Creating and managing Airtable bases

  • Updated on Oct 9, 2024
  • Published on Jul 4, 2022
  • 3 minute(s) read

Plan availability

All plan types

Platform(s)

Web/Browser, Mac app, and Windows app

Permissions

  • Owner/Creator - Can delete bases

  • Editor or higher - Can delete tables in bases they can access

Related reading

Airtable terminology

  • Base - A collection of data in Airtable, designed to contain all of the information a user needs for a project or workflow. Bases can have multiple tables, each containing data; within each table, there are records, with data for each record stored in fields.

Creating bases in Airtable

NOTE

Your collaborator permission level determines which base creation options are available. Some users cannot access the "Build an app with AI" and "Start with a managed app" options.  

To create a base:

  1. Open your Airtable homepage.

  2. Click + Create.

  3. Select your preferred workspace.

  4. Select one of the following available options:

    1. Build an app with AI - Learn more here

    2. Start with a managed app - Learn more here

    3. Start from scratch

Duplicating bases in Airtable

NOTE

All base collaborators can duplicate bases where they are existing collaborators. Check out our Adding a base collaborator article for more information on reviewing your base's collaborators.

To duplicate a base:

  1. Open your Airtable homepage.

  2. Search for and open the base you want to duplicate.

  3. Click the ˅ icon next to the base's name.

  4. Select the ... icon, then click Duplicate base.

    1. A new window opens allowing you to mange record and comment settings.

  5. Click Duplicate base.

Customizing base appearance in Airtable

NOTE

Customers on one of Airtable's paid plans can access additional styling options like color, icon, field types, and more.

To customize your base’s appearance:

  1. Open your Airtable homepage.

  2. Open the base you want to customize.

  3. Click the ˅ icon next to your base’s name.

  4. Select a new base color and icon under the “Appearance” section.

    1. Additionally, you can add third-party emojis using Windows or macOS.

Deleting bases in Airtable

To delete a base:

  1. Open your Airtable homepage.

  2. Open the base you want to delete.

  3. Click the ⌄ arrow to the right of your base's name.

  4. Click the ... icon and select Delete base, then Delete.

Using the fill handle in Airtable

While you can copy and paste data from bases, CSVs, or other data sources into multiple cells simultaneously, the fill handle allows a faster and more accurate way to update your bases.

To use the fill handle:

  1. Open your Airtable homepage.

  2. Create or open your preferred base.

  3. Select the cell you want to copy.

    1. The handle will appear as a small box in the right-hand corner of the selected cell.

  1. Hover your cursor over the small box in the right-hand corner of your selected cell and drag the handle from the initial cell to your preferred final cell.

    1. After releasing your cursor, the selected cells are filled with your preferred data.

Note

Keep in mind that you can drag the fill handle horizontally or vertically as long as you are selecting cells that are adjacent to one another.

To continue a data series using the fill handle:

Note

To continue a numeric or date sequence, first configure the field as a number or date field type.

  1. Visit your Airtable homepage.

  2. Create or open your preferred base.

  3. Select the cell(s) you hold the data series you want to continue.

    1. The handle will appear as a small box in the right-hand corner of the selected cell.

    2. For example, dragging the "1, 2" values of two cells will extend the numeric sequence to "1, 2, 3, 4 . . .."

FAQs

Can non-collaborators duplicate bases?

Yes, if the base's owner has created a public share link for their base and toggled on the option to "Allow viewers to copy data out of this view." In that case, viewers of that link can duplicate the base by opening the share link and clicking "Copy base" next to the base's name.

Does duplicating a base also duplicate interfaces?

Yes. Any interfaces will be duplicated alongside the duplicated base. Keep in mind that if you chose to not duplicate records, then those duplicated interfaces will not contain context (such as dashboards) or record information.

Where are duplicate bases stored?

All bases, including duplicates, can be found by visiting your Airtable homepage. To find a duplicate base:

  1. Visit your Airtable homepage.

  2. Select the workspace where your duplicated base is saved.

  3. Search for the base's name you want to locate.

Note

Unless renamed by the person copying the base, duplicate base's names default to the original name with "(Copy)" added for distinction.  

I have the correct permissions, but I’m not able to duplicate a base. Why might that be?

For collaborators to duplicate a base, the workspace security features below must be disabled by a workspace owner:

  1. Go to the home page and select the desired workspace.

  2. Click on ...  and select Workspace settings.

  3. Turn off "Restrict adding new collaborators to this workspace, its bases, and its interfaces" and "Prevent the creation of new share links within this workspace's bases and interfaces."