What alternatives are there to creating a Single Select field option in a form interface?

[Ruchika_Abbi1]

I have a Single Select field field that I want to allow users to be able to add new options too when they are in Create Form interface. Since this is not possible, are there any workarounds/alternative designs that anyone has used?

My thoughts:
1. Using Linked Record is also not possible, since it doesn't allow new record creation from the Create Form interface. 
2. Using a text field and then automating creation of the option in Single select also is not possible since I believe it doesn't allow update of the Single Select options through "Run Script" in automation?

[ScottWorld · Accepted solution]

If you’re looking for the easiest and quickest way of doing this, I would recommend using Fillout’s advanced forms for Airtable. Fillout is 100% free and it allows your users to type in their own brand new option for single-select fields (if you enable that feature).

However, all of this can be done natively in Airtable as well.

As you said, you can use a text field and then update your single-select field by simply inserting the value into the field.

You can do this through either: (1) Airtable’s native automations (no scripting necessary), or (2) scripting, or (3) Make’s Airtable automations.

if you’re using Airtable’s API, be sure to enable the “typecast” option, which is called “Smart Links” in Make.

You can also do the same thing with a linked record field. Additionally, for a linked record, you have these options:

1. On the first form, give the user a link to another form which will add new records to the linked table.

2. This one is the same approach as a single-select field: On the first form, in the linked record field, give the user an option to choose from that is called “other” or “new option” or something like that. Then, conditionally show additional fields where they can type in the new information. Then, use an automation to add the new record into the appropriate table (or insert into the field, if it’s a single-select field).

3. Use Fillout’s advanced forms for Airtable, which already has this functionality natively built into its forms. Fillout offers hundreds of advanced features that aren’t natively available in Airtable’s native forms, including adding new linked records and adding new single-select options.

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

[dilipborad]

Hello @Ruchika_Abbi1,
You're right that Airtable Web API can't allowed to update any field settings. 
They are allowed to Update the field  OR Update the table But the name and description.

Thinking more about how to achieve this by using Interface. There is nothing we can do about it.

As @ScottWorld suggest try fillout if it fit your workflow

[Dan_Montoya]

You can do this natively in Airtable.  You were close with your idea but don't need a script.  Have a text field for that record.  When the text field is updated, copy the text field into the single select field.  That will create the new option.

[Matt_Jastremski]

Both great answers above. One other workaround if you want to lean more into the linked record solution is to have a web link in the first form to a second form to create new options (eg "Don't see your choice here? Click this link to add that option and then come back to this form"). Not the most elegant solution but might work in a pinch!

[ScottWorld]

Yes, I had covered both @Matt_Jastremski‘s and @Dan_Montoya‘s ideas in my original post above, but thank you for wording it in different ways that might be easier to understand! 😀

- ScottWorld, Expert Airtable Consultant

[ClapReuser]

Absolutely! I really appreciate how you rephrased those ideas. Sometimes, seeing things from a different perspective can make all the difference in understanding. Thanks for taking the time to clarify! 

[ScottWorld]

@dilipborad  Updating the field with a new value will automatically add it to the list of single-select options… meaning that it can be done with the web API, if desired. 

[Ruchika_Abbi1]

@ScottWorld Thanks! I'll go with the update record in Automation, keeps it simple. Though, does scripting update it? Because I tried it in Run Script in automation and I get errors. 

[ScottWorld]

Yes, you can use scripting if you’d like, but it is probably easier to just use Airtable’s native automations.