Overview

Once you have an idea of what your database will consist of, you can proceed to building an app - the most fun part of Zoho Creator. Click here to go to the home page of your Zoho Creator account. If you are a first time user, "Create application" will be the home page of your account.

Once an application has been created, the subsequent applications can be created by clicking on "Create Application" on the top right corner.

App building start points

Zoho Creator allows you 3 simple ways of creating an app

1. From Scratch - Create a fresh application using Zoho Creator resources. You can start by adding a blank form and drag-drop the required fields to your blank form.
2. Import File - Create an app by importing a file. Import xls, xlsx, csv, tsv, ds format files to create an application and customize it according to your needs.
3. Application Gallery - Download an existing ready-to-use app from Market Gallery and customize it according to your needs.

Create from Scratch

Select this option if you are looking to create a fresh application. Every component of this application will be built by you. You will decide what forms you need, what fields will go into the forms and every other business workflow you would like to include in. To build an application from scratch:

1. Click on Create Application on your Zoho Creator homepage.
2. Select From Scratch from the left pane. Enter a name for the application.
3. Click on Create.

The base application gets created, in which you can further add forms, fields and business workflows.

Create by Importing

Select this option if you have a pre-existing file (xls, xlsx, csv, tsv, ds are supported file formats) that can be used to build your application. To build an application by Importing file:

1. Click on Create Application on your Zoho Creator homepage.
2. Select Import A File from the left pane.
3. Select your data location from the following options:
   • Local Computer
   • Cloud:
     • Cloud Picker
     • Google Drive
     • Zoho Docs
     • OneDrive
     • Dropbox
     • Box
   • Clipboard
4. Click on Create

The base application gets created, in which you can further add forms, fields and business workflows.

Import from Application Gallery

Select this option if you know of an application from the App Gallery that suits your needs. The selected app will be installed directly to your Zoho Creator account and you can customize it further according to your needs. To install an application from App Gallery:

1. Click on Create Application on your Zoho Creator homepage.
2. Select Application Gallery from the left pane.
3. Click on your required application and select Install Now

The application gets installed to your account from where you can customize it further if required.

Example

Let us build an application named "Sales Management" that can be used to manage sales. In this example, the application will be built "From Scratch".

1. Click on Create Application on your Zoho Creator homepage.
2. Select From Scratch from the left pane. Enter the name as "Sales Management".
3. Click on Create.