Claris’s Vision for What’s Next for FileMaker
Today, Claris CEO Ryan McCann shared a detailed look at where the Claris platform is headed. The core message: AI has changed how code gets written, but it hasn’t changed what business software actually needs to do.
The bigger message, in our opinion, comes later in the announcement: Claris is pivoting its focus to ensure the Claris community can use the full power of AI-assisted coding for FileMaker development.
You’ve likely seen how full-stack prototypes that once took weeks now take minutes. FileMaker’s position as a rapid application development platform is under direct pressure from this capability.
However, as Ryan wrote, generating an application prototype and running one for a real business are two very different problems. AI can help prototype quickly, but a business-critical application needs a database, user authentication, role-based permissions, audit logging, data and code backup and recovery, and reliable deployment across platforms on infrastructure an organization actually controls.
FileMaker already solves these problems. And now Claris is building on that foundation by opening FileMaker to agentic coding tools like Claude Code and Cursor, so that we, as developers (and our clients), can retain the “rapid application development platform” advantage.
In practical terms, that means we can describe what we need in natural language, and an AI agent will write scripts, schema changes, and web-native interfaces directly into our FileMaker solutions. The first developer previews of this functionality are expected later this summer.
This Is What We’ve Been Building Toward
Mislav Kos, our Claris Practice Director of Engineering, has been pushing this conversation forward within the FileMaker community for some time. His August 2025 webinar on automated FileMaker deployments and continuous integration drew hundreds of live attendees and has been watched by hundreds more since. (We’ve seen the expansion of SaXML and the patch tool as a necessary precursor to full AI-assisted coding in FileMaker.)
Mislav’s open-source contributions, including fm-saxml-delivery and contributions to fm-xml-export-exploder, reflect a long-standing commitment to building in the open and sharing what we learn.
As an employee-owned firm, every member of our team is personally invested in the future of not just our company but the whole FileMaker ecosystem. A rising tide lifts all boats — and Claris embracing AI-assisted coding should be a boon to us all.
What This Means for Our Clients
Claris made something clear today: writing code is no longer the hard part. As AI tools make it easier to generate code, the organizations that will move fastest are the ones with a trusted partner who understands their data, their workflows, and the right problems to solve. That’s a role we’ve been playing for a long time.
Our focus has always been on serving as trusted advisors to our clients. AI-assisted coding just means we’ll be able to deliver on more of our clients’ goals for the same investment.
As FileMaker 2026 and the first agentic development previews move closer, our team is ready to help clients make the most of every new capability. We’ll be sharing more soon, including deeper looks at our GenAI project work and practical resources for developers ready to start building with AI tools today.
Our AI Expertise Is Earned, Not Claimed
Our team completed more than 10 Rapid GenAI projects in collaboration with AWS over the past year. Through this effort, we worked with clients to identify and prototype high-ROI AI workflows and solutions that address real operational problems. These projects included:
- Scheduling agents that automatically handle last-minute scheduling adjustments without manual intervention
- A fine-tuned AI pricing agent that leverages AWS data services to recommend accurate product pricing by analyzing historical data, product attributes, customer history, and scaling logic
- A contract analysis agent that answers natural language queries about contracts by semantically searching, analyzing, and summarizing documents ingested from a shared file store
Beyond those dedicated GenAI projects, AI is woven into how our entire team works. Our developers across FileMaker, Salesforce, and cloud practices actively use AI tools in their day-to-day work and build AI capabilities directly into client solutions. This isn’t a specialty practice or a separate team. It’s just how we build now.
Start Your FileMaker + AI Journey
Whether you’re a FileMaker developer curious about agentic tools or a business owner wondering what AI could actually do for your operations, we’re here to help you figure out the right next step.
Our team can help you:
- Identify where AI can have the most meaningful impact in your existing FileMaker solution
- Prototype and build AI-powered workflows tailored to your business
- Prepare your environment for the agentic development capabilities Claris has coming this summer
- Get your team up to speed so you’re ready to move when the tools arrive
You don’t need to have it all figured out to get started. That’s what we’re here for. Talk to a consultant with experience in both FileMaker and AI.
