Linking tables to get dynamic dropdowns as a result

[Autosommelier_S]

Hello!

How to link tables, but to include info in form of linked variants to choose from?

Here is the deal. We sell cars. And need Airtable as a database to synch to our website. Our team members add cars to the database.

The question is:

How to make dropdowns in columns from linked tables, so they would “know” the previous column and provide an option to choose from a specific number of variants?

Here is an example:

We want to add a car. It has a lot variables, some of which are: “car maker”, “model” and “specification”.

I would like to have a columns dedicated to each variable.

But so if for example I choose “car maker” Mercedes-Benz, in the next “model” column I would get only Mercedes-Benz’s models, and after I choose, for example “S-class”, in the next column, “specifications” I would only be able to choose from that model’s specifications?

How can I achieve that? Spent too much time trying to solve that problem

Thank you!

[kuovonne · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Airtable community!

The “sub-select” feature that you want is not natively available in Airtable. You can get similar behavior using custom scripting to select your field value instead of using the linked record field directly. If you are creating a new record, you can also use third party form systems to limit linked record selection.

I once created a sub-select system that involved the use of a lot of back and forth rollups and a filtered view. However, that system was really usable by only one person at a time and was slow and resource intensive. I do not recommend it for most use cases.

[Autosommelier_S]

Thank you very much for your reply, Kuovonne

What is custom scripting? Is that some kind of formula in Airtable?

Could you suggest any third party form systems to limit linked record selection? How would they add info? Through API?

And if we would need to change any values inside of the table after adding it with that form, we would use Airtable dropdowns like normal, right?

Mikhail

[kuovonne]

Custom scripting is a way to run custom JavaScript in Airtable. It is not a formula.

Some third party form versions with tight integrations with Airtable are On2Air Forms and MiniExtensions forms. i believe that both offer sub-select, but I’m not sure.

[ScottWorld]

Airtable still doesn't offer this feature natively, but luckily for all of us, dynamic dropdowns are a native feature of Fillout’s advanced forms for Airtable, which is 100% free and offers the most advanced forms available for Airtable. Fillout offers TONS of other advanced functionality that people have been dreaming of for years in their Airtable forms. Fillout also offers the ability to either update existing records in Airtable or create new records in Airtable.