Airtable permissions overview
  • 25 Nov 2024
  • 6 Minutes to read
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Airtable permissions overview

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Article summary

Plan availability

All plan types 

Permissions

  • Admins - Can perform the actions noted below in workspaces/bases where they are added as collaborators. Otherwise, admins can manage user permissions from Admin Panel

  • All users - Can take various actions throughout Airtable as discussed in the article below. 

Platform(s)

Web/Browser, Mac app, Windows app, and mobile apps 

Collaboration at a glance

Airtable collaborators can be given specific permissions that determine what they can and cannot edit in a workspace or base. Permissions are an important part of healthy team collaboration. With the right permissions, you can ensure that only certain people are permitted to change the information in your bases. This article outlines the different actions that can be taken by collaborators on each permissions level.

There are two ways to add collaborators: on the workspace level, and on the base level. If you add a workspace collaborator, they will have access to every base in the workspace at the permission level they are assigned. If you add a base collaborator, they will only have access to that specific base at the permission level they are assigned.

Note

For information about how adding collaborators to your workspace affects your billing, see this FAQ.

Base actions

General actions


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Access/view the entire base at your assigned permission level

Invite users at or below your permission level

Create or remove a view share link



Create or remove a base collaborator invite link




Rename the base




Record actions


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Comment on records

 

Add, delete, or modify records

 

 

View actions


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Download a CSV of the view

Print a view

Copy data in a view

Add, delete, or modify views


 *personal views only

 

Lock and unlock views

 

 

 

Delete other collaborators' personal views

 

 

 

Field actions


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Add, delete, duplicate, rename, and customize fields

 

 

 

Table actions


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Add, delete, duplicate, and rename tables

 

 

 

Import CSV as a new table




Airtable Automations


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Create, delete, or duplicate an automation

 

 

 

Configure an automation (turn on/off, edit trigger type, edit action type, or add actions)

 

 

 

Rename an automation

 

 

 

Edit an automation description

 

 

 

View automation configuration

Copy automation URL

Airtable Sync


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Create or remove a syncable view share link

 

 

Manually sync ("Sync now")

 

 

Create or delete a synced table

 

 

 

Update sync configuration

 

 

 

Airtable Extensions


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Create an extension

 

 

 

Configure an extension's settings

 

 

Rename, edit an extension's description, or move an extension to a different dashboard

 

 

 

Delete, disable, duplicate, or share an extension

 

 

 

Add, delete, or rename an extension dashboard

 

 

 

Airtable Interface Designer


Owner/Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Create an interface or an interface page

 

 

 

Edit, preview, or publish an interface

 

 

 

Add/edit/remove elements in an interface

 

 

 

Delete, duplicate, or rename an interface

 

 

 

Restrict interface sharing




Update records via editable inline records or editable record details.

 

 

Create/delete new records in interfaces (When enabled)



Add new records via interface form submissions



View an interface

✅ 

Workspace actions

Workspace actions for workspace-level collaborators

Workspace-level collaborators at the Owner and Creator levels have extra permissions regarding the workspace itself, which are outlined below.

 

Owner

Creator

Editor

Commenter

Read-Only

Access all bases within the workspace at your assigned permission level

Invite users at or below your permission level

Rename the workspace

 

 

 

Add and delete bases in the workspace

 

 

 

Rearrange bases within the workspace

 

 

 

Move a base from the workspace to another workspace 


( restrictions apply)

 

 

 

Adjust the billing settings, upgrade the workspace

 

 

 

 

Grant owner permissions

 

 

 

Owner permission level dependencies 

Owner dependencies

  • Workspaces can have multiple owners.

  • Only owners can grant owner permissions.

  • By default, the person who created the workspace is the owner.

    • The workspace creator is the only individual with permissions who can update that workspace's owner—after those changes are implemented, either owner can update the original owner's permissions. 

  • If you are the sole owner of a workspace with multiple members, you will need to transfer ownership to another member before deleting your account.

  • Only account owners receive notifications when potential collaborators request access to a particular base.

Inviting collaborators on paid workspaces

When inviting workspace or base collaborators, it’s always a good idea to invite the collaborators in with Read-only permissions. By first inviting in your collaborators with read-only permissions, you can avoid incurring billable collaborator charges. Once invited, you can then determine the necessary permissions to provide to the collaborator.

Considerations for larger organizations

When managing a larger team of collaborators within a workspace, it’s best to consider having at least two workspace owners. The reason for this is that if one workspace owner is on leave, the workspace is not stuck in a position of not being able to perform workspace administrative duties.

Note

Enterprise Admins have additional user management tools available in Admin Panel. 

Managing and updating collaborator permissions

General tips on changing permission levels:

  • You cannot change permission levels for a base collaborator from the workspace share dialog. 

  • Similarly, you cannot change permission levels for a workspace collaborator from a base share dialog. However, in a base share modal, you'll see an arrow icon 6766240368023ScreenShot2022-06-14at82918AM.png to click from the base share management into the appropriate workspace share management modal to change that workspace collaborator's permissions.

  • You cannot change permission levels for yourself (or anyone else) if doing so would grant you greater edit access to the data. For example: if you are an editor, you cannot grant yourself or anyone else creator permissions; if you are a read-only collaborator, you cannot grant yourself or anyone else editor permissions.

Upgrading and downgrading workspace collaborator permissions

  1. Open your Airtable account overview.

  2. Select your preferred workspace from the "Workspace settings" menu.

  3. Click Add or manage workspace collaborators under the “Billable collaborators” section.

  4. Click Manage access.  

  5. Select the checkbox next to the collaborator name(s) you want to upgrade or downgrade.

  6. Click the ˅ icon under the “Permission” column, then select your preferred permission for that collaborator.

Upgrading and downgrading base collaborator permissions

  1. Open your Airtable homepage.

  2. Select and open your preferred base.

  3. Click Share.

  4. Click Manage access.

  5. Select the checkbox next to the collaborator name(s) you want to remove.

  6. Click the ˅ icon under the “Permission” column, then select your preferred permission level for your collaborator(s).

Leaving a base, interface, or workspace

Below, you’ll find the steps necessary to remove yourself from having access to a base, interface, or workspace. You can also follow similar steps to remove other users at or below your permission level. Additionally, Business and Enterprise Scale admins can utilize the Users, Interfaces, and Workspaces page in admin panel to understand and modify user access on each of those surfaces.

To remove your access to a base:

  1. Navigate to the base you want to remove yourself from.

  2. Click the Share button in the upper right corner of the base.

  3. Click on Manage access in the dialog that pops up.

  4. Click the checkbox next to your name.

  5. Click the Remove 1 collaborator option that appears in the upper right corner of the dialog.

Note

If you are a collaborator at the workspace level, then you will not be able to remove your base access from this dialog since workspace collaborators have access to all bases in a workspace. Instead, in the “Permission” column, click the link next to your permission level to access the workspace permission settings dialog and follow similar steps there to remove your access to the entire workspace.

To remove your access to an interface:

  1. Navigate to the interface that you want to remove yourself from.

  2. Click the Share button in the bottom left corner of the interface.

  3. Click on Manage access in the dialog that pops up.

  4. In the “Permission” column, click on your permission level and then click Remove access.

Note

If you are a collaborator at the workspace or base level, then you will not be able to remove your interface access from this dialog since workspace or base collaborators have access to all interfaces within a workspace or base, respectively. Instead, you’ll need to remove your access at the base or workspace level as outlined above and below.

To remove your access to a workspace:

  1. Navigate to your home screen.

  2. Either search for the workspace you want to remove yourself from or choose that workspace from the sidebar on the left side of the homescreen.

  3. Once you have clicked into the workspace, click the Share button in the top right portion of the screen.

  4. Click on Manage access in the dialog that pops up.

  5. Click the checkbox next to your name.

  6. Click the Remove 1 collaborator option that appears in the upper right corner of the dialog.

FAQs

How can I view who owns base(s) shared with me?

  1. Visit your Airtable homepage

  2. Open the base shared with you. 

  3. Click Share in the top right corner. 

  4. Click Manage access

  5. Click Permission to sort users by permission level (creator, owner, editor). 

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