‹Blog

How to Create Forms in Airtable: Complete Guide to Building Powerful Data Collection Forms

FE
Filla Editorial•beginner•Jan 24, 2026

How to create forms in Airtable

Collecting data shouldn't mean juggling disconnected tools. Airtable forms let you gather information directly into your base, keeping everything in one place. Whether you're collecting event registrations, customer feedback, or job applications, Airtable forms transform your tables into submission-ready interfaces.

What are Airtable forms?

Airtable forms are web-based data collection interfaces built from your table structure. When someone fills out a form, their responses create a new record in your table automatically. No manual data entry, no copy-pasting between tools.

Key benefits:

  • Direct database connection: Submissions go straight into your Airtable base
  • Automatic field mapping: Form fields match your table fields
  • Real-time updates: New submissions appear instantly
  • No-code setup: Build forms without writing code
  • Shareable links: Send forms to anyone with a URL

Forms work best when you need:

  • Quick data collection from external users
  • Consistent data entry formats
  • Integration with existing Airtable workflows
  • Simple, straightforward submission processes

Creating your first Airtable form

Step 1: Prepare your table

Before creating a form, set up your table with the fields you want to collect:

  1. Open your base and navigate to the table that will receive submissions
  2. Add or review fields for the data you want to collect
  3. Set field types correctly (single select, email, phone number, etc.)
  4. Make critical fields required by configuring field settings

Tip: Form fields inherit properties from table fields. A "Single Select" field in your table becomes a dropdown in your form.

Step 2: Create the form view

  1. Click the view dropdown (usually shows "Grid" by default)
  2. Select Form from the view type options
  3. Name your form view (e.g., "Customer Feedback Form")
  4. Airtable creates a form with all your table fields

Step 3: Configure form fields

In the form editor, you can:

Add or remove fields:

  • Drag fields from the right panel into your form
  • Remove fields by clicking the "x" or dragging them out
  • Reorder fields by dragging them up or down

Customize field properties:

  • Field label: Change how the field name appears to users
  • Help text: Add descriptions under field labels
  • Required vs. optional: Toggle whether users must fill each field
  • Default values: Pre-fill fields with default options

Field types that work in forms:

  • Text (single line and long text)
  • Number
  • Email
  • Phone number
  • URL
  • Date
  • Single select
  • Multiple select
  • Checkboxes
  • Attachments
  • Rating

Note: Some field types don't appear in forms (formulas, rollups, lookups, auto-number) because they auto-calculate or pull from other records.

Step 4: Customize form appearance

Cover image:

  • Add a header image to brand your form
  • Upload from your computer or use a URL
  • Recommended size: 1200 x 400 pixels

Form description:

  • Add introductory text explaining the form's purpose
  • Keep it brief. Users want to submit quickly

Submit button text:

  • Customize the button label (default: "Submit")
  • Use action words: "Register Now," "Send Feedback," "Apply"

Success message:

  • Customize what users see after submitting
  • Thank users and set expectations ("We'll contact you within 24 hours")

Step 5: Share your form

Once your form is ready:

  1. Click Share form in the top right
  2. Copy the form URL
  3. Share via email, website, social media, or anywhere else

Sharing options:

  • Public link: Anyone with the URL can submit
  • Embedded: Add the form to your website with an iframe
  • QR code: Generate a QR code for physical materials (use a QR generator tool with your form URL)

Form customization options

Branding and design

What you can customize in native Airtable forms:

  • Cover image
  • Form title and description
  • Field labels and help text
  • Submit button text
  • Success message

What you cannot customize:

  • Colors and fonts (Airtable uses default styling)
  • Layout (fields are always vertical, single-column)
  • Field widths or spacing
  • Custom CSS or branding elements

For advanced branding, you'll need a specialized form builder (more on this later).

Field configuration

Required fields:

Mark critical fields as required to ensure complete submissions. Toggle "Required" in the field settings.

Default values:

Pre-fill fields with common answers to save users time. For example, default the country field to your primary market.

Help text:

Add clarifying instructions under field labels:

  • "Enter your work email (not personal)"
  • "Use MM/DD/YYYY format"
  • "Choose all that apply"

Conditional logic

Important limitation: Native Airtable forms do not support conditional logic. You cannot:

  • Show/hide fields based on previous answers
  • Create branching paths through the form
  • Display different questions for different user types

This is a significant limitation for complex workflows. If you need conditional logic, you'll need a third-party form builder.

Advanced form features

Prefilling form fields

You can prefill form fields using URL parameters. This is helpful for:

  • Tracking form sources (marketing campaigns, partners, etc.)
  • Personalizing forms with recipient information
  • Reducing user input by pre-populating known data

How to prefill:

  1. In your form, click the field you want to prefill
  2. Click "Allow prefill" in field settings
  3. Airtable generates a URL parameter (e.g., prefill_Name=John)
  4. Add parameters to your form URL: https://airtable.com/shrXXXXXXXX?prefill_Name=John&prefill_Email=john@example.com

Use case example: Email a personalized event registration link where the attendee's name and email are already filled in. They just need to confirm attendance.

Form submissions and record creation

What happens when someone submits:

  1. Airtable creates a new record in your table
  2. Form data populates the corresponding fields
  3. Auto-number and formula fields calculate automatically
  4. The record appears immediately in your base

Viewing submissions:

  • Switch to Grid view to see all submissions
  • Create filtered views to organize submissions (e.g., "This Week's Submissions")
  • Use automations to notify your team when submissions arrive

Form limits by plan

Free plan:

  • Forms: Unlimited
  • Submissions per form: 1,000 records per base (not per form)
  • Form branding: Airtable branding included
  • File attachments: 1 GB total storage per base

Paid plans (Team, Business):

  • Forms: Unlimited
  • Submissions: 50,000+ records per base (depending on plan)
  • Form branding: Airtable branding included (cannot remove)
  • File attachments: 20-100 GB per base
  • Automations: Can trigger actions on form submission

Common Airtable form use cases

1. Event registrations

Collect attendee information for conferences, webinars, or workshops.

Recommended fields:

  • Full name (text)
  • Email (email field type)
  • Company/organization (text)
  • Dietary restrictions (multiple select)
  • Session preferences (multiple select)
  • Additional questions (long text)

Post-submission workflow:

  • Send confirmation email via automation
  • Create filtered view for "Confirmed Attendees"
  • Generate name badges from linked design table

2. Customer feedback and surveys

Gather product feedback, satisfaction scores, or feature requests.

Recommended fields:

  • How satisfied are you? (rating or single select: 1-5 stars)
  • What do you like most? (long text)
  • What could be improved? (long text)
  • May we contact you for follow-up? (checkbox)
  • Email (email field type, required if checkbox is yes)

Post-submission workflow:

  • Filter negative feedback for immediate follow-up
  • Create dashboard Interface to visualize satisfaction trends
  • Link feedback to product roadmap table

3. Job applications

Streamline hiring by collecting resumes and candidate information.

Recommended fields:

  • Full name (text)
  • Email (email)
  • Phone (phone number)
  • LinkedIn profile (URL)
  • Resume (attachment)
  • Cover letter (long text)
  • Position applying for (single select)
  • How did you hear about us? (single select)

Post-submission workflow:

  • Create Kanban view with status: Applied → Screening → Interview → Offer
  • Link to "Interviews" table for scheduling
  • Share filtered view with hiring managers

4. Contact forms and lead generation

Capture leads from your website or marketing campaigns.

Recommended fields:

  • Name (text)
  • Email (email)
  • Company (text)
  • Company size (single select: 1-10, 11-50, 51-200, 201-500, 500+)
  • What are you interested in? (multiple select)
  • Message (long text)
  • Source (hidden field, prefilled via URL parameter)

Post-submission workflow:

  • Trigger Slack notification for sales team
  • Create automation to send personalized follow-up email
  • Link to CRM table for tracking deal pipeline

5. Order and request forms

Accept purchase orders, service requests, or booking inquiries.

Recommended fields:

  • Customer name (text)
  • Email (email)
  • Product or service (single select or multiple select)
  • Quantity (number)
  • Delivery date (date)
  • Special instructions (long text)
  • Attachments (for specifications, files, images)

Post-submission workflow:

  • Create linked "Orders" record with order number
  • Calculate total price with formula field
  • Send order confirmation via automation

Limitations of native Airtable forms

While Airtable forms are powerful, they have constraints:

Design limitations

  • No custom branding: Cannot change colors, fonts, or styling
  • Airtable logo remains: Cannot remove Airtable branding
  • Single-column layout only: Cannot create multi-column or complex layouts
  • Limited visual hierarchy: Cannot customize spacing, field sizes, or sections

Functionality limitations

  • No conditional logic: Cannot show/hide fields based on answers
  • No calculated fields in form: Users cannot see real-time calculations
  • Limited field types: Cannot use linked records, lookups, rollups, or formulas in forms
  • No multi-page forms: All questions appear on one scrolling page
  • No partial saves: Users cannot save progress and return later
  • No field validation beyond basic: Cannot create complex validation rules

User experience limitations

  • Cannot update existing records: Forms only create new records
  • No user authentication: Cannot restrict forms to specific users
  • No payment integration: Cannot collect payments through forms
  • Limited submission editing: Users cannot edit submissions after submitting

When to use a specialized Airtable form builder

If you need features beyond native forms, consider a dedicated Airtable form builder. These tools connect to your Airtable base but offer enhanced capabilities.

What specialized form builders offer

Advanced features:

  • Conditional logic: Show/hide fields based on user responses
  • Custom branding: Match your brand colors, fonts, and styling
  • Multi-page forms: Break long forms into steps
  • Field calculations: Display totals, dates, or computed values in real-time
  • Record updates: Let users edit existing Airtable records
  • Linked record support: Select from related tables natively
  • File upload enhancements: Drag-and-drop, preview, multiple files
  • Validation rules: Complex data validation and error messaging
  • Partial saves: Let users save progress and return later
  • White-label options: Remove form builder branding entirely

Better user experience:

  • Mobile-optimized designs
  • Progress indicators
  • Field autocomplete
  • Rich text editing
  • Date pickers with better UX
  • Signature fields
  • Location/map fields

Enhanced workflows:

  • Pre-fill from existing records
  • Update records based on unique identifiers
  • Create and update multiple linked records in one submission
  • Webhook integrations
  • Email notifications with custom templates
  • Submission analytics and reporting

Filla: Airtable-native form builder

Most form tools like Fillout, Typeform, or Jotform connect to multiple platforms but treat Airtable like a generic database. Filla goes deep, not wide. Every Airtable field type, linked record, formula, and lookup works natively.

What makes Filla different:

  • No manual field mapping: Your form is Airtable-native. Fields, options, and linked records sync automatically.
  • True linked record support: Select from linked tables just like in Airtable. No workarounds.
  • Update existing records: Users can update records, not just create them.
  • Conditional logic: Show/hide fields, create branching paths, build smart forms.
  • Custom branding: Match your brand perfectly. Remove Filla branding on paid plans.
  • Over 50 field types: Support for every Airtable field type plus enhancements.
  • Child forms: Create related records in linked tables within a single submission.
  • Prefilled fields: Personalize forms with data from existing records.

Who should use Filla:

  • Teams already using Airtable who want forms that feel like native Airtable
  • Anyone frustrated by field mapping and sync issues with other form tools
  • Users who need conditional logic and advanced workflows
  • Companies that want branded, professional forms without development work

Get started: Filla offers a free plan with up to 5 forms, unlimited submissions, and access to all core features. Try Filla free.

Best practices for Airtable forms

Keep forms short

Users abandon long forms. Only ask for information you truly need.

  • Audit every field: Can you get this information later? Remove it.
  • Use defaults: Pre-fill common answers to reduce user effort.
  • Break into stages: If you need lots of data, use multiple forms or follow-up workflows.

Make critical fields required

Don't make everything required. It frustrates users. Only require:

  • Contact information you need for follow-up
  • Fields essential for processing the submission
  • Legal/compliance fields

Optional fields give users flexibility and increase completion rates.

Write clear field labels

Instead of: "Name" Use: "Your full name"

Instead of: "Details" Use: "Tell us what you need help with"

Clear labels reduce confusion and errors.

Add help text for complex fields

If a field needs explanation, add help text:

  • Email: "Use your work email, not personal"
  • Date: "When do you need this completed?"
  • Attachments: "Upload PDF, JPG, or PNG files (max 10 MB)"

Test before sharing

Submit test entries to verify:

  • All fields work correctly
  • Required fields are enforced
  • Success message displays properly
  • Data appears in the right table and fields
  • Automations trigger correctly

Delete test records before going live.

Use views to organize submissions

Create filtered views to manage submissions:

  • This week: Filter by "Created time is within the past week"
  • Needs review: Filter by status field "Pending"
  • Completed: Archive processed submissions

Views keep your data organized as submissions grow.

Set up automations

Automate responses to form submissions:

  • Send confirmation email: Reassure users their submission was received
  • Notify team: Alert your team in Slack or email when submissions arrive
  • Create linked records: Automatically create related records in other tables
  • Update fields: Set status to "New" or assign to team members

Automations save time and improve response speed.

Troubleshooting common form issues

Form fields don't show all my table fields

Cause: Some field types cannot be used in forms (formulas, rollups, lookups, auto-number).

Solution: Only include input fields. Use automations or formula fields to calculate values after submission.

Submitted data appears incorrect

Cause: Field types don't match user expectations.

Solution:

  • Use email field type for emails (validates format)
  • Use phone number field type for phone numbers
  • Use number field type for quantities (prevents text entry)
  • Add help text to clarify expected formats

Users report the form is too long

Cause: Too many fields or unnecessary questions.

Solution:

  • Remove optional fields
  • Use multi-stage workflows (collect basic info first, follow up for details)
  • Consider a specialized form builder with multi-page support

Form doesn't match our brand

Cause: Native Airtable forms have limited customization.

Solution: Use a specialized form builder like Filla for custom branding, colors, and styling.

Need conditional logic or dynamic fields

Cause: Native Airtable forms don't support conditional logic.

Solution: Upgrade to a specialized form builder that supports conditional logic (show/hide fields based on responses).

Quick comparison: Native forms vs. specialized builders

Feature Airtable Native Forms Specialized Form Builders (like Filla)
Cost Free (included) Free tier + paid plans
Setup time Minutes Minutes
Custom branding No Yes
Conditional logic No Yes
Multi-page forms No Yes
Update existing records No Yes
Linked record support No Yes (native in Filla)
Field calculations No Yes
White-label option No Yes (paid plans)
Mobile optimization Basic Advanced
Best for Simple data collection Complex workflows, branded forms

Getting started with your first form

5-minute setup:

  1. Choose your table: Pick the table that will store form submissions
  2. Add fields: Set up the fields you want to collect (name, email, etc.)
  3. Create form view: Click view dropdown → Form
  4. Customize fields: Reorder, make some required, add help text
  5. Add branding: Upload a cover image, write a description
  6. Test it: Submit a test entry to verify everything works
  7. Share: Copy the form link and share it

Next steps:

  • Create filtered views to organize submissions
  • Set up an automation to send confirmation emails
  • Link submissions to other tables for workflow management
  • Consider upgrading to a specialized form builder for advanced features

Key takeaways

  • Airtable forms transform tables into data collection interfaces with zero setup time
  • Forms are free and unlimited on all Airtable plans (subject to record limits)
  • Customization is limited in native forms: no custom branding, colors, or conditional logic
  • Common use cases include event registrations, surveys, job applications, and lead generation
  • Specialized form builders like Filla unlock advanced features while maintaining native Airtable integration
  • Best practices: Keep forms short, make only critical fields required, test before sharing, and use automations to streamline workflows

Whether you use native Airtable forms or a specialized builder depends on your needs. For quick, simple data collection, native forms work great. For branded, complex workflows with conditional logic and advanced features, a tool like Filla delivers the power you need without leaving the Airtable ecosystem.

Ready to create your first form? Start with Airtable's native forms, and when you're ready to level up, explore what Filla can do.

References

Official Airtable documentation: Create a form view