Lark Base is a powerful database, but a spreadsheet grid is not always the friendliest thing to hand to a colleague. Base apps solve that by wrapping your data in a clean, drag-and-drop interface that anyone can use, with no coding involved. A single app can pull from several bases, so you can build a complete business system rather than a collection of disconnected tables.
Why Build a Base App
- Lower cost, better fit: Connect multiple bases to build professional-grade systems that follow your own business logic, instead of paying for software that almost fits.
- Zero code required: Drag-and-drop building and a wide choice of block types mean non-technical staff can create working systems themselves.
- Better adoption: A simple, purpose-built interface is far easier for colleagues to pick up than a complex base.
Note: You need permission to add apps to a Base workspace in order to create, edit and manage apps. On the Lark mobile app, Base apps are view-only.
How to Create a Base App
You can create an empty app and build it up yourself, or generate one instantly from a base you already use.
Create an app without data
Every Base app must live inside a Base workspace, so you choose a workspace as part of creating the app.
Method 1: Go to the Base homepage, click New App, then select a Base workspace for the app.
Method 2: Go to the Base homepage and select a Base workspace from the left navigation bar. Click New/Add in the upper-right corner and select New App. The current workspace is selected by default, and you can pick a different one if needed.
Create an app from an existing base
Open the base you want to build from, then click App in the lower-left corner. An app is created immediately using the data in that base.
Two things are imported automatically:
Table views. The first view of each table, excluding form views and private views, becomes a matching view block plus slicer blocks. Data from up to the first 20 tables can be imported.
Dashboard pages. Dashboards from the base become app pages, keeping the layout, style and block configuration of the source dashboard. Blocks from up to the first 20 dashboards can be imported.
Tip: If a dashboard fails to import, open that dashboard in the base, click the upgrade icon in the upper-right corner to upgrade it, then create the app again.
Permissions needed to create an app
What you need depends on where the base sits.
| Scenario | Result | Required permissions |
|---|---|---|
| The base is already in a Base workspace | The app is created directly in that workspace. | Base: edit permission when advanced permissions are off, or manage permission when they are on. Workspace: permission to add apps to the current workspace. |
| Workspace requirements are not met, or the workspace already holds 2,000 documents | An app is created without data. | Base: edit permission when advanced permissions are off, or manage permission when they are on. Workspace: you must be within the group allowed to create new Base workspaces, as set by your organisation administrator. |
| The base is not in any workspace | A new workspace is created automatically, and both the base and the new app are added to it. | Base: manage permission for the base and move permission for its current location. Workspace: you must be within the group allowed to create new Base workspaces, as set by your organisation administrator. |
How to Add Pages and Groups
Base apps are built from pages. Create as many as your business needs, add blocks to each one, and use groups to keep related pages together.
Where you find the buttons depends on your navigation layout:
- Side bar: Click Add New and select Page or Group. You can also hover over a group and click the + icon to its right to create a page inside that group.
- Top bar: Click the + icon and select Page or Group. You can also click a group and select Add page. To take a page out of a group, switch the layout to side bar and drag the page out.
Once your pages exist, you can organise them further:
- Double-click a page or group in the navigation bar to rename it.
- Click the ··· icon to the right of a page to change its icon, copy or move it, or delete it.
- Drag a page in the navigation bar to change its position.
Note: Each app supports up to 100 pages and 100 groups.
How to Configure the App Appearance
Click the Appearance icon in the upper-right corner of the app to open the Appearance settings pane.
- Navigation layout: Choose whether pages and groups appear in a side bar or a top bar.
- Theme: Choose from six preset theme colours.
- Background: Set your own background colour or image.
How to Add and Manage Blocks
Blocks are the functional pieces of each page. They include view, chart and list blocks driven by your Base tables, as well as content blocks such as text, buttons and images. You can rename a block, change its background colour, and resize or move it on the page.
Add a block
Blocks can draw on multiple tables within the same Base workspace. You can build new blocks or reuse blocks that already exist in bases in that workspace.
- Click Add Block in the lower-left corner of the page, choose a block, then configure it. If the page is still empty, you can click a block option directly on the page instead.
- To reuse an existing block, click Add Block > Add Existing Block and select the block you want.
Important: You must have manage permission for a data source before you can use it in a block.
Change the page layout and block style
Drag a block to move it, or drag its edges to resize it. Click the ⋮ icon in the upper-right corner of a block to open its configuration pane, where the Custom tab holds the styling options.
Supported block types
Up to 200 blocks can be added per page, with tighter limits on some types.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| List blocks | Show data from a source table as a list. Basic, record details, card, aggregated and expandable list types are available. Up to 10 per page, and up to 200 across the whole app. |
| Chart blocks | All chart types from the Base dashboard are supported. |
| View blocks | Grid, Kanban, calendar, Gantt and gallery views. Up to 10 per page. |
| Other blocks | Blocks from the Others category in the Base dashboard, plus image blocks for adding and styling pictures, and tab blocks for grouping related content without clutter. Up to 10 pivot table blocks and 20 slicer blocks per page. |
| Extension blocks | A range of app extensions covering many of the extension capabilities found in Base dashboards. To add your own, go to Add Block and select Extensions > More, click Add Custom in the lower-left corner of the Extensions window, enter the service URL and click Confirm. Up to 10 extensions per page. |
Tip: Click Resources in the lower-left corner of the Extensions window to open the developer guide.
How to Manage App Permissions
Base apps use role-based permissions. You define what each role can do, then add users to a role to grant those permissions in one step.
When someone with manage permission adds a block, the app is granted full access to the source table and then runs its own independent permission system. That means you can control who sees what inside the app without changing anything in the underlying base.
- Only the app owner or users with manage permission can change app permissions.
- Permissions inside the app are separate from the source base, so a colleague’s access in the app may differ from their access to the original table.
How to Preview and Share Your App
Click Preview in the upper-right corner to see the app as your colleagues will. You can switch between users to check which pages and actions each role can reach, and turn off full-screen preview if you prefer. Click Exit Preview to return to editing.
When you are ready, click Share in the upper-right corner to:
- Manage collaborators: Add people and set their permissions.
- Set the sharing scope: Decide whether everyone in your organisation can view, edit or search the app.
- Copy the link or QR code: Anyone with access can open the app in view mode. Users with manage permission can click the Edit icon in the upper-left corner to switch to edit mode.
- Adjust additional settings: Control who can manage collaborators and who can copy content.
Note: If Only Custom Role Can Access is selected in App permissions, collaborators invited through the Share panel will not automatically gain access. You need to add them to a role in App permissions as well. A user’s real access always comes from their role settings.
Practical Use Cases for SMEs and Startups
- Sales pipeline: Give your sales team a clean lead entry page and a separate management dashboard, both drawing on the same base.
- Project tracking: Combine a Gantt view, a status kanban and a budget chart on one page so managers stop asking for updates.
- Inventory and orders: Let warehouse staff update stock through a simple list block while finance sees the cost summaries on another page.
- HR onboarding: Build a new-hire portal with checklists, document links and progress tracking, restricted by role so staff only see their own records.
- Client reporting: Share a read-only app page with a client instead of exporting a spreadsheet every month.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do I need coding skills to build a Lark Base app?
No. Base apps are built entirely by dragging and configuring blocks. Anyone comfortable working with a spreadsheet can build one.
Can one Base app use data from more than one base?
Yes. Blocks can draw on multiple tables within the same Base workspace, which is what allows a single app to serve as a complete business system.
What happens to my base when I create an app from it?
Nothing changes in the base. The app references your data and runs its own separate permission system, so the source tables are untouched.
How many pages and blocks can a Base app have?
Each app supports up to 100 pages and 100 groups, with up to 200 blocks per page. Some block types have lower per-page limits, such as 10 list blocks and 10 view blocks.
Can my team use Base apps on their phones?
Yes, but only for viewing. Base apps can be browsed on the Lark mobile app, while building and editing happen on desktop.
Why did my dashboard fail to import into the app?
The dashboard is likely on an older version. Open it in the base, click the upgrade icon in the upper-right corner, then create the app again.
Can people outside my organisation open a Base app?
Access is controlled by the sharing scope and the roles you define in App permissions. You can share a link or QR code, but only users granted a role will be able to open the app.
Turning Your Data into Something Your Team Will Actually Use
The gap between a well-built base and a system your colleagues use every day is usually the interface. Base apps close that gap without a developer, a budget approval or a long project timeline. Start with one workflow your team already runs in a base, generate an app from it, and refine the pages from there.
Ready to Power Your Business with Lark?
Lark Base is just one part of an all-in-one platform that brings messaging, meetings, documents, approvals, and automations together for your entire team.
As the Platinum Partner for Lark in Malaysia, Exabytes offers tailored Lark plans, hands-on onboarding, and dedicated local support to help your team build the systems they need without waiting on developers.
