Business Directory

Gathering, managing, and distributing company data can be an expensive task. On the one hand, there’s the actual cost of administration. On the other, there are hidden costs, like security risks, unnecessary communications, and avoidable mistakes.

We’ve designed our free directory template to offer smooth experiences for internal users and members of the public alike.

What is a business directory?

Business directories are simple tools that allow users to look up the details of different companies. A directory might include businesses within a specific area, industry, or membership organization.

The idea is to give users a fast and easy way to discover and access information on companies that might interest them.

Directories can be used in both B2B and B2C contexts. In both cases, giving your users an intuitive, efficient way to access information is crucial. Directories are the ideal solution.

Why create a dedicated tool?

Of course, there are many ways to manage and share information, without a dedicated directory app. Spreadsheets, website plug-ins, and CRMs are all used by various businesses and organizations to manage information.

However, each of these solutions leads to compromises in terms of functionality, security, or user experience. Plug-ins and spreadsheets may lack the specific features your need. CRMs can make it difficult to share data with public users.

Building a dedicated directory app ensures that users can access up-to-date information, in a secure, intuitive platform.

What should a directory contain?

DIrectories are lightweight CRUD applications , where users can create, read, update, and delete data. This requires two elements:

1. A data layer for storing business information.
2. An interface for performing CRUD actions.

The goal is to give non-technical users an easy way to update, access, and add business information, without the need for specific database skills. This could include, admin teams, existing customers, members of the public, or any other user group.

To maximize ROI, directory tools should offer additional features for streamlining information management. For example, role-based access control, third-party integrations, and custom workflow automation.

Our business directory template

Our business directory template is a fully deployable tool for managing companies’ information. Our free app templates are 100% customizable. Build your perfect solution, in minutes.

Out of the box, our template offers:

• Design customization.
• Searchability.
• Intuitive UI.
• Custom RBAC.
• External database connection.
• Responsive design.
• Optional self-hosting.
• Third-party integrations.
• Conditionality.
• Custom data fields.

Empower your users with a fast, efficient way to access and manage directory data.

Streamlined UIs

Our business directory is built around a clean, uncluttered user interface. Users can search, filter, and access existing directory entries, or add their business information, from a single app screen.

We’ve used clear CTAs, modal screens, multi-step forms , and more to create a seamless, user-friendly interface.

With our template, users can perform any CRUD task in seconds, using simple app actions.

Responsive design

Give your team a directory tool they can access anywhere, on any device. Budibase apps are 100% mobile responsive. All of our app components automatically scale and resize, fitting perfectly on any screen.

Our template looks and feels beautiful, on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.

With Budibase, building incredible mobile experiences is a cinch. We offer intuitive design tools, a built-in CSS editor, and custom conditionality rules, for each component.

Public and private screens

Maximize security and usability with custom RBAC from Budibase. Control the exact features, data, screens, and components that each user group can access. Restrict entire screens to different permission tiers, at the click of a button.

We’ve built our template around two permission tiers. Public users can search and view all existing directory entries, or add their own business’ details.

Your internal team can edit entries, or review and approve submissions. We’ve also provided an extra two permission tiers, making it easy to create a custom access hierarchy that perfectly suits your existing workflows.

Self-service sign-ups

Create huge sets of reliable, consistent, and accurate data, without lifting a finger. Our user-friendly template is designed to empower members of the public to sign up to your directory, in seconds.

We’ve used a simple multi-step form interface for users to submit their details, in a consistent and accurate format.

Budibase forms are fully customizable. Add or edit existing fields, set default values, or alter data labels to ensure maximum usability.

Custom data fields

Our app’s data layer is fully customizable. We’ve created fields for all basic company information, including descriptions, locations, imagery, contact details, and more. Add, remove or edit any data field, at the press of a button.

Budibase offers a wide variety of advanced data types, including strings, numbers, formula variables, option pickers, dates, rich text, attachments, JSON objects, database relationships, boolean fields, and more.

Say goodbye to settling for imperfect off-the-shelf tools. With Budibase, you can create a directory that perfectly matches your users’ expectations, in just a few clicks.

Filtering and searchability

Empower your users with the exact data they need, at any given moment. We’ve provided a high degree of searchability and filtering across our directory. Public users can search for businesses, using their name, category, or state.

We’ve also provided a dynamic filter component on our app’s admin screen. Internal users can isolate data, using any combination of variables, with a range of complex filtering expressions.

Use simple form components to quickly customize your app’s search functionality. Fully tailor your app’s UX to match your users’ needs.

Admin screens and approval workflows

We’ve provided a dedicated admin screen for your team to manage your directory. Our admin section mimics the app’s primary screen, for maximum usability. Internal users can edit and delete existing data, or approve new directory submissions, with simple modal form screens.

We’ve also added a drop-down selector, for users to quickly find new entries that require approval.

Our admin screen is only accessible by internal users, ensuring that all directory data is protected and vetted to the highest possible standard.

Build a directory with Budibase

Budibase is the fast, cost-effective way to build a wide range of business apps. With fast, intuitive app-building experiences, our low-code platform is a developer’s dream.

Choose Budibase for:

• Open-source design.
• Fast deployment.
• Self-hosting.
• Automation.
• Integrations.
• Conditionality.
• External data connection.
• Design customization.
• Built-in JavaScript editor.
• Auto-generated screens.
• Custom RBAC.

Don’t waste time on repetitive developments, or settle for off-the-shelf tools. With Budibase, you can build better internal tools , in a fraction of the time.

Our low-code platform

Budibase is the smart way to build custom tools, in as little as five minutes. Our low-code platform offers fast builds, incredible developer experiences, leading security, and advanced functionality.

Even better, you can build deployable, open-source apps with Budibase for free. Check out our pricing page to learn more about using Budibase in your organization, including our enterprise SLAs and support packages.

Connect to existing databases

Connect to a wide range of existing datasets, using MySQL, MSSQL, Postgres, S3, Airtable, CouchDB, MongoDB, REST API, and more. Build tools around external data sources in just a few clicks, with Budibase.

We also offer our own built-in database, which supports direct CSV uploads. With support for a huge variety of databases, Budibase is the easy way to centralize and manage all kinds of directory information.

Host and deploy

We put our users in control of how they deploy and host their tools. Deploy to your infrastructure with Kubernetes, Docker, and Digital Ocean, or let us handle your hosting with Budibase Cloud.

With a range of hosting options, Budibase is the ideal solution for building secure, open-source software.

External app support

Budibase sits perfectly alongside your existing software stack. We offer a range of third-party app integrations , with Zapier, Webhooks, and REST API. Connect to your existing tools, to streamline workflows and maximize efficiency.

Build a custom directory, and connect it to communications tools, CRMs, approval workflow software, and more.

Workflow automation

Automate tasks, and boost efficiency with Budibase. Without any coding skills, you can quickly build custom automations for all kinds of tasks. Use our range of integrations to trigger automations in external tools, using Budibase apps.

We also offer full functionality for sending automated emails, using your SMTP credentials.

Secure directories

Build a custom business directory, with security at its core. Customize your permission tiers, deploy to your own infrastructure, and choose the perfect security standards for your business.

We also offer free SSO, with OAuth and OpenID.

Get started with Budibase today

Get started with Budibase for free. Our Business directory template is ready to use, or tweak and customize to perfection.

Building custom tools has never been easier. Create professional app designs, connect a variety of data sources, and build powerful functionality, without minimal coding skills.

Click below to start using Budibase today.