Hi, I’m Gideon, a Glide Certified Expert. If you want to see exactly how users interact with your Glide app, there is a simple and fully integrated way to do it without using Google Analytics or Tag Manager. In this guide, I will show you how to build a complete activity log system inside Glide so you can track clicks, page views, user actions, and engagement in real time.
This approach works for business apps, internal tools, and client projects. You’ll gain visibility over what users are doing, how long they spend on tasks, and which features are the most popular.
You can also watch a full video demonstration of this system on YouTube below:
Tracking user activity is essential for any app owner who wants to improve engagement and make data-driven decisions. Understanding user behavior can help you:
Identify which screens and actions are most valuable
Measure how long users spend on each feature
Spot friction points that cause drop-offs or incomplete actions
Understand your audience and tailor your app to their needs
Many app creators rely on Google Analytics or Tag Manager for tracking. While these tools are powerful, they can be complex, intrusive, and sometimes overkill for Glide apps. By using a native activity log, you keep everything inside Glide, secure and easy to manage.
An activity log is a table that records every action a user takes in your app. For each action, you can track:
Who performed it
What action they took
When it started and ended
Which item or screen they interacted with
Unlike traditional analytics tools, an activity log gives you granular, real-time insights directly in your app. You can see each click, form submission, or page view, and even calculate how long users spend on tasks.
The backbone of this system is a Big Table in Glide. Big Tables can handle large volumes of data, allowing you to log every user interaction.
They can host much larger datasets than regular Glide tables
You can scale from 25,000 rows on standard plans to millions on enterprise plans
They perform well with high volumes of user activity
| Column Name | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Row ID | Text | Unique identifier for each log entry |
| Username | Text | The user who performed the action |
| Text | User’s email for reference | |
| Action | Text | The action performed (click, submit, open) |
| Date/Time Start | Date/Time | When the action started |
| Date/Time End | Date/Time | When the action ended, if applicable |
| Item ID Clicked | Text/Relation | The item, page, or screen involved |
Use as much fixed data as possible, rather than formulas or lookups
Avoid complex relations that may slow down the table
Group user-related columns together for easier management
Once your Big Table is ready, you can start recording user actions using Glide’s custom actions feature.
When a user clicks a button, add a row to the activity log.
Record the username, email, action type, and start time.
When the action is completed, update the row with the end time.
This setup allows you to track how long each task takes and who performed it. You can use this method for rating items, opening screens, submitting forms, or interacting with content.
Always include the user identifier (username or email) to connect actions to specific users
Include item or screen references to know what was interacted with
Record start and end times to measure duration and engagement
To make your logs more useful, link actions to the related items in your app. For example, if a user rates a contact, store the contact’s ID.
By creating relations between the activity log and your existing tables, you can:
Track multiple actions per user
See which items or screens receive the most interaction
Build dashboards and filters for analysis
Tracking the start and end time of actions allows you to calculate duration. This helps you understand:
How long users spend on each task
Which screens or items take longer to complete
Patterns in user engagement across the app
You can format duration to show hours, minutes, and seconds for precise reporting. For example, a rating action might take 1 minute and 30 seconds, while opening a page could take just a few seconds.
Once your activity log is collecting data, you can create dashboards inside Glide to monitor engagement and user behavior.
User Activity Feed: Display all actions by all users in chronological order
Individual User Reports: Filter by user to see their specific activity
Most Popular Items: Identify which screens, items, or buttons get the most clicks
Engagement Metrics: Show duration, completion rates, and trends over time
You can also sort by end time to see the most recent actions first. This gives a clear overview of current activity in your app.
Some actions may be canceled or left unfinished. You can track these by checking if the end time is empty. This gives insight into user behavior and highlights areas where users may struggle.
For example, if a user starts rating an item but cancels before submission, you can flag it as incomplete. This can help you improve the user experience and reduce drop-offs.
Using a native activity log has several advantages over external analytics tools:
Full control of your data: Everything is stored in Glide without third-party dependencies
Privacy-friendly tracking: No cookies or external scripts
Real-time insights: Immediately see user actions as they happen
Customizable reports: Tailor metrics and dashboards to your specific needs
Track Multiple Types of Actions: Use different action types to differentiate clicks, form submissions, and page views.
Filter and Group Logs: Use Glide filters to analyze specific users or items.
Analyze Duration Trends: Calculate average time per task to understand engagement patterns.
Combine With Notifications: Trigger notifications based on specific actions logged.
Plan for Growth: Use Big Tables to ensure your logs can scale with your app usage.
Imagine a rating app where users can rate contacts and companies. With an activity log:
When a user clicks “Rate” for a contact, a row is added to the activity log.
Start and end times are recorded, showing how long the rating took.
The item ID is stored, so you know which contact was rated.
A dashboard shows all users’ ratings, duration, and most rated contacts.
This setup gives you a full picture of user engagement and behavior across your app.
Can I track logins with this system?
No, Glide does not allow tracking the exact moment a user logs in. However, you can track their first action after login as a close approximation.
Do I need a paid Glide plan for this?
You can use Big Tables on free plans, but higher-volume apps may benefit from paid plans for increased storage and performance.
Can I use this with forms and buttons?
Yes, you can track clicks, form submissions, page views, and almost any user interaction in your app.
How do I handle incomplete actions?
Track actions with empty end times and use if-then logic to flag incomplete tasks. This provides insights into drop-offs or partial engagement.
Creating an activity log in Glide allows you to track every click, page view, and interaction without Google Analytics. It works for any app, giving you complete visibility into user behavior.
By following this guide, you can start logging user activity today, measure engagement, analyze patterns, and make data-driven decisions to improve your app. With the right setup, you can also track duration, completion, and user-specific actions, all within Glide.
This approach ensures privacy, scalability, and real-time insights, all while keeping your app self-contained and easy to manage.
With the right guidance, you can turn your vision into a real, working app — no code needed.
