How To Use Airtable: Your Beginner Guide

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By Madelyne

With Airtable, you can manage almost any task list or project. You can use it to keep track of your activities and collaborate on projects with others.

The versatile online application is used for a wide range of tasks. A database management and collaboration platform that makes it simple to build and manage databases, monitor and organize data, and work together on projects. 

From basic to-do lists to large, multi-team projects, Airtable can handle it all. Use Airtable to build unique programs for your company or group.

Airtable Basic Terms- Things You Know Before Starting

Airtable

Starting at the top, you’ll find a menu bar with Bases, Templates, Marketplace, and Universe:

  • Bases: A “base” is what Airtable calls a spreadsheet. No matter what you want to make in Airtable, you will do it in a “base.” If you click on Bases or the Airtable badge, you can always go back to your working area and see your bases. 
  • Templates: Don’t know how to get started? You can use any of the designs in Airtable’s library. There are options for setting up a blog plan, launching a product, making a movie, and just about anything else you can think of.
  • Market: Do you need a little more from your base? The store is full of apps, connections, and other tools that can please even the pickiest power user.
  • Universe: Here, people like you will share their ideas and templates. You can find ways to work together, templates made for your specific use case, and more.

How to Sign Up for Airtable

Airtable is a computer system that is easy to use and can be used for many things, like keeping track of projects and handling supplies. Creating an account is quick and easy, and it only takes a few steps.

First, go to the “Sign Up” button on the Airtable dashboard. You’ll be asked to give your email address and make a password. After you do that, you’ll be taken to the homepage for your account.

The next step is to make a new base. A base is like a project file; it’s where you’ll keep all of your info. Click the “Create a new base” button to do this.

You can start from scratch or use a design that Airtable gives you. If you don’t know where to begin, you can use one of the examples. If not, choose “Blank base” by clicking on it.

Name and describe your base, and then click the “Create” button. You can now start adding information to your database.

How to Add Tables to Airtable and Change Them

Airtable is a powerful online tool that makes it easy to make and handle data tables. Airtable is a great way to keep track of your work because you can use it to store data from any job or task. It’s easy to add and change tables in Airtable. 

Here’s what you need to do:

To add a table to your Airtable account, do the following:

  • Click the “+” button in the top left area of the screen. This brings up the “Add a new table” box.
  • Put a name for your table in the “Table name” box.
  • Click “Create table” to make a table.

To change a table that already exists in Airtable:

  • Click on the table’s name in the window on the left. The table will open in the main part of the screen. 
  • Click on the name of the airtable field types you want to change and make your changes. 

To add a new field:

  • Click the “+ Add a field” button at the top of the screen. 

To delete a field:

  • Move your mouse over its name and click the trash can button that appears.
  • Click the “Save” button at the top of the screen when you’re done making changes.

The Different Views in Airtable

Airtable has seven different table views. You can find details of each View type below:

Timeline View

A “Timeline” view in Airtable shows a group of records in the table along a timeline, with a bar for airtable user groups. When each Record has a date, and Records can be put together, the “Timeline” is useful.

Form View

With Airtable’s “Form” view, a user can fill out a form instead of a worksheet to add information. You can share a “Form” view with a share link or add it to a current webpage. 

You can add context to the form and change the way it looks to make sure the right information is entered, on top of the checking that Airtable already does while the information is being entered.

Grid View

A single row shows each Record. The “Grid” view is the default view, and airtable spreadsheet users will be most used to it. You can have more than one “Grid” view for a single Table. Each “Grid” view filters or shows only a subset of the Table’s Records.

Gantt View

A “Gantt” view in Airtable shows the records in the table as a “Gantt chart,” which looks like a “timeline.” Each Record is shown as a “bar” on the “Gantt chart.” 

The “Gantt” view can be helpful for showing both time and length on each Record, such as when planning a project or measuring the length of a deal cycle. In a “Gantt” view, unlike in a “Timeline” view, there is no way to group records.

Kanban View

Airtable kanban template view, each Record in the table is shown as a card, and each card represents a record in the table. The “Kanban” view is useful for things like arranging projects. Records can be grouped by a “Single Select” or “User” Field from the same Table.

Calendar View

The “Calendar” view shows the records in the table as a calendar. Each Record is shown on the calendar by a date field. The “Calendar” view can be helpful for showing things like closing dates or project goals in a visual way that is easy to understand. You can share a “Calendar” view by using a “share” link or by embedding it on a page.

In Airtable, the “Gallery” view shows the Records in the table like a picture album. Each Record is shown as a small image with some information about it. The “Gallery” view can be helpful for showing information about the Records in the table in a visually appealing way, especially when pictures are an important part of the data. 

You can send a link to a “Gallery” view to someone else or put it in a blog.

What Is Airtable Used For?

To keep track of your personal and professional obligations, as well as your hobbies and interests. If there is a large amount of data, this tool will likely be useful.

There is a wide range of potential applications, but if you’re having trouble getting started, you may choose from a number of pre-made or user-created templates on their website. 

Some examples are as follows:

Preparation and Checklists

Airtable is perfect for planning home or business projects or managing routine task lists. Using Airtable to make to-do lists and add reminders is simple yet useful.

Customer Relationship Management

Airtable can also be used as a CRM application for managing customer data and interactions. A sample CRM is one of the most used community templates in the Airtable Universe.

For Event Planning:

Planning gatherings like meetings and seminars is a breeze using Airtable events. You can keep track of who is coming, make a reservation for guests, and handle other tasks.

Airtable’s Prices: Is it worth it?

After we’ve covered all the major capabilities, it’s time to look at the cost. Teams who produce work for customers, like advertising companies or graphic design studios, would benefit most from using Airtable.

The free basic plan gives you 2GB of storage, while the paid plans give you more room and benefits. Among the expensive plans are:

  • The Pro plan costs $12 per month or $120 per year and gives you 10GB of storage.
  • The business plan costs $24 per month or $240 per year and comes with 50GB of storage.
  • Enterprise plan: Prices are made to order, and it has more than 500GB of storage

Try It out; if you find it isn’t working for you but you still need to manage a lot of data, there are plenty of alternatives out there.

Wrapping Up:

Airtable is a unique, powerful, and useful tool for getting work done. It helps you keep track of all the information you need and organize, view, and use it in the way you want. 

And you can combine it with other tools to make a personal routine for getting things done that works well for you.

FAQs

Is airtable any good for small companies?

Airtable is a great option for companies of any size. Teams can easily manage and work on a wide variety of data, projects, and activities because of its intuitive interface, adaptability, and customization possibilities.

Is Airtable safe to use?

Airtable is secure enough for the majority of users and use scenarios. Two-factor authentication, data encryption, and access controls are just some of the security features available in Airtable.