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Is to possible to download or export search block results?

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Julia_Byrd1
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

I’d like to do a search across tables and download the results as a csv, or at least be able to extract some of the information I find (let’s say, all the email addresses of the contacts that come out of my search using the search block). Is there a way to do that?

6 Replies 6

That would be really amazing, but unfortunately it is not possible. But that would be a fantastic feature request that I think you should add in the #show-and-tell:product-suggestions category.

In the meantime, you might be able to script something by using a custom JavaScript in the script block, but I’m not 100% sure.

Spot-on, Julia!

Your idea is both reasonable and useful for findability and direct use of search results.

Take it a step further and make it optional to push search results into an Airtable table. Then you can use the data, sort it, filter it [further], create reports in Page Designer, chart it, use it to triage processes, etc. And, not least, you can export the results as CSV - no extra effort.

Like this

image

Companies (Airtable especially) need to embrace the data environment to innovate new ideas and approaches to information use and management. Search results should not be constrained to simply a list of links to “hits” - it should treat results like data to expand the potential of information discovery.

Of all places where search results would contain structured data, a search engine in a database would be it!

Perhaps rhetorical - Why is this feature not obvious to product management @Taylor_Savage? Unlike most features, this one creates instant positive benefits to almost 100% of the user base.

And why stop with data-based search results?

  • Saved Search - imagine transforming a basic search into one that is updated
    hourly providing you with alerts when new information has been found.

  • Enhanced Data - as new information is added to a table, imagine a background
    process that infuses other relevant tables and records into the new records.

  • Real-time Search - a chatbot listens carefully as data is created in other tables and bases;
    persistent search results based on keywords and entities are presented to the
    participants as magical search results that are always available in the results tables.

Where’s the innovation?

I fully agree @Bill.French but in relation with your screenshot, how to trial / rent AIRBORNE usage ?
I applied two times on AIRBORNE web page Form Button but nothing did come after in my mailbox , even to SPAMs box.

Best,

olπ

web clipper to screenshot? i mean its an image but could be turned into a crude pdf and made editable right? i have no idea what im talking about so feel free to tell me im wrong lol

Sorry @Olpy_Acaflo, it’s not really a product we can share.

About a year ago we tested the waters for offering a 3rd party search solution for Airtable and decided there was no point since it was generally understood that there would be new functionality coming forth from the dev team to remedy search issues. That has not happened, of course, so Airborne has a remained available only through a professional services engagement.

To date we’ve built five such Airborne systems and deployed them in organizations; the average implementation cost is north of $5,400 with one in excess of $12K. Undertaking the challenge of indexing enterprise-level search that involves multiple Airtable workspaces and bases and other adjacent content sources - as you can imagine - is not trivial.

At one time we also entertained open-sourcing the code for users to make a personal version, but other work has overshadowed this idea. If there was a developer who had the time and skills (Google Apps Script, Google Cloud Functions, Lucerne, and ElasticSearch) we would entertain allowing the code to move into an open-source project. We anticipate the effort at somewhere north of 200 hours to do it right.

However, the white paper continues to serve (in my view) as an ideal vision for future search features while also underscoring the challenges and architecture required create an ElasticSearch-like experience inside Airtable.

Hello @Bill.French,

I thank you for taking the time to explain why an Individual who works alone on Airtable cannot in the current state of things neither try nor rent AIRBORNE as one would subscribe to many other Third-Parts services that the Community knows or promotes here.

Everything you write makes sense.

I can’t apply as an Open Source Worker either because I can’t acquire the skills I need (GAS expert level, Google Cloud, Lucene, Elastic Search) at the moment: my ToDo’s Top 5 is already loaded and I’m busy with it during all my available time.

So I am forced to make the same statement as you: Airtable lacks it and I add that I think I have understood and admitted that the professional Developers who already offer Add-On Third-Parts to Airtable and are known by the Community do not have the time / know-how / hope of acceptable income by offering this to small accounts for monthly charges no higher than many other Add-On Third-Parts.

Unlike problems that I can learn to solve by myself through the Community and the Web by writing in Script-Block, using REACT.js chosen by airtable etc… I will therefore do without a high level search solution for the moment and hope that the future will make these questions, these needs evolve towards a solution suitable for a small account.

Thank you again for your availability and for your teachings,

olπ