So happy that someone finally filled the void left by Dabble DB.
One of the features I found most useful there, but can’t seem to do in Airtable, is linking to entries in another Base. Often, one will have multiple bases which handle distinct aspects of a business or project, but in which one piece of data overlaps.
Example: A political campaign may want Bases for contacting voters, managing events, and recording donations. Those are distinct domains which need their own Bases, but which could benefit from linking parts of them together. For example, it would be great to link donations to the event they occurred at, or voters to donations, or record who attended each event.
In Airtable at present one has to either cram all of those bases into one, or foregoe the linkage which makes this software so great. It may seem like a small thing, but once you can link bases, the sky is really the limit.
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It is one of the first features I am struggling with. Can anyone give me a few idea where I can invite someone outside my company to have access to a base where I am only sharing one table ? That they can see and edit. I also need to hide fields from them. This is why I thought I could share specific data from one base to another.
Unfortunately, and very frustratingly for 5 years now, you can’t do that. It’s all or nothing. If you allow someone to be able to edit one table, they will be able to:
view ALL tables in that base
view ALL fields
view ALL views
You can restrict if they can edit specific fields by using field edit permissions.
So weird that Airtable is just silent on this. Just hope Microsoft Lists is a good alternative when it launches, because I’m getting the heck outta here
Hi guys,
Airtable is really a great product, my congratulations. The perceived weakest point of Airtable is blocks connection. I don’t know if it’s a strategy decision or just a technical matter you would solve later. In the meanwhile I though a simple shortcut.i In this case the problem is mainly customer perception, since you could put all the tables in a base. Therefore, if you could just add a tag field associated to each table, so you could group by the tables and see the table in multiple “sub-bases”.
Just an example, you are designing your startup organization tool on airtable. You would have a “sub-base” for accounting, for hr, operations, communication and so on, you could use a same table (as contancts) for many sub-bases, or still make a complete summary report.
Thanks,
Luigi
Hey! I am throwing my support in here for linking between bases. I am new to Airtable but not to social media or digital asset managers. I am using Airtable to manage the social media assets and calendars of a non-profit that I am working with. I am using two bases - the Digital Asset Manager and the Social Media Calendar. Both of which are base templates that were provided by Airtable and SHOULD work together seamlessly. I should be able to look in the DAM and see all the times that asset was used on the social media calendar. I should be able to write a post in the SMC and have it pull in an asset that exists in the DAM.
I’m incredibly disappointed that I can’t do this. I know there are lots of use cases for Airtable but honestly, for these two bases in particular, this is basic, essential functionality. Not being able to do this is cutting the usefulness of this tool in half, at least. It’s also doubling my work because I have to upload an asset in two different places.
Please consider implementing this at your earliest convenience.
A super important feature tbh.
I echo the sentiments expressed by all from 2015 to date. Looking forward to this feature release
I was thinking of using more of Airtable. But finding an easier way of linking between databases in Notion. So I am thinking of upgrading my notion membership since it does linking between bases. Was able to create separate databases for people, projects, tasks & meetings. And link between them to create dashboards and linked records. Feel like Notion has a better flexibility but Airtable is more user friendly but missing important features.
Notion costs $4 instead of $10. So that potentially is some money saved. Weighing the pro’s and con’s in my head. Might actually start using Notion instead of Airtable.
I was thinking of using more of Airtable. But finding an easier way of linking between databases in Notion. So I am thinking of upgrading my notion membership since it does linking between bases. Was able to create separate databases for people, projects, tasks & meetings. And link between them to create dashboards and linked records. Feel like Notion has a better flexibility but Airtable is more user friendly but missing important features.
Notion costs $4 instead of $10. So that potentially is some money saved. Weighing the pro’s and con’s in my head. Might actually start using Notion instead of Airtable.
Thank you, will look into Notion too. This is too critical to be missing from Airtable.
It is disappointing that in 5 years asking them for a function and they have never integrated it. I’m leaving here to check Coda and Fibery :roll_eyes:
Did they solve for this? :crossed_fingers:t3:
My guess is that this probably IS a bit closer to “rocket science” within the database world, since they would likely need to re-architecture the entire technical foundation that their entire product was founded on to make this change.
This sort of a massive change touches EVERYTHING in the entire product — from security to sharing bases to workspace management to formula fields to user-friendliness — everything. There’s almost nothing in the product that this sort of change WOULDN’T touch.
Now I’m not saying that it wouldn’t be useful to have in the product — and maybe they’re already working on it — but it’s probably akin to the world’s largest technical challenge for them.
Probably an easier direction for them to go in first would be for them to enable us to “hide tables” within bases, so we could hide tables from certain users that shouldn’t have access to those tables.
It sort of reminds me of the early FileMaker days, which actually had the reverse problem for 19 years:
For 19 years, from 1985 to 2004, FileMaker could only link between 2 external bases, because you could only have one table per base. There was no way to add a 2nd table to a base, because your base WAS the table. One base = one table. So you would end up having solutions with 15 or 20 bases (or more!) just to build a system. When they finally updated the product in 2004 to allow this, it was a massive change to the architecture of the entire product — their entire product had to be rewritten from scratch, and then they had the extra challenge of figuring out a way to migrate old data into the new product. And of course, the file format had to change and everything. So it took them 19 years to figure it out, and they were a massive company owned by Apple!
So, I think that if the Airtable employees feel like this is an important feature, they’re probably working on it. Although I think that there are tons of other massive & more important features that should come first, which are more in the realm of “low-hanging fruit” (in my opinion). And if they would simply give us the ability to “hide tables based on certain criteria”, that could go a long way towards tiding us over on this particular issue of multiple bases.
Hey @Andrew, you mentioned in Jan '16 this was on your roadmap.
Giving you (co-founder of the company) the benefit of the doubt … that this would take rocket science (per ScottWorld above) and a complete re-work of the product … how about NOT taking that approach?
Just go build (or buy) a super simple “sync” solution … roll it up with your product … put the “feature” at the paid tier and let’s try something. Your customers are not necessarily saying “I want it instantaneous, I want it bullet proof, I want it 2-way, etc.” Consider channeling your inner “mvp” mentality from way back in 2012 and try something simple.
Also, @Howie, I hope you can back him up … I’m sure your thinking around we’re a “design-driven company” focused on “elegance” has evolved a bit since 2016 … I suspect we’re going to look back on 2020/COVID/no-code with some perspective - and I’m hoping Airtable can be a part of that.
Cheers.
This feature is definitely on our roadmap. Unfortunately it’s a pretty big undertaking for technical reasons, and we haven’t had the chance to tackle it yet. We hear and appreciate your feedback on this though, apologies for not acknowledging it earlier.
How can’t it be there 4 years later?
The feature would be a game-changer. Currently only I (the CEO) use airtable and would love to use it with my whole org, but this is a breaking point.
The best alternatives for mobile Airtable with link to another base are Zenkit, Notion and Ninox. Coda, Fibery, Appsheet and knack is not a good alternative because they are not editable by the smartphone. If you need software that can be edited by the computer, the best alternatives are: see Forrester Wave. I recommend Caspio for being unlimited users. But I am still waiting for this feature in Airtable. Every month I return here in the community to see if it has already been implemented.
Hello Airtable community,
This feature of Airtable being able to have linked field to another base (even on another workspace) is really a missing functionality today.
In my case, I use Airtable for project management in companies.
There is a PMO base to supervise projects, there is a project base with tasks.
Both need a person table to assign projects and tasks.
Unfortunately I have to duplicate persons info in every base. This is also prevent me of making a single project base with standard structure but specialized for on project. Today, the tasks base have 29 table for 29 projects and one person table for assignation. That means also 29+ dashboards with Gantt charts, etc.
Effectively, after 5 years, this feature is still missing.
Thanks for making external link happen.
Regards
Please Airtable… Add this functionality!
+1 Following
Same reason that has already been specified, have multiple bases for different teams and need to pull pieces from each into one base view
Hi folks! I wanted to share here that we just launched the ability to sync records automatically from one base to another with Airtable Sync. You can learn more about this brand new feature here: Announcing the Airtable Platform.
Hi folks! I wanted to share here that we just launched the ability to sync records automatically from one base to another with Airtable Sync. You can learn more about this brand new feature here: Announcing the Airtable Platform.
Hey folks, now that Airtable Sync is rolled out to all users, we wanted to elaborate a bit on how sync allows you to implement a version of cross-base linking.
It works by allowing you to pull data from a shared view in another base into a ‘Synced Table’ in your own base. You can then link to the record in the synced table to approximate cross-base linking. Having the synced table appear in your base makes it easy for other collaborators in your base to discover tables they can link to. This model also simplifies permissions - on the source view, you can use all the sharing restrictions you’re used to, and on the destination base all your existing base permissions apply.
One of the nice features of foreign key columns is be the ability to quickly pull up the linked record to view additional fields or make changes. The new ‘Open Source Record’ button action is intended to be a workaround for that action.
We’re all really excited to finally share this new feature with you and address one of our oldest requests. We’d like to thank you for continuing to share your feedback and keeping this top of mind for us.
Hey folks, now that Airtable Sync is rolled out to all users, we wanted to elaborate a bit on how sync allows you to implement a version of cross-base linking.
It works by allowing you to pull data from a shared view in another base into a ‘Synced Table’ in your own base. You can then link to the record in the synced table to approximate cross-base linking. Having the synced table appear in your base makes it easy for other collaborators in your base to discover tables they can link to. This model also simplifies permissions - on the source view, you can use all the sharing restrictions you’re used to, and on the destination base all your existing base permissions apply.
One of the nice features of foreign key columns is be the ability to quickly pull up the linked record to view additional fields or make changes. The new ‘Open Source Record’ button action is intended to be a workaround for that action.
We’re all really excited to finally share this new feature with you and address one of our oldest requests. We’d like to thank you for continuing to share your feedback and keeping this top of mind for us.
Love the new Airtable Sync. One issue I ran into though was the ability to add linked records from the add linked record popup back to the source base. I understand it probably creates some permission issues but even if you can just input the restricted synced fields it would be perfect.
My current workaround is using the embed app and a form from the source table to add. However that doesn’t help when using the IOS App since don’t have access to the Airtable Apps from there. The IOS has a “create new record” option on the linked record, but when clicked it throws an error.
Love the new Airtable Sync. One issue I ran into though was the ability to add linked records from the add linked record popup back to the source base. I understand it probably creates some permission issues but even if you can just input the restricted synced fields it would be perfect.
My current workaround is using the embed app and a form from the source table to add. However that doesn’t help when using the IOS App since don’t have access to the Airtable Apps from there. The IOS has a “create new record” option on the linked record, but when clicked it throws an error.
Also, ran into this.
Need sync all related bases, too for going across multiple synced tables.
Also, Lookups still return text without record opening capacity (would love coloring, too so we don’t need multi/single selects when related records are better).
Finally! After several years being the top topic of all time. Investors stay tuned; Airtable will have exponential growth from now on. Congratulations to the entire team!!!
I am incredibly disappointed that after years of waiting (4) for this feature to find out that it is crippled to the point of uselessness for our (expensive) plan level (Pro). The one table per base limit means that without hacking around a lot, there’s very little we can do with it. The greatest thing about Airtable is that it makes developing relational databases something anybody can do. By limiting customers to 1 synced table per base you’re also hurting your customers ability to use Airtable to do what it does best.
I am incredibly disappointed that after years of waiting (4) for this feature to find out that it is crippled to the point of uselessness for our (expensive) plan level (Pro). The one table per base limit means that without hacking around a lot, there’s very little we can do with it. The greatest thing about Airtable is that it makes developing relational databases something anybody can do. By limiting customers to 1 synced table per base you’re also hurting your customers ability to use Airtable to do what it does best.
Airtable will dies pretty soon if you do not listen to your customer’s needs. This is the most wanted feature and no, it’s really not that hard. Set a hierarchy where dbase if the upper level for lockup. It’s not brain surgery. Also, you will not survive unless you bring down your pricing. It’s currently ridiculously expensive compared to other tools. For NGOs for example, we get 10 full users on salesforce. but expected to be hundreds per month with airtable for way less features.
Airtable will dies pretty soon if you do not listen to your customer’s needs. This is the most wanted feature and no, it’s really not that hard. Set a hierarchy where dbase if the upper level for lockup. It’s not brain surgery. Also, you will not survive unless you bring down your pricing. It’s currently ridiculously expensive compared to other tools. For NGOs for example, we get 10 full users on salesforce. but expected to be hundreds per month with airtable for way less features.
Hi Mims, and welcome wback] to the community!
Indeed! And since you haven’t posted for a whole year, you must have either been REALLY thrilled with Airtable’s development progress over the past 52 weeks, or you really don’t care that much. Please share with the community which it is.
I use ElasticSearch to monitor almost every detail and nuance in this community. My approach has some elements of data science and even AI to help me understand what’s resonating and what’s being missed. I use this approach to monitor many communities where I invest my time and skills for profit. Harvesting sentiment from communities helps me get a sense of the pulse of customers.
Whether you perceive this feature is easy or difficult to implement is wholly irrelevant. However, I can assure you that linking or synching data between bases is not the number one feature that customers are demanding.
I agree; it’s a bit pricey. But, it’s also a bit easier to use (than Salesforce, Coda, Lists, Honeycode, Tables, and many others). Airtable is priced as a premium product because it has premium strengths in the eyes of no-code solution creators - specifically the UI/UX which is considered by almost every analyst and tech-journalists among the best in the industry.
If that’s true, why are you concerned with using Airtable in its place or comparing it to Salesforce at all? Please share with the community why you believe these are comparable tools that should be rated side-by-side.
hi
your reply is appreciated. We do use salesforce FYI and for that very reason. This feature has to be high up on the list, maybe not number one…apologies if I got the hierarchy wrong. I don’t have AI here. Pricing wise, you know you are expensive. It’s a fab solution, don’t get me wrong. I was making a comment about a specific VERY IMPORTANT feature to many people (clearly). Thank you for your feedback. It give me (even without all the community tools you have) and insight into how airtable really cherishes it’s users.
