Generating Forms as output (or exporting custom reports)?

[Heather_Hale]

Relative Airtable Rookie (Well, maybe a Sophomore) here…

So forgive me if this is obvious or somewhere - but I sure have looked and haven’t been able to find it!

I know you can use Airtable forms for other people to input info directly into your spreadsheets.
Cool.
Got it.

But I need the opposite.

What if I have all the info, but I want to generate a report or a form to distribute that? (And make it look nice?)

Case Study: I produce a television talk show and I want to generate several different “forms” or reports.

Examples: a research dossier for the hosts to prepare for their on camera interviews of these subjects with headshots, bios, topic-related background, social media links, etc. on the guest as opposed to a different one for the editor - with much of the same overlapping info but links to where all the A/V assets are (DropBox, whatever) versus one for “transpo” - providing home address and cell phone for the limo driver to pick him/her up, drop them off (but no one else should have access to this info); versus one for marketing and distribution that gives us any good dates to sync their premiere with (i.e. related charity awareness weeks, books being published, movies coming out) versus legal - one that would automatically fill out a personal release for them to sign - and for us to double check their social media handles, hashtags, etc.

A lot of the same info repurposed in different ways (protected from some, saving time for others).

How can I export content from my sheets to forms I generate/customize?

Thank you!

[Scott_Burton]

Hi Heather

I am been working with AirTable for about a year now so not an expert by far. But I know how great it feels when someone can respond to your question so I hope this may be useful.

So here is how I take a spreadsheet (like you I have the information in Excel, CSV, or Google Sheets, etc).

1. Add Base
2. Import from Spreadsheet (this is where I say careful planning will be helpful in terms of the fields, field names and field types. Also, you can import a spreadsheet and if u standardize the fields you can add to an existing base esp since you will have the form created but there are so many ways to approach this)
   3.Now that you have imported your spreadsheet, revisit the Fields and if needed, customize them to your needs
3. Once you have the table or Grid view of your data the way you like it, from VIEWS icon (upper left button menu), click Form
4. It is fairly intuitive on how to add or not display fields or reorder them. Plus you can create a Header image and logo. If you scroll down the form, the user can be redirected to a URL and you can also be notified when someone has used the online form.
5. If you want to embed the form into your Website, that will require the person who manages your Website (if you have that person) where they can create an I-frame and embed the form.

Here is a good link to learn more https://support.airtable.com/hc/en-us/articles/206058268-Guide-to-forms

Good luck and i hope this helped.

S Rod

[Heather_Hale]

Thanks Scott -

I appreciate your response. I do know how to do all that.

I’m not wanting users to input info into blank fields in a form, on a website or via email.

I’m wanting to export or run a report OF the info/data I already HAVE in the base into a document - a professional deliverable OF that content for peers and work associates.

BUT THANK YOUI!

[ScottWorld]

Hi @Heather_Hale,

It depends on what sorts of reports or outputs you’re trying to create from Airtable. Can you be more specific?

Airtable doesn’t natively offer a lot of different options in the way of outputs, but most outputs would be achieved through blocks.

The primary tool we have is the Page Designer Block, which lets you design simple page layouts that you can print. (There is no PDF output support in Airtable, either, but you can use your operating system’s PDF capabilities to create PDF files.)

The Formstack Documents block will let you create Word/PDF files with a paid FormStack Documents account.

Some other blocks might offer you the reporting visualizations that you need, but there’s no real way to output them besides taking a screenshot. (You’ll soon be able to share blocks on the web, but they do pose a security risk because they will reveal all of your data to people that you share them with. If you’re just sharing them with other collaborators, then that’s not a big deal.)

Of course, if you want to export CSV files, you can do that from any view that you create, and then import that data elsewhere.

For anything else, most people are using Integromat or Zapier to connect their Airtable to external apps.

And of course, Airtable has an excellent REST API that other apps can use to pull your Airtable data into them.

Likewise, you can use JavaScript and the scripting block to push your data to external apps as well.

p.s. If you have a budget & would like to hire an expert Airtable consultant to help you with any of this, please feel free to send me a private message!

[Heather_Hale]

Thanks Scott. I’m sure I don’t have the budget for it but I’d be happy to send you a sample for you to quote.
Thank you!