New Beta: Record Templates

[Priscilla_Choi]

Hi everyone!

I’m Priscilla, a UX researcher at Airtable on the Automations team. We wanted to tell you about a new feature that our team has been working on called Record Templates, which will help you manage programs, projects, and tasks more efficiently.

With this feature, you will be able to:

• Create templates for the types of records you find yourself creating over and over again
• Set pre-filled default field values on those templates
• Create new records using those templates or apply the template to an existing record
• Link multiple templates together to bulk-create records across tables

We are still working on additional functionality, but will release the current version of Record Templates to a small group of customers for early access and feedback. As a participant in our Record Templates Beta, you will be able to access Record Templates on base(s) of your choice, starting September 14, 2022. After you’ve started using it, we’ll set up time to chat with you and get your feedback.

If you’re interested in participating, please fill out this form by September 14, 2022 and we’ll be in touch if you’re a good fit!

[kuovonne]

Thank you for announcing this beta. It sounds exciting.

I am especially excited about the idea of linking multiple templates together to bulk-create linked records. I am very curious about applying templates to existing records–that strikes me as very tricky.

I noticed that we need to provide the base IDs of the bases that we want to use in the beta when we fill out the form. However, because this is such a big change, I am hesitant to try this out in a production base and would probably create a test base specifically for this purpose. Would that be okay?

Would it be possible to add additional bases to the beta later?

I also noticed that the form seems to be directed mostly to people who work in a single role at a single company. However, many Airtable consultants would also be interested in participating. Would it make sense to create another role in the “in which department do you primarily work” question that is specifically for consultants?

Similarly, the question “What do you use these bases to do?” question is particularly hard for consultants to answer. That question might also be better as a multi-select than a single select, as many companies use Airtable bases to do multiple things. My company uses for Airtable for every single one of the choices!

I also applaud the questions about email addresses. Sometimes the email addresses that people use to sign into Airtable are not the ones they use to communicate!

[Karlstens]

Record Templates sound very promising. I have the perfect non-production base that I’d be very, very eager to test them out on.

I am very curious if they help solve my current dilemma of writing base automations to deal with the multiple points of record creation;

• New Record via Grid View +
• New Record via Grid View Duplication
• New Record via View Form (anonymous)
• New Record via Interface Form
• Create Record via Interface +
• New Record via Interface Automation (automations)(currently bugging out)
• New Record via API access

I can’t help but wonder how a Record Template will trigger off of these 7 possible triggers (are there any I’ve missed?)

[kuovonne]

Karlstens:

are there any I’ve missed?

They may not apply to your use cases but here are a few other ways that records can be created:

• new record created in a grouped/filtered view (values are set based on group)
• new records created via REST API (and 3rd party integrations)
• new records created via Scripting
• new records created via bulk copy/paste
• new records created by import
• new records created in a synced table
• new records (and a whole new table) created by converting a field to a linked record field
• new records created by pasting a value in a linked record field where the primary field of the linked table is editable

There are so many possible ways to create new record. I suspect this record template system is going to be yet another method. In the end, there has to be user training so that users use acceptable methods for your base.

[Kamille_Parks]

Limited betas with one or more scheduled calls to discuss feedback about the beta with Airtable’s User Researchers seems like a good approach.

[Olpy_Acaflo]

Hi,

Kamille_Parks:

Airtable’s User Researchers

Yes I agree with @Kamille_Parks and I think I fit this profile because :

• I’m in the business but not on the front line of production, which leaves me time to be a researcher in the areas where AIRTABLE concerns me: everything except the interfaces which I overlook in preference to portals on top of the API.
• This fits my profile well since I’ve been working professionally on a computer for years, long before the Cloud, the As-A-Service, the noCode which I got into very intensively as soon as AIRTABLE appeared on my horizon in 2018.
  However, I am waiting for @Priscilla_Choi answer to the questions asked by @kuovonne

kuovonne:

They may not apply to your use cases but here are a few other ways that records can be created:

• new record created in a grouped/filtered view (values are set based on group)
• new records created via REST API (and 3rd party integrations)
• new records created via Scripting
• new records created via bulk copy/paste
• new records created by import
• new records created in a synced table
• new records (and a whole new table) created by converting a field to a linked record field
• new records created by pasting a value in a linked record field where the primary field of the linked table is editable

There are so many possible ways to create new record. I suspect this record template system is going to be yet another method. In the end, there has to be user training so that users use acceptable methods for your base.

before subscribing or not to this invitation.
oLπ

[J_Jones]

This is great. Was about halfway through a script to do this through the API when I saw the beta. Trying to make task templates that automatically generate projects in a gantt chart on a recurring basis.

This feature would be even better with advanced user permissions. :winking_face:

[Priscilla_Choi]

Hi @kuovonne!

However, because this is such a big change, I am hesitant to try this out in a production base and would probably create a test base specifically for this purpose. Would that be okay?

Yes!

Would it be possible to add additional bases to the beta later?

Yes! To request additional bases, you can send us an email. (Community members will receive an email to confirm beta participation - you can use this email to get in touch.)

Thanks for your feedback on the questions in the form, especially how to better tailor it to consultants. We’ll definitely incorporate this moving forward!

[Databaser]

So, this is out of beta and accessible via the "tools" option as far as I can see, but I can't find any support page for it? @Priscilla_Choi ?

[Karlstens]

@Priscilla_Choi  - can I please be added as a beta test for this?

[Dean_Arnold]

Thanks for releasing this feature.

However, the problem with the current version is that beyond using it for some cute to-do lists (i.e. walk the dog, get a coffee, that kind of thing), it's just not going to be useful for businesses because you can't enter, view, or iterate the records you want to generate in any meaningful way.

The task templates/child records need to be importable from a CSV or another table and editable therefatre in a table. Ideally, in the same way, you would import records when setting up a new base.

If you allowed a sync option from another base, then users could avoid having to manage the template and actual records within one single base. 

I think I'll have to stick to scripts for now!

Thanks!