By default, Airtable is a relational database software. That's an important place to start, given that this post will be going into detail on Airtable Forms. Let's temper our excitement from the start - Airtable's purpose was never to create the most robust "form software" for the modern era. That said, they did include form functionality and the forms have some pretty cool use-cases.

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Confession time...

For several months, our development team has been developing in a system other than Airtable **gasp**!

This might come as a shock, since we've built a name for our firm as Airtable Experts. But, as is true with all software - sometimes you need additional functionality. As I tell all my clients, Airtable is fantastic, but it has its limitations (what doesn't?)

So, we...

Last week, I showed the power of using Conditional Form Logic - the end result is a form that adjusts as it is answered. Different questions become available based on inputs as they are received. As you might imagine, building automation for this type of form is more advanced, giving us the perfect excuse to explore Zapier's Paths.

Before we get too far, I would be remiss not to mention...

There are two common ways to get data into a database. You can either:

1. Import a dataset in bulk
2. Bring in data one with each new record submitted

For the most part, I recommend the first option, bulk imports, only when first setting up a database. Ideally, once the base is established, it makes the most sense to bring new records in automatically (saving you the need to import data...

A lot of people have asked me how I learned to write Airtable formulas. I wish there was a silver bullet solution, but the truth is that formulas are one of the more complicated parts of any software. However, that's no reason for despair. In this vlog I put together three tips for understanding the syntax of Airtable formulas... let's jump in!

The first tip is that a formula in Airtable...

As you transition to Airtable, there's a great chance that you'll need to first import data from your previous or current system. In many cases, this can sound quite cumbersome, but Airtable has actually created a simple process by which to do this.

One thing that should be added to this is the need to get accurate date/time stamps of the creation of your data. Already available to you,...

Gantt Charts are a commonly used tool in project management, so it’s no surprise that Airtable recently added these as an option as a Block. (Blocks are one of those ‘pro’ subscription features and they allow you to visualize your data in customizable ways.)

As is true with most blocks, you must first tell Airtable in which table and view your underlying...

When building automation to support your Airtable databases, you’ll likely encounter the need to FIND A RECORD in Airtable. This is one of the action steps that Zapier makes available with the Airtable integration. Finding a record is commonly used in situations when you need to update a record (you have to locate it before you can update it) or when you need to link one record to...

Most ‘out-of-the-box’ CRM solutions have the ability to take notes in relation to projects, opportunities, or clients. We can build this functionality in Airtable as well, but it’s an area where I see a lot of clients potentially ‘misusing’ the software. Does this apply to you?

At first glance, the ‘Long Text’ field type seems like the perfect fit for...

Recently, one of our coaching clients asked about building a multi-step approval process inside of Airtable. While there are several ways that someone could go about building this, they all rely on the same two building blocks. In brief, you’ll want to include a table to track the Process and then connect that to the Approvals. Once you’ve linked these two tables,...