.
The software is primarily aimed at founders, business users, and product teams within companies. Today we are talking about Softr. This is both the name of the tool and the Berlin-based company behind it.
Softr is supporting today's video. For me personally, this is a full-circle moment because I have implemented projects for clients using Softr in the past while building my software agency. The usability is super simple, and you can achieve results extremely quickly.
I have met the founding team several times at various events, and they are very sympathetic and approachable. When they approached me a few weeks ago to discuss the launch of their AI Co-Builder, I immediately agreed to make a video. This update makes developing projects even easier and faster.
We will now take on a real use case and develop a customized, fully functional CRM. This customer relationship management tool will include several AI features. Every company needs a tool like this to maintain an overview of interested parties and existing deals.
Ideally, we want to include a qualification step to see the probability of a purchase. I have seen many variations of CRMs in my past, ranging from Excel tables or Notion to large, expensive solutions like HubSpot that cost thousands per month. Often the sweet spot lies somewhere in between.
Standard platforms often do not offer specific features that make our business individual. You might think about building this with vibe-coding tools like Lovable or Replit, and you would have a nice frontend in five minutes. However, that is where the real problems begin.
We have to figure out how a lead goes from a form into our database. We must ensure only authorized users have access to the lead database, not anyone who knows the URL. Then there are questions about storing API keys, hosting, authentication, security, and maintenance.
These questions are hard to answer if you have little experience in software development. Additionally, the first 80% with vibe-coding tools are built fast, but the last 20% can be a total pain. It often involves constant back-and-forth prompting to fix the last details.
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Note from Softr: If a native block doesn't quite fit your advanced needs, you can use the Vibe-Coding block to simply prompt for the exact custom component you want. It will generate it and connect to the database seamlessly, saving you from the "prompting pain" of external tools.
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This is exactly where Softr comes into play. With the tool, you can build business software, portals, internal tools, and operative systems. It is now AI-first and the platform covers the complete stack.
You have the frontend, which you can develop via the AI Co-Builder and the integrated no-code builder. This means any later adjustments can be made simply with your mouse. The logic level is handled through the visual workflow builder, and you have the complete data structure via the integrated backend.
Softr delivers the full framework to operate your app securely, performantly, and scalably. Let's jump into the practice and build our individual CRM. We start directly in my Softr dashboard where you can see all my existing apps.
You can find different databases, Softr Workflows, and forms here. We will spend some time on forms later because our CRM needs a lead contact form. A big advantage of the form feature is that you can embed them on your own website later.
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Note from Softr: Forms are a powerful way to capture data directly into your app. You can even use the AI co-builder to generate the fields and logic for you instantly.
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Besides the native database, you can connect external systems. Softr provides several different integrations for this. We will start a new app using the Softr AI Co-Builder by clicking on Generate with AI.
I have prepared a prompt for our CRM. It asks to create a B2B lead CRM for freelancers and agencies to manage incoming inquiries in German. Core functions include an internal pipeline view with statuses like new, contacted, and qualified.
We also want a lead details view with submitted information, notes, and an AI lead score. We want to evaluate every lead to see if they fit our offer. I also specified the fields and user groups like Owner and Sales.
The AI Co-Builder asks how users will log in. I'll select email. It asks if people can sign up on their own, and I'll say no since this is an invite-only system for our company.
Next, we define the navigation layout for desktop and mobile. The app is automatically optimized for mobile. Then we choose a theme; I will stick with the standard design for now, which can be individualised further later.
Softr now documents everything it is doing. It starts by building the data basis and creates the users table with sample records. The same happens for the leads table, which makes the app look lively right from the start.
Once the backend development is finished, it switches to frontend development. It creates the leads page, the item details block, and sets up navigation. You can see the lead pipeline in a kanban board where we can move leads via drag and drop.
The app is ready in about a minute. We can view the preview as a specific user, which is great for testing different user groups and permissions. On the home page, we have a welcome message, key figures, and the kanban board.
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Note from Softr: While the video shows manual setup, you can also start with a pre-built AI CRM template or ERP template to get your business operations running even faster.
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We can change the status of leads directly in the kanban view. In the leads view, we have a table, and clicking a record shows the item details block on the right. We can also add new leads or use the global search.
There are account settings and a sign-out function already integrated. Now let's start editing. We want to integrate AI features so every lead gets an intelligent lead score and an AI summary.
I also want to explore the editor by adding an analytics dashboard. In the interface tab, we can edit the frontend. Blocks outlined in blue can be clicked to change their properties, such as data source or visibility.
In the data tab, we can see our Softr Databases. We can quickly jump between users and leads tables to adjust data or add columns. The users section handles everything regarding authentication.
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Note from Softr: While you can connect to Google Sheets, Softr Databases is the powerful, native way to manage data directly within Softr for maximum performance and security for your client portals.
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We have user groups for access permissions. We can distinguish between visitors and logged-in users. I'll add an Admin role and create a custom group based on a condition: if the user's role includes Admin.
Permissions can be set at the page level or block level. You can define exactly who can see the home page or specific sections. There are also data restrictions to control who can create, edit, or delete records in the leads table.
Now to Softr Workflows. We can create automated workflows, like sending an email when a new lead is submitted. Usually, you would need external tools like Make or Zapier, but Softr can handle this natively.
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Note from Softr: Use native Softr Workflows to keep your logic close to your design. This consolidates your tech stack and reduces the need for expensive third-party automation platforms.
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Automations work on a trigger-action principle. In our case, a database trigger fires whenever a new record is created in the leads table. The action is sending an email with dynamic values from the record like name and company.
Now we need a form for inquiries. In the forms section, we create a new form and set the destination to our Softr Databases lead table. We can customize the button text and even create multi-step forms.
I will add fields for project description, company, website, and budget. I'll also add a hidden input for the status field so every submission is automatically marked as 'new' in our system.
After publishing the form, it can be hosted by Softr or embedded via iFrame into any website. I'll test it by submitting a request for a landing page for an insurance product. The entry appears immediately in our database.
Now for the AI lead score. In the database, I'll select the 'Let AI Autofill this Field' option. I'll provide a prompt defining our ideal customer profile—insurance companies with a budget over 3,000 euros.
I refer to the data fields using the 'add' button within the prompt. I'll use GPT-4o, though other models like Claude or Gemini are available. The score will update automatically when new records are created.
Our test lead got a score of 85, while a small maintenance lead only got 15. Next, I'll create an AI summary field using the AI agent. It will summarize why a lead is a good or bad fit in four sentences.
I need to make sure this new summary field is visible in the frontend. I'll go to the item details block and add the AI summary field to the content section. Now the insights are visible to the sales team.
To explore the editor further, I'll create a blank page called Dashboard. I'll add a two-column container and place dynamic metric blocks to show the total number of leads and the average lead score.
I'll also add a Vibe-Coding block. I can simply prompt it to create a table showing leads from the last seven days. Softr generates the code and connects it to the leads table automatically.
Finally, we can publish the app. It can run on a Softr subdomain or your own custom domain. Softr also includes a version history, so you can always roll back to a previous save point if something goes wrong.
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Note from Softr: You can build as many solutions as you need without worrying about costs. Softr now offers Unlimited Published Apps across all plans, including the Free plan.
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Softr provides a wonderful framework for developing apps in a secure, scalable environment. It is extremely simple to implement. If you want to try it, Softr is free to use and offers AI credits to get started.
