Adding layouts to interfaces

With Interface Designer you can create visual interfaces that reflect all or portions of your underlying base’s data.

Interface layouts are the design space framework within a given interface page. There are a number of layout types to choose from. You can also start from scratch with a blank template, but we recommend starting with a layout if you are new to Interface Designer.

• Blank and legacy interface page layouts contain a set of customizable elements that provide the structure for you to build an interface.

• Newer layouts offer a more straight-forward, constrained approach to designing interface pages. Most of the customization occurs by adjusting settings from the configuration panel on the right side of the interface editing page.

A layout is like choosing a recipe; you have a good starting place that can be customized to your unique tastes by adding further configuration.

Adding a layout in Interface Designer

Adding a new layout:

1. Find the interface option inside a base that holds the data for which you would like to create a new interface.

2. Click the Interfaces option.

3. After clicking Interfaces, there are 3 different experiences you may encounter when attempting to add a new interface page layout:

   1. First interface in a base: You'll enter a flow where you can click Try building with AI (if AI is enabled at your organization) or Build it yourself to begin building the first interface.

   2. New interface in a base with other interfaces already created: You'll be brought to the editor where you can click the + New interface button to create a new interface.

   3. Creating a new page in an existing interface: From the interface editor, hover over the name of the interface where you want to add a new interface page. Click the + button.

4. All of these options will lead to the layout picker menu discussed in the next section.

5. Choose a layout and start customizing.

Choosing an interface page layout

Whenever you create a new interface, you can choose from a menu of layouts. Each layout was built with a different workflow in mind. We cover each layout briefly below, but you can learn more about each layout by clicking the link to each layout's support article. It's important to note that there are two general categories of layouts: visualization-based layouts and element-based layouts.

1. Visualization layouts - Predefined, view-like layouts that allow meaningful interfaces to be built in a short amount of time. Options include list, gallery, kanban, calendar, and timeline visualizations.

   1. Visualization-based layouts, aka table layouts, are covered in the main getting started support article here.

   2. Once created, you can also access the ability to turn on a grid visualization for the interface.

2. Form - The Form layout is meant to help intake new record information from users who are interacting with the interface page you are building.

3. Dashboard - The Dashboard layout is ideal for giving stakeholders and executives a high-level overview of key information to keep them in the loop. With this layout, you can let your collaborators filter data themselves, surface important numbers, and highlight metrics with charts and graphs.

4. Overview - Overview layouts provide a space for end users to land and redirect themselves to other interfaces, interface pages, and even resources outside of Airtable when needed in order to help orient teams and individuals to be able to get their work done.

5. Record review - The Record review layout was designed to allow you to quickly switch between records with ease. Record review is useful for triaging or reviewing many records at once.

6. Blank - (Element-based) Choose the Blank layout to start creating on a clean canvas. This provides you the space to build out an interface with the various interface elements Airtable offers, from scratch.

Interface layout dependencies

• Each layout is connected to a single table from your base.

• Visualization based layout dependencies - Visualization-based layouts, aka table layouts, are covered in the main getting started support article here.

FAQs