Build Your First FileMaker App: A Practical Step-by-Step Video Course

If you’ve been exploring Claris FileMaker but feel unsure where to begin, you are not alone. Many professionals understand the potential of FileMaker but struggle to move from theory to a working application.

At RC Consulting, we specialize in helping businesses implement powerful custom solutions. This course distills our real-world development experience into a structured, beginner-friendly training program designed to help you build your first functional FileMaker app with confidence.

What You Will Build

This is not just theory. Throughout the course, you will build a fully functional custom business application from the ground up.

By the end of the program, you will have:

• A structured relational database
  
  

• Clean and user-friendly layouts
  
  

• Connected tables with proper relationships
  
  

• Automated scripts for workflow efficiency
  
  

• Basic security and user access controls
  
  

You will understand not just how to click through FileMaker, but how to think like a developer.

Course Breakdown: Step-by-Step Learning Path

Step 1: Understanding the Foundation

We begin with the essentials:

• Tables and fields
  
  

• Data types
  
  

• Layout modes
  
  

• The relationship graph
  
  

This ensures you understand how FileMaker is architected before building.

Step 2: Designing Your Database

You will learn how to:

• Structure tables correctly
  
  

• Avoid common beginner mistakes
  
  

• Normalize data for scalability
  
  

• Plan for future growth
  
  

Proper database design is what separates hobby projects from professional systems.

Step 3: Building the User Interface

We guide you through:

• Creating intuitive layouts
  
  

• Designing clean navigation
  
  

• Organizing data entry screens
  
  

• Building dashboards
  
  

Your app will look professional and easy to use.

Step 4: Adding Automation with Scripts

You will implement:

• Automated record creation
  
  

• Conditional logic
  
  

• Workflow triggers
  
  

• Report generation
  
  

Automation is where FileMaker delivers significant operational value.

Step 5: Preparing for Real-World Use

We cover:

• Basic security and privilege sets
  
  

• Multi-user considerations
  
  

• Performance best practices
  
  

• Deployment options
  
  

You will understand what it takes to move from development to production.

Why Learn from RC Consulting?

Unlike generic online tutorials, this course is built from real consulting experience. At RC Consulting, we work with organizations throughout California to design, deploy, and optimize custom FileMaker solutions.

Our Central California Office:

3130 De La Cruz Blvd Suite 110
Santa Clara, CA 95054

Phone: 408 492 9701
Website: https://rcconsulting.com/
Email: support@rcconsulting.com

We understand how businesses actually use FileMaker in operations, finance, logistics, healthcare, and professional services. That perspective shapes every lesson in this course.

What Makes This Course Different

• Practical, not theoretical
  
  

• Structured for beginners
  
  

• Built on real-world consulting methodology
  
  

• Focused on scalability and performance
  
  

• Designed to give you a finished, working application
  
  

By the end of the course, you will not just “know FileMaker.” You will have built a real app and gained the foundational skills to build more.