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Form to edit data

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Katherine_Harkn
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

At the moment the form only allows input of new data. Can we have a form for editing existing records? At the moment we can only edit in the table meaning I can’t present the records the way I want. Can’t even hide columns on mobile, meaning the users are free to wreak havoc on the existing data :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

163 Comments
Julian_Kirkness
10 - Mercury
10 - Mercury

I’ve been thinking about this some more - form based entry is absolutely vital for many applications and needs to include a better way of entering data into sub-tables (for example line items for a sales receipt).

At the moment, it’s possible to enter data in a linked field to a sub table which is already connected to another parent record. This should be impossible as clearly a line item can only ‘belong’ to one invoice, for example. If you accidentally link to an existing record in this way, Airtable allows this entry despite the fact that the link is created as one to many. This MUST be fixed soon as it leads to incorrect data.

I’d also like to see an option for a table / view that records can only be added using expanded view - and for there to be a little more flexibility on the part of the creator of the base to determine the fields available in the expanded view (for example you may not want some people to be able to look at the hidden fields.

A final point for now, it would be nice to have a button in grid views to add a new record (through Expanded view preferably) - scrolling to the bottom of a table is not very user friendly.

Wolfgang_Ederer
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Bumping this feature request as well.
This would enable us to greatly improve our workflows.

Darryl_Holliday
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Any chance you can give more specific instructions on how to update records with zap? I can see that its possible but can’t seem to figure it out in zap.

Alex_Armstrong
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

There’s this guide:

Using forms to edit tables with Zapier

With Zapier, you can configure Airtable forms to edit and update records in any of your Airtable bases. This is especially useful for cases where you would like someone to be able to edit part of a...

But it’s complex, requires a Zapier subscription, and doesn’t pre-fill existing data on the form – all of which combine to make it not workable for me :frowning:

Cody_Brown
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

New to airtable and loving it, but now realizing that a form can’t be used to update a record is almost a deal killer for me!

In my case, I need a group of music teachers to be able to add, update or delete their lesson day and times so a HS band director can keep tabs on her program. The Band Director and I are the only ones that should have access to the base, and the teachers are interested only as long as they don’t need to do anything more than interact with a simple form.

too bad.

jn08
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

I’ve just finished a pretty complicated setup using form pre-filling and Zapier to essentially replicate the effect of an editable form. You have to pay Zapier’s fees as they’re multi-step zaps, and it’s a bit fiddly to set up but if you’re looking for the building blocks you can find them at the articles below. It also doesn’t work with linked records.

Using forms to edit tables with Zapier

With Zapier, you can configure Airtable forms to edit and update records in any of your Airtable bases. This is especially useful for cases where you would like someone to be able to edit part of a...


Parham_Pe
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Expanded view is good and serve the purpose.
What I need to find in expanded view is if I can edit the expanded view in one page. so on my iPad, I want to have a page with all my records without scrolling down. For this purpose I should be able to edit the expanded view one time and then see that in my own format every time that I expand a record. PLease let me know if you have this feature and then I will upgrade to Pro plan the same day. Thanks

nnnnneil
8 - Airtable Astronomer
8 - Airtable Astronomer

Allowing data entry via a form is a great feature. But there are plenty of use cases (in this thread alone) where you want to provide very limited access to edit a record in a form view. The ability to make that edit form shareable outside an organisation where you need to collaborate with different parties. For example, an ordering process that requires different parties to update a record or edit parts of the record. I’m surprised if this isn’t on the roadmap for AirTable. Can anyone comment on that? It’s been a deal breaker for many situations where AirTable would have otherwise been a perfect fit.

J_C
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Would also like to see this feature. Especially since it has been over 2 years since it was first brought up. We use this for inventory purposes and when hardware changes being able to edit via a form would be very valuable.

Blanche_M
5 - Automation Enthusiast
5 - Automation Enthusiast

Yes, seems like this has been needed for many different purposes & workflows, and for some time now too. Here’s just one example from my office:

We have a Print Editorial Calendar base (based loosely on an Airtable template), but possessing a huge scope of monthly editorial content throughout a calendar year. For our purposes, this means a couple hundred records—one for each content piece—in our single Print Schedule tab, in addition to a dozen fields linking to each issue, fields setting deadlines, fields for attaching unedited and edited drafts and photos. etc.

Some of this editorial content is being collected and edited by a couple of interns, who we are trying to reserve as much superfluous information from as we can—anything that doesn’t relate to their designated assignment. Moreover, there are so many variables due to such a large and content-heavy base that we want to minimize any unintended mistakes, which we’ve already had before. But that being said, they need to be able to make edits or re-attach updated drafts or make notes for some of the records—a few out of the couple hundred in that table. (Even some limited editing usage — such as just the ability for them to only input attachments into attachment fields — would be immensely helpful.) We house quite a bit of proprietary information for upcoming content in that single base, which works for us in every way EXCEPT for this issue with limited collaboration/editing.