Understanding Airtable views
Views are different ways to look at and organize the same table data. A single table can have multiple views, each showing the data in a different format or filtered to show specific records.
What is a view?
A view is a particular way to look at your table's data. Views don't change your data—they just organize and display it differently. You can have multiple views of the same table, each with its own:
- View type (Grid, Kanban, Calendar, etc.)
- Filters
- Sorting
- Grouping
- Field visibility
Example: A "Tasks" table might have:
- All Tasks view: Shows all tasks in grid format
- My Tasks view: Shows only tasks assigned to you
- This Week view: Shows tasks due this week
- By Status view: Kanban board grouped by status
View types
Grid view
Spreadsheet-like rows and columns:
- Most common view type
- Default view for new tables
- Best for: Data entry, detailed information
Kanban view
Cards organized in columns:
- Drag and drop cards between columns
- Group by select field (usually Status)
- Best for: Task management, workflow tracking
Calendar view
Records organized by date:
- Shows records on calendar dates
- Filter by date range
- Best for: Events, deadlines, scheduling
Gallery view
Visual cards with images:
- Large, visual display
- Great for images and attachments
- Best for: Portfolios, products, visual content
Timeline view
Gantt-style timeline:
- Shows records on a timeline
- See durations and dependencies
- Best for: Project planning, scheduling
List view
Simple list format:
- Clean, minimal display
- Good for mobile
- Best for: Simple lists, mobile viewing
Form view
Data entry form:
- Shareable form for data entry
- Submissions create records
- Best for: Collecting data from others
Creating views
Create a new view
- Click + Create new… (or the + button in the views sidebar)
- Select the view type you want
- Name your view
- Choose collaboration type (Collaborative, Personal, or Locked)
- Click Create new view
View collaboration types
Collaborative: All collaborators can edit the view configuration
- Filters, sorting, grouping can be changed by anyone
- Best for: Team views everyone should customize
Personal: Only you can see and edit this view
- Others can't see your personal views
- Best for: Your own custom organization
Locked: No one can change the view configuration
- Prevents accidental changes
- Only Creators/Owners can unlock
- Best for: Standardized views that shouldn't change
Note: Personal and locked views are only available on paid plans.
View configuration
Show or hide fields
Control which fields appear in the view:
- Click the field picker icon (eye icon)
- Check/uncheck fields to show/hide
- Drag to reorder fields
Filter records
Show only records that meet certain conditions:
- Click the filter icon
- Add filter conditions:
- Field = Value
- Date is in the next week
- Status contains "Complete"
- Add multiple conditions with AND/OR logic
Sort records
Organize records by field values:
- Click the sort icon
- Select field to sort by
- Choose ascending or descending
- Add multiple sorts for secondary sorting
Group records
Group records by field values:
- Click the group icon
- Select field to group by
- Records are organized into groups
- Can group by multiple fields
Color records
Color-code records based on conditions:
- Click the color icon
- Set color conditions:
- Status = "Complete" → Green
- Due Date is in the past → Red
- Priority = "High" → Orange
View sections
View sections organize your views in the sidebar:
My personal views
Views you've created as personal views. Only you can see these.
More personal views
All personal views from all collaborators in the table.
My favorites
Views you've marked as favorites (starred). Quick access to important views.
Custom view sections
Create your own sections to organize views:
- Click + Create new…
- Select Section
- Name your section
- Drag views into the section
Note: View sections are only available on paid plans.
More collaborative views
Default section for all collaborative views that don't belong to other sections.
Managing views
Rename a view
- Click the … icon next to the view name
- Select Rename view
- Enter new name
Duplicate a view
- Click the … icon
- Select Duplicate view
- New view is created with same configuration
Delete a view
- Click the … icon
- Select Delete view
- Confirm deletion
Note: You cannot delete the last view in a table. At least one view must remain.
Favorite a view
- Click the … icon
- Select Add to 'My favorites'
- View appears in "My favorites" section
Note: Favoriting is only available on paid plans.
Copy view configuration
Copy settings from one view to another:
- Click dropdown next to view name
- Select Copy another view's configuration
- Choose source view
- Select which settings to copy (filters, sorting, grouping, etc.)
- Click Copy configuration
View settings
Row height
Adjust how much information shows per record:
- Short: Maximum density, one line per field
- Medium: More space, multiple lines
- Tall: Even more space
- Extra Tall: Maximum space, large images
Change row height:
- Click row height switcher in view bar
- Select desired height
Field order
Reorder fields in the view:
- Click and drag field headers
- Drop in new position
- Only affects this view, not the table structure
Exporting views
Export as CSV
- Click the dropdown arrow next to view name
- Select Download CSV
- CSV file downloads with all visible records
Notes:
- Only exports records visible in the view (respects filters)
- Includes all visible fields
- Attachment URLs expire after a few hours
- Only available on web and desktop apps
Print view
- Click dropdown next to view name
- Select Print view
- Print dialog opens
View best practices
Create views for different purposes
- All Records: Unfiltered view of everything
- My Work: Filtered to your records
- This Week: Time-based filtering
- By Status: Grouped by status for workflow
Use descriptive names
Name views clearly:
- ✅ "Tasks Due This Week"
- ✅ "High Priority Items"
- ❌ "View 1" or "New View"
Lock important views
Lock views that shouldn't be changed:
- Standard team views
- Reporting views
- Views used in automations
Organize with sections
Group related views in sections:
- "Active Work" section
- "Reporting" section
- "Archive" section
Common view patterns
Task management
Views:
- All Tasks: Grid view, all records
- My Tasks: Filtered by Assignee = Me
- Kanban Board: Kanban view grouped by Status
- This Week: Filtered by Due Date is in next 7 days
Project tracking
Views:
- Active Projects: Filtered by Status ≠ Complete
- Timeline: Timeline view showing project dates
- By Team: Grouped by Team field
Event planning
Views:
- Calendar: Calendar view by Event Date
- Upcoming: Filtered by Date is in future
- By Venue: Grouped by Venue field
View limits
Views per table
- All plans: Unlimited views per table
Records per view
Views can display all records in a table (subject to base record limits). Filtered views show only matching records.
Personal views
- Free plan: Cannot create personal views
- Paid plans: Unlimited personal views
Tips
- Start with grid: Grid view is most flexible for setup
- Use filters: Create filtered views instead of separate tables
- Lock standard views: Prevent accidental changes to important views
- Organize with sections: Group related views together
- Copy configurations: Save time by copying view settings
- Export regularly: Export important views as backups
- Test views: Test view configurations before sharing
Quick reference
| Action | Steps |
|---|---|
| Create view | + Create new… → Select view type |
| Filter view | Click filter icon → Add conditions |
| Sort view | Click sort icon → Select field |
| Group view | Click group icon → Select field |
| Hide field | Click field picker → Uncheck field |
| Duplicate view | … icon → Duplicate view |
| Delete view | … icon → Delete view |
| Export CSV | Dropdown → Download CSV |
FAQs
Do record counts in views count towards base total?
No. Views show the same records in different ways. The base record count is the total number of unique records across all tables. A record appearing in multiple views is only counted once.
Can I export my entire base?
No. You must export each table separately as CSV. There's no single-file export for an entire base.
What happens to personal views when I leave a base?
Personal views remain on the base even after you leave. Owners/Creators can delete them if needed.
Can I have a table with only personal views?
No. Every table must have at least one collaborative grid view accessible to everyone.
References
Official Airtable documentation: Getting started with Airtable views