How to go about building marketplace platforms on Bubble.io: Step-by-Step Guide

Go to the Data tab and create these core Data Types. User — add fields: role (Option Set: Buyer, Seller, Both), is_verified (yes/no), stripe_account_id (text), rating (number), bio (text), profile_image (image). Listing — fields: seller (User), title (text), description (text), price (number), category (Option Set), images (list of images), status (Option Set: Draft, Active, Sold, Paused), location (geographic address), created_date (date). Transaction — fields: listing (Listing), buyer (User), seller (User), amount (number), platform_fee (number), status (Option Set: Pending, Paid, Completed, Disputed, Refunded), stripe_payment_id (text). Review — fields: reviewer (User), reviewee (User), transaction (Transaction), rating (number 1-5), comment (text).

Create a page called create-listing with a multi-step form. Step 1: Category selection using large clickable cards. Step 2: Details — title, description, price inputs, and a multi-image uploader (use Bubble's File Uploader with 'Allow multiple files'). Step 3: Location — Geographic Address input with Google Maps preview. Step 4: Review and publish. Create a workflow that saves a Listing with status = Draft at each step (so progress is not lost) and changes to Active on final publish. Build a seller-listings page showing the seller's listings with status filters and edit/pause/delete actions.

Create a browse page with a Repeating Group showing active Listings. Add filter controls: a SearchBox for keyword search in title and description, Dropdown filters for category and price range, a geographic address search with distance radius for location-based filtering, and sort options (newest, price low-high, price high-low, highest rated). Use database constraints for category and status filters (these are efficient). Use geographic constraints for location-based search (Listing's location is within X miles of searched address). For text search, use the :contains operator or integrate an external search service like Algolia for better performance at scale.

Install the Stripe plugin and configure it with your platform's Stripe keys. Set up Stripe Connect so sellers can receive payouts. Create a seller onboarding flow: when a seller first lists an item, redirect them to Stripe's Connect onboarding URL (generated via API Connector calling Stripe's Account Links endpoint). Store the returned stripe_account_id on the User record. For checkout, use the API Connector to create a PaymentIntent with transfer_data specifying the seller's Stripe account and an application_fee_amount for your platform commission (e.g., 10% of the transaction).

1{
2  "payment_intent": {
3    "amount": 5000,
4    "currency": "usd",
5    "application_fee_amount": 500,
6    "transfer_data": {
7      "destination": "acct_seller_stripe_id"
8    }
9  }
10}

Add seller verification: create a VerificationRequest type with ID document upload, status (Pending, Verified, Rejected), and admin review workflow. Add reviews: after a Transaction is marked Completed, prompt both buyer and seller to leave reviews. Display average ratings on profiles and listings. Add reporting: a Report button on each listing and user profile that creates a Report record with reason, reported_by, and status. Build an admin moderation dashboard showing pending verifications, reports, and flagged content. Auto-hide listings with 3+ reports pending review.

Go to Data tab → Privacy. Set rules for each type: Listings with status Active are visible to all; Draft/Paused listings only visible to the seller. Transactions are visible only to the buyer and seller involved. Reviews are public. User contact details (email, phone) are visible only to the user themselves and to counter-parties in active transactions. Test the entire flow: create seller account → onboard with Stripe → create listing → buyer finds and purchases → payment processed → review left. Monitor workload units during testing to estimate production costs.