- The Airtable building blocks
- How to set up your first base
- Why field types matter
- Linking tables: the feature that makes Airtable worth it
- The catch: the Free plan's record limit
- Views that save time
- Automations and forms
- Good first uses for Airtable
- Keeping your base tidy as it grows
- Sharing your base
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To use Airtable, create a base for a project, add a table for each kind of thing you track, and set a field type for each column, such as single select, date or attachment. Add records as rows, link related tables together, and use views like Kanban or calendar to work with them.
Airtable looks like a spreadsheet, and that's both its strength and the reason people use it wrongly. It's really a simple database: each column has a fixed type, tables link to each other, and the same data can be shown as a grid, a board, a calendar or a form. Use it like a database and it's brilliant. Use it like a spreadsheet and you'll wonder why it's fussier than Google Sheets.
The Airtable building blocks
| Piece | What it holds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Base | A whole project or system | Content planner |
| Table | One kind of thing you track | Articles, Authors, Campaigns |
| Field | A column with a fixed type | Status (single select), Publish date (date) |
| Record | One row | One article |
| View | A saved way of looking at a table | Kanban by status, calendar by date |
How to set up your first base
- Click Create and start a base from scratch, from a template, or by importing a spreadsheet.
- Rename the first table after the main thing you'll track, such as Clients or Articles.
- For each column, click the field name and choose the right field type: single select for status, date for deadlines, attachment for files, checkbox for done.
- Add a few records to test it.
- Add a second table for something related, such as Contacts.
- Use a Link to another record field to connect the two tables.
- Create views: a Kanban grouped by status, a calendar by date, a filtered grid for this week.
Why field types matter
In a spreadsheet, any cell can hold anything. In Airtable, a date field only takes dates and a single select only takes the options you set. That feels strict at first, but it's what makes filtering, grouping and calendar views work. If you import a spreadsheet, check every field type afterwards, because Airtable sometimes guesses text where you wanted a date.
Linking tables: the feature that makes Airtable worth it
Instead of typing a client's name into every project row, keep clients in their own table and link each project to its client record. Change the client's details once and every linked project shows the update. You can then pull in information from the linked record with lookup fields, or count linked records with a rollup field, without copying anything.
The catch: the Free plan's record limit
Airtable's Free plan allows 1,000 records per base, and the limit counts every record in every table of that base, added together. A base with a Clients table and a Projects table shares one 1,000-record allowance. When you go over, you can still read your records but can't add new ones until you delete some or upgrade. Archiving doesn't help, because Airtable counts archived records too.
Other Free plan limits are worth knowing:
- 1 GB of attachment storage per base.
- 2 weeks of revision and snapshot history.
- 75 automations per base.
- Airtable branding stays on forms.
Views that save time
- Grid for editing lots of records quickly.
- Kanban to drag work between stages.
- Calendar for anything with a date.
- Gallery for records with images, like products or portfolio pieces.
- Form to let people add records without seeing the base.
Each view keeps its own filters, sorting and hidden fields, so you can have a 'This week' view and an 'Everything' view of the same table.
Automations and forms
Automations follow a trigger and an action: when a record matches a condition, send an email, update a field or create a record elsewhere. A good first one is a notification when a form submission arrives. Forms are built from a table's fields, so anything someone submits lands as a tidy, correctly typed record.
Good first uses for Airtable
- A content calendar with articles linked to authors and campaigns.
- A simple client tracker with projects linked to each client.
- An event or podcast guest planner.
- A product or resource library shown in gallery view.
Keeping your base tidy as it grows
Bases get messy when every new idea becomes a new field. Before adding one, ask whether the information belongs on this table or on a linked one, and whether anyone will filter or sort by it. Hide fields you rarely need in each view rather than deleting them. And give the base a short description on its first table, so anyone you invite understands what each table is for without asking you.
Sharing your base
Invite collaborators to the whole base, or share a single view as a read-only link when someone only needs to see part of it, such as a client checking the status of their projects. A shared view shows only the fields and records in that view, so build a dedicated, filtered view for each audience before sharing. Forms are the other safe way in: people can add records without seeing anything else.
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My verdict
Use Airtable as a database, not a spreadsheet: one table per kind of thing, the right field type on every column, and links between tables instead of retyping. Then build views for the way each person works. Watch the Free plan's 1,000-record limit, which is shared across the whole base and isn't freed by archiving. For automating the jobs around your base, see workflow automation tools.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Airtable and a spreadsheet?
Airtable fields have fixed types and tables can link to each other, more like a database.
How many records does Airtable's Free plan allow?
1,000 records per base, counted across all its tables.
Does archiving free up Airtable records?
No. Archived records still count towards the limit.
How do I connect two tables in Airtable?
Add a Link to another record field and choose the other table.
Can I import a spreadsheet into Airtable?
Yes. Create a base by importing it, then check each field type.
How many automations does the Free plan allow?
Up to 75 automations per base.
