Flutterflow Best Practices: What We Learned in 10 years of development

FlutterFlow has emerged as a game-changing platform in the world of low-code software development, allowing developers to build faster than ever. This versatile tool leverages the power of Flutter to enable rapid cross-platform app creation, significantly reducing development time while maintaining high-quality results. 

After building several apps using FlutterFlow, in this article we aim to explore best practices and valuable insights for maximizing FlutterFlow's potential in building efficient, scalable, complex, and comprehensive design applications.

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TL ; DR

FlutterFlow is a low-code platform for fast cross-platform software development. Best practices include organized structure, version control, responsive design, efficient data management, secure backend integration, thorough testing, and performance monitoring. These strategies, plus FlutterFlow's visual interface and custom code options, enable quick development of efficient, scalable apps.

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What is FlutterFlow?

FlutterFlow, one of the top low-code tools out there, was developed by a team of software engineers and designers who recognized the potential of Flutter for app development and wanted to make it accessible to a broader audience. Flutter is an open-source UI SDK (software development kit) created by Google that works on Dart code.

Like Flutter, FlutterFlow is also built on Dart code. However, FlutterFlow's structure simplifies app development, allowing even those without extensive programming expertise to create mobile and web applications. This leads us to discuss its next feature.

FlutterFlow presents a drag-and-drop interface, which makes development a lot smoother. It also offers a wide range of integrations and a pre-built component and template library to choose from.

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Planning and project setup

Project structure

When starting a new project on FlutterFlow, one of the main things we have learned is the importance of a well-organized project structure, mainly when you are working within a team.

FlutterFlow’s platform offers a “My Organization” section, where you can keep your development process organized and smooth. Whether it's just you or a full team of developers, in here you’ll be able to share code, design systems, APIs, and assets.

Before or during diving into the project creation, it is essential to maintain an organized structure, as for example, separating UI components, business logic, and data access into different folders. This will make your projects much easier to navigate and maintain, both for scalability and maintainability. 

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Libraries

FlutterFlow allows users to build libraries, that include reusable components, APIs, custom code, and more. Components are reusable widgets that offer several advantages for app development:

• It drives consistency by providing a uniform look and behavior throughout the app, reducing discrepancies that can arise from recreating UI elements multiple times.
• Components also enable centralized updates, allowing changes to be made in one place and automatically reflected across all instances, which significantly simplifies app maintenance and updates.
• By minimizing design duplication, components decrease the risk of bugs and inconsistencies, making it easier to maintain a clean and efficient codebase as the app grows.

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Common use cases for components include designing standard buttons, card layouts, input forms, pop-up messages, and interactive elements. These reusable widgets can be utilized across multiple screens and sections of an app.

By leveraging components effectively, developers can build consistent, efficient, and maintainable applications while accelerating the overall development process.

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Version control

It's always highly recommended to save a version of your project whenever you accomplish something important or that you actually like its outcome, such as finishing a page.

When it comes to different versions of your project, FlutterFlow allows you to save specific named states of it, which is particularly useful for recovery purposes. You can easily revert to a saved version if you accidentally delete a page or component or change settings unintentionally. 

Restoring a previous version preserves the current state before loading the changes from the version you're restoring. Before restoration, you have the option to preview the changes in the previous version using the "Peek" feature, which opens the selected version in a new tab. 

This versioning system helps prevent loss of work and maintains progress throughout your project's development.

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GitHub

Even though FlutterFlow has its own versioning system, it also allows GitHub integration to manage your custom code or work in a team for better version control. We found it incredibly helpful to use  GitHub for version control.

The deploy from GitHub is a great choice if you want to manage the source code in an external GitHub repository. 

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UI/UX design

When it comes to design, we learned that FlutterFlow focuses on visual simplicity, usability, and accessibility. This approach not only makes our apps look aesthetically enhanced but also ensures they are simple for end users to navigate. 

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Design principles

The integration of pre-built UI templates, offering components like buttons, forms, and layouts, has proven to be a significant time-saver in the development process. 

With users accessing applications across a multitude of devices, the importance of responsive design has become increasingly apparent. And FlutterFlow, offering a wide array of tools and features, provides an excellent platform for creating responsive UIs.

FlutterFlow offers four main levels of UI components, each building upon the previous:

• The fundamental building blocks, widgets, create elements such as TextField, Button, and Icon. 
• The second group, also widgets, combines with the first one to form basic functional units, like an EmailSignInField comprising a TextField and an Icon.
• The third one involves more complex structures, which are components; these are made up of elements from the first and second groups.  For instance, a LoginComponent might include EmailSignInField and PasswordSignInField elements along with a SubmitButton from the first group. 
• The fourth group are pages, which represent complete screens that users interact with, composed of various elements from the first three to provide a full experience.

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Responsive design

FlutterFlow understands that creating truly responsive UIs is not just about adjusting layouts; it's about ensuring that the application's functionality and performance remain consistent across a spectrum of devices, screen sizes, and orientations. 

FlutterFlow offers users several techniques to run their applications smoothly on any device, like adjusting the screen width and height to each particular device. 

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Customizations

As we became more comfortable with FlutterFlow, we started exploring advanced customization options. The platform takes customization options to the next level and offers the possibility to create custom widgets and modify existing ones to fit users specific needs.

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Widgets

As we have addressed in one of the previous sections, FlutterFlow offers both pre-built widgets and also the ability to create custom ones for enhanced scalability and comprehensive design. 

Custom widgets in FlutterFlow provide a powerful way to create unique and reusable UI components that go beyond the standard widget offerings. They allow for a higher level of customization and control over your app's user interface.

While many reusable components can be created using FlutterFlow's basic widget set, custom widgets are the preferred choice for integrating external packages.

The primary use cases for custom widgets include creating unique UI elements that aren't available in FlutterFlow's default widget set and integrating third-party UI packages.

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Development and coding

Data management

Managing data effectively is crucial for your apps' performance. FlutterFlow excels in integrating essential features for mobile app development, such as local data management with SQLite.

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SQLite

FlutterFlow allows you to integrate your mobile application with SQLite, which is a database management system that runs without the need for a separate server. This is, SQLite is a good choice when you need to store a lot of data in advanced data structures on the device.

This serverless design makes SQLite particularly well-suited for mobile applications where there is a need for advanced offline database. It works smoothly for mobile apps that need to store data locally, such as personal finance trackers or health record applications. 

SQLite main feature is that It's made for apps that require offline functionality. However, it's important to note that SQLite is not currently supported for web-based applications, which may limit its use in certain contexts.

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Firebase

FlutterFlow allows you to integrate your project with Firebase. Firestore Database, a product of Google's Firebase, is a flexible and scalable NoSQL cloud database designed for storing app data with real-time synchronization capabilities. 

As a NoSQL database, Firestore employs a schema-less structure, allowing for greater flexibility in data storage compared to traditional table-based formats. The database utilizes a collection-document model, where collections are comprised of documents, which in turn contain fields (key-value pairs) that store the actual data.

One of the key advantages of Firestore's structure is its adaptability. Within a collection, individual documents can have varying fields, enabling developers to add new data points to newer documents without the need to retroactively update older ones. 

This flexibility is particularly useful for evolving applications where data requirements may change over time. The collection-document model, combined with Firestore's real-time listeners, provides a powerful tool for developers to create responsive and scalable applications that can efficiently manage and synchronize data across multiple clients.

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State management

State management is a fundamental concept that plays an essential role in creating responsive and dynamic applications. It’s the processes of tracking, controlling, and updating the various data points that define your app's current condition. 

This state information serves as the foundation for what users see and interact with in the user interface.

Effective state management ensures that your app's UI remains in sync with its underlying data. As users interact with the application or as data changes occur, the state is updated accordingly. 

The UI then reflects these changes, providing users with an up-to-date and accurate representation of the app's current status. 

Provider, Riverpod, GetX, and Bloc are some of the tools that allow for the separation of UI and business logic, promoting code modularity, reusability, and testability. By implementing these state management options, developers can create more structured and maintainable applications.

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Backend integration

FlutterFlow enables developers to create visually appealing apps with minimal coding. However, any application still requires a robust backend to manage data, user authentication, and core functionality. Given FlutterFlow's focus on simplifying frontend development, choosing an appropriate backend solution becomes an important consideration for developers using this platform.

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Firebase

As we have previously mentioned, FlutterFlow integrates seamlessly with Firebase, providing a robust backend solution for your app. This integration enables efficient data storage and synchronization across multiple devices and platforms. 

Firebase, a versatile cloud service, offers a comprehensive suite of features, including authentication, database management, storage solutions, hosting capabilities, and analytics tools.

When it comes to security measures, Firebase integration provides applications with multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and fine-grained access control.

One of the key advantages of using Firebase with FlutterFlow is its scalability and cost-effectiveness. As your app grows, Firebase automatically scales to accommodate increased usage, eliminating the need for manual server or infrastructure management. 

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Supabase

Supabase integration with FlutterFlow enables developers to create powerful, data-driven applications. This connection provides real-time data storage and retrieval, secure user authentication, and cloud-based file and media storage.

By leveraging Supabase's backend services within FlutterFlow, developers can rapidly build scalable apps with rich features. This integration streamlines the development process, allowing for the creation of dynamic user experiences without the need for complex backend infrastructure management. 

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API calls

Streaming APIs 

Streaming APIs maintain an open connection between client and server, continuously sending data as it becomes available. This approach is ideal for applications requiring live updates, such as sports scores, stock tickers, chat apps, and real-time notifications. 

Streaming APIs keep the connection open, allowing servers to push new data to clients without repeated requests. This reduces latency and improves user experience by providing immediate feedback. 

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REST APIs

In contrast, REST APIs use a request/response model, where each interaction is independent and the connection closes after the response is sent. REST is suitable for applications where data changes less frequently and real-time updates aren't critical.

REST APIs, close the connection after each response, treating each request/response pair as a separate interaction.

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Custom database

FlutterFlow also allows you to integrate your application with a custom database. Users who have created their own database will also be able to access their FlutterFlow application. To create your own database, you will have to do it via Firestore. 

Once you have created your Firestore database, the collections, and the documents, your next step is to connect Firestore to your FlutterFlow project.

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Security

FlutterFlow provides built-in security features and follows industry standards, but developers should also implement best practices to ensure app-specific security and to prioritize data privacy throughout the development process. As experts FlutterFlow developers, we encourage you to implement:

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User authentication and authorization

Multi-factor authentication

Strengthen security by implementing options like SMS verification or biometrics for robust login security.

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Granular access control

As we have addressed in the previous section, Firebase provides a robust security solution for user authentication in FlutterFlow. By implementing it, you will be able to allow specific permissions based on user roles and data sensitivity.

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Robust API endpoints

Implement authentication mechanisms, for example, JWTs and API keys, to protect backend services from unauthorized access.

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Data sanitization

By validating all user input and sanitizing data before storage or processing, developers can prevent vulnerabilities such as SQL injection attacks. 

Choosing appropriate and secure data types for user input further safeguards against overflow vulnerabilities and maintains data consistency.

To streamline these processes, developers can leverage input masking and validation libraries. 

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API integration

Securely integrating with APIs is essential for preventing data breaches. The first step is to use HTTPS for all API requests, which encrypts data in transit. This basic measure provides a foundation for secure communication between systems.

To further enhance security, implementing rate limiting and monitoring API activity are crucial. Rate limiting restricts the number of API requests from users or devices, guarding against denial-of-service attacks.

Tracking and analyzing API logs allows for the detection of suspicious activity and potential security threats, enabling prompt responses to emerging risks.

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• Related: A review of FlutterFlow security

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Custom code

FlutterFlow offers the ability to add custom code directly into the main.dart file of your app using FlutterFlow’s custom code editor, providing flexibility for specific functionalities and customizations. 

This enhances scalability since users can integrate custom code to implement advanced features. 

When adding custom code, you’ll be able to:

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Employ custom actions 

Users can create custom actions, which are code snippets inserted directly into the main.dart file, allowing for expanded functionality without arguments.

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Modify the main.dart file

Additionally, developers can modify the main.dart file itself, which serves as the app's entry point. This allows for the integration of unsupported features, such as initializing third-party plugins and libraries or configuring system-level settings like status bar color and orientation.

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Code Copilot 

Code Copilot is an AI-assisted feature that generates code based on natural language descriptions. Developers can describe the desired functionality, and the tool produces corresponding code snippets, functions, or blocks.

This feature speeds up app development by translating ideas directly into code. It's particularly useful for custom functions and actions, reducing the need for in-depth programming knowledge and simplifying the building process.

Its limitation is that the prompts are restricted to 100 characters.

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Flutterflow also allows for developers to export the generated code for further customization or integration with existing projects. This flexibility sets FlutterFlow apart from many other no-code platforms that are more restricted in terms of integrating code.

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Testing and deployment

Unit testing

Unit tests in FlutterFlow are focused, rapid assessments of individual components or functions within the application. They verify the correct behavior of isolated code segments, providing quick feedback to developers. These tests are essential for maintaining code quality and catching issues early in the development process, as they can be executed swiftly and frequently.

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Integration testing

Integration tests serve as a comprehensive evaluation of your application's interconnected components, simulating real-world usage scenarios to verify seamless functionality. 

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Deployment

When it comes to deployment, FlutterFlow offers cross-platform development, allowing you to create apps for web, iOS, and Android from a single codebase. 

FlutterFlow simplifies the app deployment process, allowing developers to bring their creations to life efficiently. 

This process begins on the deployment page, where users can select their preferred deployment source. This flexibility enables deployment directly from FlutterFlow's code or from a specific GitHub branch for projects hosted on that platform.

Defining the app version is a crucial step in the process, ensuring proper tracking and management of different releases. 

FlutterFlow also provides comprehensive settings for both the Play Store and App Store, allowing developers to fine-tune essential elements such as app descriptions, screenshots, and icons. This attention to detail helps ensure compliance with platform-specific guidelines and requirements.

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Native app

The culmination of the process is the publication of Android and iOS apps to their respective stores. With a few clicks, developers can make their apps available to a global audience through the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, opening up new possibilities for user engagement and app distribution.

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Web

For desktop applications, FlutterFlow offers a testing environment that spans MacOS, Windows, and Linux platforms. This feature enables developers to verify their app's functionality across different operating systems before final deployment.

FlutterFlow offers seamless deployment for Android and iOS applications, but web deployment requires an additional step. 

To enable web support for your FlutterFlow project, you'll need to navigate to the Settings and Integrations section. From there, access the Project Setup menu and locate the Platform subsection. 

Within this area, you'll find a toggle switch specifically for web support. Activating this toggle incorporates the necessary configurations to run and deploy your application on web platforms, expanding your app's reach beyond mobile devices.

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Cloud Functions testing

Firebase’s Cloud Functions offers a serverless solution that automates backend code execution in response to various triggers. This is specifically valuable for actions like  sending automatic notifications, processing payments, or third-party service integrations.

FlutterFlow’s built-in code editor allows you to craft JavaScript cloud functions efficiently. Each function comes with a set of adjustable boilerplate settings, allowing users to fine-tune parameters such as memory allocation, regional deployment, and timeout limits. 

This integration not only simplifies the development workflow but also enhances the overall functionality of FlutterFlow projects by enabling direct access to serverless capabilities.

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Separation of dev and prod environments

One new feature FlutterFlow offers is development and production environments separated. This prevents users from accidentally corrupting live data.

In the App Settings, navigate to the Dev. Environments page to create and manage environments. The currently selected environment is always visible in the top-left corner of your project interface, allowing for easy identification and switching as needed.

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Configure your backend for each environment

FlutterFlow's multi-environment functionality allows developers to seamlessly manage distinct stages of their app's lifecycle. 

By mapping each environment to a separate Firebase or Supabase project, the platform ensures isolation between Development, Staging, and Production environments. 

This approach allows you to have better control over data flow and application behavior, facilitating a smoother progression through various development phases. 

Let’s now review these environments:

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Production environment

Every FlutterFlow project is set with a Production environment. This environment is the final one; this is, once you have tested features within the dev environment, you can switch to this environment to go live. 

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Staging environment

This is the environment you should use when you’re still not launching the production environment, but you seek to try it.

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Development environment

When you are testing and developing new features, this is the environment you should use to not affect production data. So, this development environment is mainly used for testing different backend configurations.

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App performance monitoring

Ensuring optimal app performance is crucial for delivering a smooth user experience. 

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Flutter DevTools

Monitor your app's performance metrics using tools like Flutter DevTools. These tools help identify bottlenecks and issues. Pay close attention to frame rendering and jank, as these impact the smoothness of animations and interactions.

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Firebase Performance Monitoring

Firebase Performance Monitoring automatically collects performance data from your app, providing insights through the Firebase console. It monitors network requests and specific code sections, helping developers identify bottlenecks and improve the user experience.

This tool enables data-driven optimization decisions based on real performance metrics. It allows developers to monitor network calls, revealing slow APIs or network issues that may impact app responsiveness.

To enable Firebase Performance Monitoring, navigate to Settings and Integrations, then Project Setup, and finally to the Firebase section. Open the Performance Monitoring section and toggle the Enable Performance Monitoring switch.

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Logging

Implementing a robust logging system is crucial for effective troubleshooting. A well-designed system captures essential information while ensuring sensitive data like passwords and personal information remain protected. 

This balance is achieved through the use of logging libraries that support various log levels and secure storage methods.

• Error handling plays a key role in maintaining system security. Errors should be captured and logged securely, with care taken to avoid exposing sensitive information in error messages. 
• Regular analysis of these logs helps identify potential security incidents and vulnerabilities.
• To maintain a secure logging environment, it's important to adhere to best practices. This includes using secure logging libraries and being mindful of the types of information being recorded. 

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Lessons learned and future outlook

Challenges and solutions

• One of the main challenges we have encountered when developing in FlutterFlow is its slower handling times compared to other no-code platforms. A process that takes 30 minutes elsewhere may take an hour in FlutterFlow. 

However, this is also an advantage: while development is slower, FlutterFlow offers significantly more power and capabilities than typical no-code tools, enabling the creation of more sophisticated applications.

• FlutterFlow allows custom code and third-party packages, which can lead to compatibility issues and unexpected crashes. This flexibility comes at the cost of potentially longer debugging times and unforeseen errors, as not all external elements integrate smoothly with the platform.
• There is no built-in responsibility. Building an app that works for both small and big screens takes more time, as everything has to be designed and crafted from scratch, and there are no pre-built component system that works seamlessly.

But, FlutterFlow is making changes to that, to make responsiveness easier as they aware that there is friction here.

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Future trends

FlutterFlow has recently introduced several new features to enhance app development. 

• The platform now offers improved AI-powered design suggestions and an expanded widget library for easier UI assembly. An AI copilot is offered when generating code, which is useful for simple functions. FlutterFlow will be adding AI a lot to multiple functionalities going forward
• State management tools have been enhanced to handle complex data flows, while overall performance has been optimized for faster app startup and smoother user experiences.
• Collaboration features have been streamlined to facilitate teamwork. 
• Additionally, debugging and testing tools have been improved to help developers identify and resolve issues more efficiently.

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Conclusion

FlutterFlow has revolutionized the app development landscape, offering a powerful low-code platform that combines the flexibility of Flutter with an intuitive visual interface. 

By following best practices in project structure, component reusability, version control, responsive design, and backend integration, developers can create efficient, scalable, and feature-rich applications. 

While challenges exist, such as performance considerations and custom code integration, FlutterFlow's continuous improvements and expanding feature set promise an exciting future for rapid, high-quality app development.

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Ready to leverage FlutterFlow's potential for your next project? With our expertise in building over 330 apps, we can turn your app idea into reality with LowCode Agency's FlutterFlow expertise. Contact us today!