Build Your First Management App with Coda – No-Code & AI for Beginners

Coda – When a Document Becomes an Intelligent App

If you’ve ever thought that only developers can create apps, Coda will change your mind.
Coda is a No-Code platform powered by AI, allowing you to turn documents and tables into fully functional management apps — no programming required.

You can start as simply as typing in a document, then gradually transform it into a workflow management system for your team, projects, or even your entire business.

👉 If you’re new to Coda, check out the first two articles in this series:

• Coda Overview – Why It’s the Next-Gen Productivity Platform

• How to Implement Coda Effectively for Small Teams and Startups

These posts will help you understand what Coda is and how to set up your workspace before you start building your first No-Code management app in this hands-on guide.

1. Get Familiar with Coda’s Interface

When you open a new doc, you’ll notice how clean and intuitive Coda’s interface is.
It consists of three main sections:

• Sidebar: displays all your pages and subpages.

• Canvas: where you type, add tables, buttons, charts, or use Coda AI.

• Toolbar: includes tools like Insert, Format, Automations, and Coda AI.

💡 Pro tip: Type “/” anywhere on the canvas to quickly insert anything — tables, images, automations, or templates.

2. Create Your First Table – The Foundation of Every No-Code App

Every app in Coda begins with a table, essentially a lightweight database that’s much easier to use than a spreadsheet.

Let’s create a simple Task List with these columns:

• Task Name – the name of the task.

• Assigned To – who’s responsible.

• Status – To-Do / Doing / Done.

• Due Date – the deadline.

Each column can be set to a data type like Text, Select List, Date, or Checkbox.
Type /table → select New Table to build your first data structure — the foundation of any workflow, automation, or management app.

3. View Your Data in Multiple Ways – Table, Card, and Calendar

One of Coda’s biggest advantages is that a single table can be viewed in different ways:

• Table View: for editing and data entry.

• Card View: for Kanban-style task tracking.

• Calendar View: for visualizing deadlines.

All views sync automatically — update data in one, and the others reflect it instantly.
This makes collaboration seamless for teams working on shared projects.

4. Write Your First Formula

Coda combines No-Code simplicity with the flexibility of formulas.
For example, create a column Days Left to automatically calculate how many days remain until a deadline: = [Due Date] - Today()

Some common formulas for beginners include:

• Concatenate() – join text strings.

• If() – apply logic conditions.

• Count() – count entries.

• Filter() – filter rows by criteria.

Coda’s Formula Builder provides auto-suggestions, making it easy to create simple automations — even for non-technical users.

5. Design and Organize Your App Interface

A good app isn’t just functional — it’s also easy to read and visually appealing.
Coda lets you design your docs like real apps:

• Add icons and cover images to each page.

• Use colors or Callouts to highlight key sections.

• Separate content with Sections for clarity.

• Insert charts to visualize data directly from tables.

Check out “Design a Doc with Stunning Visuals” in Coda’s Resource Center to learn quick ways to make your docs look professional.

6. Harness the Power of Coda AI

What truly sets Coda apart from other No-Code tools is Coda AI.
It helps you:

• Automatically write task or project descriptions.

• Suggest the right formulas.

• Summarize meeting notes or reports.

• Analyze data and extract insights.

Type /AI to explore AI commands like Summarize this page, Brainstorm ideas, or Generate formula.
With Coda AI, your document becomes a smart assistant that helps automate and accelerate your work.

7. Get a Head Start with Templates

If you’d rather not start from scratch, explore Coda Gallery — a hub of ready-to-use templates.
Some great starting points include:

• Simple Task Tracker: manage personal tasks.

• Meeting Notes: capture and share discussions.

• Team Hub: organize projects, goals, and files in one place.

Each template includes step-by-step guidance. Just hit Copy doc and customize it for your own workflow.

8. Hands-On Practice – Build Your First App with Product Team Starter Kit

It’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice.
We’ll use the Product Team Starter Kit — a well-known template created by Maria Marquis (Coda Team) to help you understand how to build real, working apps with tables, buttons, and automation.

🧭 Step 1: Sign Up or Log In to Coda

1. Visit https://coda.io

2. Click Get started for free.

3. Choose to log in with Google or your email.

4. Once signed in, you’ll land on your Dashboard, where all your docs are stored.

💡 Tip: The Free Plan includes everything you need to learn and build your first app.

🧩 Step 2: Open the Product Team Starter Kit Template