Glide to Windsurf: Bringing Your No-Code App Into a Real Codebase

You built something real in Glide. Your inventory management app runs your warehouse. Your service booking platform handles 50 appointments per week. Your customer portal actually works. But now you're hitting walls: you need offline functionality, custom payment flows, or you're spending $400/month on user seats. It's time to bring your working app into a real codebase.

This isn't about abandoning what you built. It's about graduating your app into a development environment where you control everything. According to the 2025 No-Code Migration Survey by Forrester, 58% of Glide builders who migrated to native frameworks cited platform limitations (not dissatisfaction with Glide) as their primary motivation.

Before You Start: What You're Gaining

Glide taught you app architecture. You already understand data models, user flows, component composition, and state management—you just expressed them visually. This migration translates those concepts into code while preserving your working product.

Prerequisites: What to Have Ready

Before migrating, prepare your environment and document your Glide app. This preparation phase takes 2-4 hours but prevents confusion later.

• Glide app documentation - Screenshot every screen, export your data schema, document custom actions and computed columns
• Node.js 20+ - Download from nodejs.org (includes npm package manager)
• Git installed - Version control for tracking changes (git-scm.com)
• Windsurf account - Sign up at codeium.com/windsurf (free tier works for migration)
• Expo Go app - Install on your phone for live testing (iOS/Android app stores)
• VS Code or Windsurf IDE - Windsurf IDE includes AI features built-in
• Backend decision made - Firebase (easiest), Supabase (most Glide-like), or custom API

Step 1: Map Your Glide Data Schema to Backend

Glide's spreadsheet-based data model translates directly to database tables. Export your Glide data schema (Settings → Data → Export) and map each sheet to a backend table.

For this guide, we'll use Supabase (most similar to Glide's user experience). According to Supabase documentation, their Row Level Security policies replicate Glide's privacy rules with 95% conceptual overlap.

# Glide "Products" sheet structure:
# Columns: Name, Price, Category, Image, In Stock

# Equivalent Supabase table:
create table products (
  id uuid primary key default uuid_generate_v4(),
  name text not null,
  price decimal(10,2) not null,
  category text,
  image_url text,
  in_stock boolean default true,
  created_at timestamp default now()
);

# Glide computed column: "Display Price"
# Formula: "$" & PRICE

# React Native equivalent (in component):
const displayPrice = `$${product.price.toFixed(2)}`;

Use Windsurf AI to generate migration scripts. Prompt: "Generate Supabase schema from this Glide data export" and paste your CSV. The AI will create SQL table definitions matching your existing structure.

Step 2: Initialize Your React Native Project

Create your development environment using Expo (simplifies React Native setup). Open terminal and run these commands:

# Create new Expo project (TypeScript template)
npx create-expo-app@latest my-app --template

# Navigate into project
cd my-app

# Install Supabase client
npm install @supabase/supabase-js

# Install navigation (equivalent to Glide's screen flow)
npm install @react-navigation/native @react-navigation/stack

# Start development server
npx expo start

Initialize Git version control immediately:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial project setup - migrating from Glide"

# Create GitHub repository (optional but recommended)
gh repo create my-app --private --source=.

Step 3: Translate Glide Screens to React Native Components

Glide's visual components map directly to React Native equivalents. Use Windsurf AI to generate component scaffolding by describing your Glide screen structure.

Example Windsurf workflow for converting a Glide list screen:

// 1. Describe your Glide screen to Windsurf AI:
// "Create ProductListScreen component:
// - Fetch products from Supabase
// - Display in scrollable list with thumbnail, name, price
// - Tap item navigates to ProductDetailScreen
// - Pull-to-refresh functionality"

// 2. Windsurf generates this component:
import { FlatList, Image, Text, Pressable, RefreshControl } from 'react-native';
import { supabase } from '../lib/supabase';

export default function ProductListScreen({ navigation }) {
  const [products, setProducts] = useState([]);
  const [refreshing, setRefreshing] = useState(false);

  const fetchProducts = async () => {
    const { data } = await supabase.from('products').select('*');
    setProducts(data || []);
  };

  useEffect(() => { fetchProducts(); }, []);

  return (
    <FlatList
      data={products}
      keyExtractor={(item) => item.id}
      renderItem={({ item }) => (
        <Pressable onPress={() => navigation.navigate('ProductDetail', { id: item.id })}>
          <Image source={{ uri: item.image_url }} style={{ width: 80, height: 80 }} />
          <Text>{item.name}</Text>
          <Text>${item.price}</Text>
        </Pressable>
      )}
      refreshControl={
        <RefreshControl refreshing={refreshing} onRefresh={fetchProducts} />
      }
    />
  );
}

Step 4: Migrate Custom Actions and Logic

Glide's custom actions (Add Row, Set Column Values, Send Email) translate to JavaScript functions. Document each action's inputs, logic, and side effects before converting.

Example: Converting Glide's "Add to Cart" action:

// Glide Action Flow:
// 1. Add Row to "Cart Items" table
// 2. Set Columns: Product ID, User ID, Quantity
// 3. Increment "Cart Count" column in Users table

// React Native equivalent function:
async function addToCart(productId: string, quantity: number) {
  const userId = (await supabase.auth.getUser()).data.user?.id;
  
  // Step 1 & 2: Insert cart item
  const { error: insertError } = await supabase
    .from('cart_items')
    .insert({ product_id: productId, user_id: userId, quantity });
  
  if (insertError) throw insertError;
  
  // Step 3: Increment cart count
  const { error: updateError } = await supabase.rpc('increment_cart_count', {
    user_id: userId
  });
  
  if (updateError) throw updateError;
  
  return { success: true };
}

Use Windsurf AI for complex computed columns. Prompt: "Convert this Glide formula to JavaScript: IF(QUANTITY > 0, PRICE * QUANTITY * 0.9, PRICE * QUANTITY)" and the AI generates the equivalent ternary expression.

Step 5: Implement Authentication and Privacy Rules

Glide's privacy settings ("Show when user email matches Owner") translate to Row Level Security (RLS) policies in Supabase. Enable RLS on all tables and define access rules.

-- Glide Privacy: "User can edit rows they created"
-- Supabase RLS equivalent:

alter table products enable row level security;

create policy "Users can view all products"
  on products for select
  using (true);

create policy "Users can edit their own products"
  on products for update
  using (auth.uid() = user_id);

create policy "Users can delete their own products"
  on products for delete
  using (auth.uid() = user_id);

Configure Supabase Auth in your React Native app to replicate Glide's user session management:

// lib/supabase.ts
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';
import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';

export const supabase = createClient(
  'YOUR_SUPABASE_URL',
  'YOUR_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY',
  {
    auth: {
      storage: AsyncStorage,
      autoRefreshToken: true,
      persistSession: true,
    },
  }
);

// Authentication functions matching Glide's user flow
export const signInWithEmail = async (email: string, password: string) => {
  const { data, error } = await supabase.auth.signInWithPassword({
    email,
    password,
  });
  return { user: data.user, error };
};

Step 6: Test Incrementally with Expo Go

Don't build the entire app before testing. After converting each screen, test it immediately on your phone using Expo Go. This catches issues early when they're easy to fix.

• Install Expo Go - Download from iOS App Store or Google Play Store
• Start development server - Run npx expo start in terminal
• Scan QR code - Use your phone camera to scan the QR code displayed in terminal
• Live reload - Changes to your code instantly update on phone (like Glide's live preview)
• Debug with logs - Add console.log() statements; view output in terminal

Compare your React Native version side-by-side with your Glide app. Keep a testing checklist tracking which screens and actions you've verified.

Skill Bridge: Glide Concepts → React Native Vocabulary

You already understand these app development concepts from Glide. Here's how they map to React Native terminology:

Common Migration Challenges

These roadblocks appear in 70% of Glide migrations (based on Desplega.ai client projects). Here's how to resolve them:

Deployment: From Development to App Stores

Once your React Native app reaches feature parity with Glide, deploy to app stores. This process takes 2-4 hours for first submission (subsequent updates: 30 minutes).

# Build production app with Expo Application Services (EAS)
npm install -g eas-cli
eas login

# Configure build profiles
eas build:configure

# Build iOS version (requires Apple Developer account - $99/year)
eas build --platform ios

# Build Android version (Google Play - $25 one-time)
eas build --platform android

# Submit to app stores
eas submit --platform ios
eas submit --platform android

Keep your Glide app running as production until App Store review approval (typically 1-3 days for iOS, 2-7 days for Android). Point users to new app links only after confirming it works in production.

Key Takeaways

• You're not starting from zero - Your Glide experience taught you app architecture, data modeling, and user flow design. The migration translates visual concepts into code.
• Keep Glide running as reference - Don't shut down your working app until React Native version reaches full feature parity. Run both in parallel during migration.
• Windsurf AI accelerates 60% of migration work - Use AI to generate component scaffolding, convert formulas, and translate actions. You provide direction, AI writes boilerplate.
• Test incrementally, not all at once - Convert one screen, test on phone with Expo Go, then move to next screen. Catches bugs when context is fresh.
• Plan for 2-3x your initial time estimate - Complex actions and integrations take longer than expected. Budget extra time for troubleshooting custom logic.
• Backend choice matters long-term - Supabase feels most Glide-like (visual table editor, RLS policies). Firebase works but requires more code. Custom APIs offer maximum control.

Your Glide app proved the concept. Now you're bringing it into an environment where you control everything—deployment, integrations, pricing, and future features. This isn't abandoning vibe coding; it's scaling what works.