Airtable Prefill Form Link Generator

Lol, this actually looks like a fun tool and useful tool.

For multiple reasons (see this other Article) I usually rely on Fillout forms ratehr than Airtable native forms when I need some pre-filling, conditional logic, better visuals, smarter integrations, etc.

It’s time for Airtable to release some additional features for their forms!

Having said that, it does seem like a fun tool. Thanks for sharing!

Mike, Consultant @ Automatic Nation

This tool is quite cool! I had written a similar article on how to do this directly in Airtable.

As Mike mentioned, prefilled forms do have a lot of limitations. But they’re still a good option if using a third-party tool isn’t possible due to company restrictions or other issues.

Taha, Airtable Adivisor

​@kuovonne created the Prefilled Forms extension for Airtable, which makes it very easy to create a prefill link in Airtable.

However, instead of creating prefilled links, I would recommend using Fillout’s advanced forms for Airtable, because no prefilled links are required.

Fillout is 100% free, and it offers hundreds of features that Airtable’s native forms don’t offer, including the ability to update Airtable records using a form, display Airtable lookup fields on forms, add new linked records to forms, create PDF files from a form, and so much more.

I do not typically recommend using prefilled links, because Airtable’s prefilled links come with serious downsides that you will want to be aware of:

1. You will have to continually send out updated prefilled links to your users that always contain the newest data. If the user accidentally clicks on an outdated link, they will be taken to old data in the form. So they would never be able to re-use a link or bookmark a link as an “Update My Account Profile” link.
2. Airtable’s prefilled links do not work with all field types… particularly attachment fields or lengthy long text fields that exceed URL limits.
3. If you need the data to remain private or secure, Airtable’s prefilled links reveal all the data within the link. With Fillout’s links, you get one simple, non-changing link per user that doesn’t reveal any data, and you can even add multiple different layers of security to the form if necessary, including SSO login or email login.
4. Airtable’s prefilled links still won’t update old records… they always create new records, and then you will need to write an automation that handles the overwriting of the old data.
5. You lose all the advanced features of Fillout’s forms.

I show how to use a few of the advanced features of Fillout on these 2 Airtable podcast episodes:

• Using Fillout to create an eSignature approval process with PDF file creation.
• Using Fillout to create an order entry form with line items.

Hope this helps! If you’d like to hire the best Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld