SaaS Development Case Study

Formly.Pro: AI-Powered Form Builder

How I built a complete SaaS platform that generates smart forms using OpenAI, handles payments with Stripe, and serves thousands of users.

Timeline

3 months

Technology

PHP, OpenAI API, Stripe

Role

Full-Stack Developer

Formly.Pro AI Form Builder Interface

The Challenge

Creating a SaaS platform that democratizes form building through AI

Business Problem

Traditional form builders require users to manually drag and drop fields, configure logic, and design layouts. This process is time-consuming and often results in poorly structured forms. Small businesses and entrepreneurs needed a way to create professional forms quickly without technical expertise.

Technical Challenges

  • AI Integration: Seamlessly integrate OpenAI's API to generate form structures from natural language prompts
  • Real-time Processing: Process AI responses and render forms instantly without page refreshes
  • Payment Integration: Implement Stripe for subscription management and billing
  • Data Security: Ensure HTTPS encryption and secure data handling for form submissions
  • Scalability: Build architecture to handle multiple concurrent users and form generations

Success Metrics

Form Generation Speed

Under 5 seconds from prompt to preview

User Acquisition

500+ users in first 3 months

Conversion Rate

15% trial-to-paid conversion

The Solution

A comprehensive SaaS platform powered by AI and modern web technologies

Technical Architecture

Frontend Technology

  • Vanilla JavaScript: Real-time form preview and AJAX functionality
  • CSS3 & Bootstrap: Responsive design and modern UI components
  • Progressive Enhancement: Works without JavaScript as fallback

Backend Architecture

  • PHP 8.1: Core application logic and API handling
  • MySQL: User accounts, form data, and analytics storage
  • OpenAI API: GPT-4 integration for intelligent form generation
  • Stripe API: Subscription billing and payment processing

Infrastructure

  • SSL Encryption: HTTPS for all data transmission
  • CDN Integration: Fast global content delivery
  • Database Optimization: Indexed queries and caching

Key Features Developed

🤖 AI Form Generation

Users describe their needs in plain English, and GPT-4 generates structured forms with appropriate field types, validation rules, and logical flow.

📊 Real-time Analytics

Track form submissions, conversion rates, device types, and user engagement with detailed analytics dashboard.

💳 Subscription Management

Stripe-powered billing system with multiple pricing tiers, automatic renewals, and usage tracking.

🔒 Data Security

End-to-end encryption, secure password hashing, and GDPR-compliant data handling with export capabilities.

Technical Deep Dive

Key code implementations and architectural decisions

OpenAI Integration


// AI Form Generation Logic
class FormAIGenerator {
    private $openai_api_key;
    private $client;

    public function __construct($api_key) {
        $this->openai_api_key = $api_key;
        $this->client = new GuzzleHttp\Client();
    }

    public function generateForm($prompt, $user_preferences = []) {
        $system_prompt = "You are a form builder assistant. Generate a JSON structure
                         for a form based on the user's description. Include field types,
                         validation rules, and logical grouping.";

        $response = $this->client->post('https://api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions', [
            'headers' => [
                'Authorization' => 'Bearer ' . $this->openai_api_key,
                'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
            ],
            'json' => [
                'model' => 'gpt-4',
                'messages' => [
                    ['role' => 'system', 'content' => $system_prompt],
                    ['role' => 'user', 'content' => $prompt]
                ],
                'max_tokens' => 1000,
                'temperature' => 0.7
            ]
        ]);

        return $this->processAIResponse($response->getBody());
    }

    private function processAIResponse($response_body) {
        $data = json_decode($response_body, true);
        $form_structure = json_decode($data['choices'][0]['message']['content'], true);

        // Validate and sanitize the AI-generated structure
        return $this->validateFormStructure($form_structure);
    }
}

Stripe Payment Integration


// Subscription Management
class SubscriptionManager {
    private $stripe;

    public function __construct() {
        \Stripe\Stripe::setApiKey(STRIPE_SECRET_KEY);
        $this->stripe = new \Stripe\StripeClient(STRIPE_SECRET_KEY);
    }

    public function createSubscription($customer_id, $price_id) {
        try {
            $subscription = $this->stripe->subscriptions->create([
                'customer' => $customer_id,
                'items' => [['price' => $price_id]],
                'payment_behavior' => 'default_incomplete',
                'payment_settings' => ['save_default_payment_method' => 'on_subscription'],
                'expand' => ['latest_invoice.payment_intent'],
            ]);

            return [
                'subscription_id' => $subscription->id,
                'client_secret' => $subscription->latest_invoice->payment_intent->client_secret,
                'status' => $subscription->status
            ];
        } catch (\Stripe\Exception\CardException $e) {
            return ['error' => $e->getError()->message];
        }
    }

    public function handleWebhook($payload, $sig_header) {
        $event = \Stripe\Webhook::constructEvent($payload, $sig_header, STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET);

        switch ($event['type']) {
            case 'invoice.payment_succeeded':
                $this->updateSubscriptionStatus($event['data']['object']);
                break;
            case 'customer.subscription.deleted':
                $this->cancelSubscription($event['data']['object']);
                break;
        }
    }
}

Real-time Form Preview


// Frontend JavaScript for live form generation
class FormPreview {
    constructor() {
        this.previewContainer = document.getElementById('form-preview');
        this.promptInput = document.getElementById('form-prompt');
        this.setupEventListeners();
    }

    setupEventListeners() {
        document.getElementById('generate-btn').addEventListener('click', () => {
            this.generateForm();
        });

        this.promptInput.addEventListener('input', () => {
            this.debounceGeneration();
        });
    }

    async generateForm() {
        const prompt = this.promptInput.value.trim();
        if (!prompt) return;

        this.showLoading();

        try {
            const response = await fetch('/api/generate-form', {
                method: 'POST',
                headers: {
                    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
                    'X-CSRF-Token': document.querySelector('meta[name="csrf-token"]').content
                },
                body: JSON.stringify({ prompt: prompt })
            });

            const result = await response.json();

            if (result.success) {
                this.renderForm(result.form_structure);
                this.trackGeneration(prompt, result.form_id);
            } else {
                this.showError(result.error);
            }
        } catch (error) {
            this.showError('Failed to generate form. Please try again.');
        }
    }

    renderForm(formStructure) {
        let html = '
'; formStructure.fields.forEach(field => { html += this.renderField(field); }); html += '
'; this.previewContainer.innerHTML = html; } }

Results & Impact

Measurable outcomes and business impact

500+

Active Users

2.3s

Avg. Generation Time

15%

Trial Conversion Rate

99.9%

Uptime

"Formly.Pro saved me hours of work. I just described what I needed, and it created a perfect client intake form in seconds. The AI really understands what makes a good form."
— Sarah M., Digital Marketing Agency Owner

Lessons Learned

  • AI Prompt Engineering: Crafting effective system prompts was crucial for consistent, high-quality form generation
  • User Onboarding: Providing example prompts significantly improved first-time user success rates
  • Performance Optimization: Caching AI responses for similar prompts reduced costs and improved speed
  • Payment Flow: Simplifying the subscription process increased conversion by 40%

Ready to Build Your SaaS Platform?

Let's discuss how I can help you create a cutting-edge SaaS application with AI integration, payment processing, and scalable architecture.

Skills Demonstrated

Technical and business skills showcased in this project

Technical Skills

  • AI/ML Integration (OpenAI GPT-4)
  • Payment Processing (Stripe API)
  • Full-Stack PHP Development
  • Database Design & Optimization
  • RESTful API Development
  • Real-time JavaScript Applications
  • Security Implementation (HTTPS, Encryption)
  • Performance Optimization

Business Skills

  • SaaS Business Model Development
  • User Experience Design
  • Market Research & Validation
  • Subscription Pricing Strategy
  • Customer Onboarding
  • Analytics & KPI Tracking
  • GDPR Compliance
  • Product Launch Strategy

Problem Solving

  • AI Prompt Engineering
  • Complex System Architecture
  • Performance Bottleneck Resolution
  • Payment Integration Challenges
  • User Feedback Implementation
  • Scalability Planning
  • Error Handling & Recovery
  • Cross-browser Compatibility

Technical Specifications

Detailed technical implementation and architecture

Development Stack

Backend Technologies

  • PHP 8.1: Core application with OOP principles
  • MySQL 8.0: Relational database with optimized queries
  • Composer: Dependency management
  • Guzzle HTTP: API client for external services

Frontend Technologies

  • Vanilla JavaScript: No framework dependencies
  • CSS3 & SASS: Modern styling with variables
  • Bootstrap 5: Responsive grid system
  • Progressive Enhancement: Works without JS

Third-party Integrations

  • OpenAI API: GPT-4 for form generation
  • Stripe API: Payment processing & subscriptions
  • SendGrid: Transactional email delivery
  • Cloudflare: CDN and DDoS protection

Performance Metrics

Load Times

Initial Page Load 1.2s
AI Form Generation 2.3s
Database Queries 0.8s

Security Features

  • ✅ SSL/TLS Encryption (HTTPS)
  • ✅ Password Hashing (bcrypt)
  • ✅ CSRF Protection
  • ✅ SQL Injection Prevention
  • ✅ Rate Limiting
  • ✅ Data Validation & Sanitization
  • ✅ GDPR Compliance

Future Enhancements

  • Advanced form logic and conditional fields
  • Integration with popular CRM systems
  • Multi-language support
  • Advanced analytics dashboard
  • White-label solutions
  • Mobile app development