Backend-Driven UI

bdui · backend driven ui · sdui · server-driven ui · server driven ui · backend-driven interface

Definition

BDUI (Backend-Driven UI) is an approach in which the server describes the structure and content of a screen and the client renders the schema it receives, which allows the interface to be updated and personalized without an app release.

What BDUI (Backend-Driven UI) is

BDUI (Backend-Driven UI, also known as Server-Driven UI or SDUI) is an approach in which the server describes the screen interface and the app merely renders the schema it is sent. Instead of hard-wiring the layout into the client code, the backend sends the structure of the screen — usually as JSON — and the client assembles the UI from it.

The main consequence: the interface can be changed without an app release and without waiting for App Store and Google Play review.

How it works

Server -> screen schema (JSON: blocks, order, data)
Client -> rendering engine assembles native UI from the schema

The client holds a set of supported components and an engine that knows how to assemble them from a description. The server decides which blocks, in which order and with what content, a particular user sees.

Why BDUI matters in e-commerce

Speed of change. The storefront, banners and block order in the app can be rebuilt from the server in minutes rather than across a release cycle.
Personalization. The screen is assembled for a segment and a behaviour — different users see a different home screen. See in-app personalization.
Experiments. A/B tests of the interface with no new version and no risk of being stuck in store review.

Limitations

A more complex backend. Layout logic moves to the server, which needs a schema engine and ongoing maintenance.
Client-side rendering. The client needs an engine capable of assembling every supported component.
Component versioning. Older versions of the app must handle newer schemas correctly.

BDUI in Gravity Field

BDUI is a genuine differentiator of the Gravity Field mobile platform: app screens are built through the Flutter BDUI SDK and controlled from the server. A detailed walk-through of the approach is covered in the blog article “What BDUI is and how it helps e-commerce grow”, and the technical integration is documented in the Flutter BDUI SDK guide.

Frequently asked questions

How is BDUI different from normal in-app layout?

In a classic app the screens are laid out in the client code, and any change requires a new release and a store update. With BDUI the screen layout arrives from the server as a schema (JSON) and the client renders it — so the UI can be changed, tested and personalized without shipping a new version.

Are BDUI and SDUI the same thing?

Yes. Backend-Driven UI and Server-Driven UI (SDUI) are two names for the same approach: the interface is controlled from the server. Both terms are in use and the meaning is identical.

What is the main benefit of BDUI for e-commerce?

Speed of change and personalization without a release. The storefront, block order, banners and product selections in a mobile app can be rebuilt from the server for a segment or a behaviour, interface A/B tests can be launched, and a weak variant rolled back instantly — with no wait for App Store or Google Play review.

Gravity Field

BDUI in the Gravity Field Mobile Platform

The Gravity Field mobile platform uses a Flutter BDUI SDK — app screens (storefront, banners, selections) are controlled from the server and personalized without a store release.

✦Flutter BDUI SDK — screens rendered from a server-side schema

✦Content and block order changed without shipping a new app version

✦Screens personalized by segment and by behaviour

✦A/B tests of the app interface with no release

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